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Though
the terrain and venue has varied over the years, we'd
seen this...
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...race
time after time, Meb Keflezighi vs. Alan Culpepper.
They'd raced in...
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...cross
country and on the track, and had many close battles.
Though the top two spots seemed to be locked up...
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...Dan
Browne seemed to be struggling a little bit in third.
Reporter Jim Gerweck commented in the post-race press
conference...
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...that
there was a point where Browne was as close to second
place as he was to fourth. Browne, however, managed
to gut it out.
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Culpepper
later spoke of the 10,000m final at the 2000 U.S.
Olympic Trials...
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...where
Keflezighi defeated him by .03 seconds. He joked that
he was sure...
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...the
two would separate themselves a bit more over the
course of 26.2 miles...
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...but
Keflezighi hung in there. With about a mile to go,
the press truck sped ahead to catch the finish.
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Keflezighi
made one final bid for the win right around the 26
mile mark, but Culpepper...
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...responded
with his trademark kick and won by five seconds in
2:11:42.
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This
was only Culpepper's second marathon. He said after
the race...
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...that
he fully intends to run the marathon (not the 10,000m)
in Athens, and unless something unexpected happens...
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...he
won't even run the 10,000m at the U.S. Olympic Track
& Field Trials in July.
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Keflezighi,
running just his third marathon, finished second in
2:11:47.
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Keflezighi
was less direct regarding his plans for Athens. He
would be a virtual...
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...lock
for the 10,000m team if he chose to contest the event
in July.
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Keflezighi
and Culpepper represented the U.S. at the 2000 Olympic
Games...
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...but
Dan Browne qualified for his first-ever Olympic team
here. He finished in 2:12:02...
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...and
the excitement (and relief) showed on his face.
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