Best Road Races Photo of the Week

Bernard Koech runs fastest Half Marathon in US

Bernard Koech of Kenya won the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in 58 minutes, 41 seconds, the fastest time ever run in America and the fastest in the world this year.

Koech's mark will not count as a record because the net elevation drop from start to finish on the point-to-point course exceeded IAAF rules.

Still, it was the first time the half marathon overshadowed the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. "I was expecting it to be a fast race," said Koech, who also won the EDP Half Marathon in 59:54 in March and leads the Half-Marathon Grand Prix Series.

"I am in great shape. After 10K I realized I was going to run a fast time." Koech's time ranks fourth-fastest ever. Running a 4:25 opening mile, the 25-year-old Kenyan broke away from countrymen Augustine Kipchoge and Stephen Kibet just after the 5-mile mark on an overcast day.

Kipchoge was second in 1:00:18 and Kibet third in 61:43. The trio, which broke from the rest of the elite field just after the 2-mile mark (8:58), hit 5 miles in 22:27 before Koech shook things up with a 4:23 sixth mile, which brought him through 10K unchallenged in 27:50.

He continued to stretch out his lead from there, running 44:48 through 10 miles and covering the final 5K in 13:53. Koech set a pending U.S. all-comers record for 10 miles with a time of 44:47. The previous record was 44:53 by Haile Gebrselassie in 2006.

Race organizers said the 10-mile record meets the IAAF qualifications. Two-time defending champion and San Diego resident Meb Keflezighi was the top American finisher in fourth place, running 1:02:11.

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Best Road Races Video of the Week

Billy Mills is celebrating his 75th Birthday June 30

Billy Mills became an Olympic hero and an American sports icon for eternity with his dramatic and (to most) totally unexpected victory in the 10,000 meters at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He remains the only American in history to ever win the longest track event in the Olympic Games.

On June 30th, his 75th birthday, Billy Mills will be back in Kansas, which served as the launch pad for his run to Olympic glory in Tokyo almost 50 years ago, as a special honored guest at the Overland Park Double.

Although Billy was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, his running career essentially began in Kansas.

Click here to read the full article about Billy Mills.

June is Billy Mills month...no other American has ever won the Olympic 10,000m Gold medal. This performance changed my life. I already loved running but when I watched...more Bob Anderson

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Let us help you plan your racing events for 2013 and beyond.  Our Best Road Races are held in North America.  We have organized the races in several ways including by name, date, prize money, course rating and number of finishers.  Click on the link to view.  If you see any information that is not correct, please let us know so we can get it corrected.  It is important that everything is 100% correct.