WOMEN 1) Elvira Kolpakova (RUS) 7:31:12 2) Marina Bychkova (RUS) 7:38:21 3) Monica Casiraghi (ITA) 7:39:42 4) Tanja Schafer (ALL) 7:43:40 5) Akiko Sekiya (JPN) 7:50:58 6) Karine Herry (FRA) 7:54:27 7) Danielle Sanderson (GBR) 7:58:16 8) Maggali Reymonenq-Maggiolini (FRA) 8:02:31 9) Alzira Lario (POR) 8:10:19 10) Sylvie Beaulieu (FRA) 8:13:23 13) Daniele Cherniak, Cohoes, NY 8:18:18 17) Jennifer Devine-Pfifer, 8:25:26 21) Nikki Kimball, Elizabethtown NY 8:32:38 28) Anne Riddle, 8:45:59 Ann Heaslett, 8:59:51 Christy Cosgrove, 10hr+ DNF: Chrissy Ferguson WOMEN'S TEAM 1) Russia 2) France 3) Germany 4) United States MEN 1) Yasufumi Mikami (JPN) 6:33:28 2) Rich Hanna (USA) 6:43:09 3) Pascal Fetizon (FRA) 6:44:48 4) Thierry Guichard (FRA) 6:45:47 5) Jean-Marie Gehin (FRA) 6:46:36 6) Pascal Piveteau (FRA) 6:47:23 7) Marcio Batista De Oliveira (BRA) 6:48:21 8) Rainer Muller (GER) 6:52:06 9) Jorge Aubeso (ESP) 6:52:34 10) Bruno Blanchard (FRA) 6:55:15 13) Howard Nippert, 7:01:36 64) Jim Garcia, 7:40:24 79) Bob Sweeney, 7:48:05 MEN'S TEAM 1) France 2) Belgium 3) Russia
By Dan Brannen, Running USA wire
Cleder, FRA - (August 26, 2001) - In a huge surprise, American Rich Hanna of Sacramento, Calif. took the silver medal Sunday, running 6:43:09 at the World 100km, held in Cleder, France. Yasufumi Mikami of Japan became the first Japanese world champion in ultrarunning history, taking the global title in 6:33:28. Elvira Kolpakova of Russia won the women's world title in 7:31:12.
Hanna, 37, was followed by fellow American Howard Nippert, of Blacksburg, Virginia, in 13th place. However, with the highly touted American pair of Dave Dunham and Tom Johnson both dropping out before halfway, next scorer Jim Garcia's 7:40:24 was too far back to keep the Americans in team medal contention. With an impressive 3, 4, 5 finish, the French won the men's team gold medal.
With 2001 national 100km champion Anne Riddle of Asheville, North Carolina coming into the event injured, the American women did not expect to contend for medals. Yet the resilient veteran Daniele Cherniak of Cohoes, New York managed a 13th place finish in 8:18:18. She was followed by promising newcomers Jennifer Devine-Pfeiffer of Sacramento, Calif. (17th in 8:25:26) and Nikki Kimball of Elizabethtown, New York (21st in 8:32:38). The American women came close to upsetting the Germans for the bronze medal. With the top two spots, the Russians captured the women's world team title.
Hanna climbed from 10th place to 2nd during the last half of the race. In the final kilometers, with a slim lead over defending world champion Pascal Fetizon of France, Hanna pushed himself over the edge. He collapsed and stumbled to the ground barely 10 yards before the finish line. With Fetizon charging in, the American dragged himself across the line to secure his totally unexpected silver medal.
Last year at this time Rich Hanna was all but retired from competition. In the mid-90s he was the most promising new American talent to move up to the ultradistances. Having run 2:17 to qualify for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, he easily won the 1994 USA 100km National Championship in his first try at the distance. Later that year, in Japan he teamed with his friend and training partner Tom Johnson and Bryan Hacker to put the USA men on the medal podium for the first time ever in the World 100km, running 6:45:55 to finish 13th behind Johnson's American-leading 9th, as they won team bronze medals.
The following year he successfully defended his U.S. 100km title, then went back into speed training to prepare for the Olympic Marathon Trials. The result was a series of foot and leg injuries that kept him out of both the 1995 World 100km (where he served as support crew for his USA teammates who took the team silver medal behind Johnson's individual American record bronze) and the Olympic Trials. After a frustrating year of ongoing injuries, his racing days appeared over. In the meantime, Hanna co-founded Marathon Publishers, Inc., of which he is now Executive Vice-President. He co-authored and published "The Ultimate Guide to Marathons," one of the most well received marathon books ever written.
Then, in the spring of 2000, after a five-year hiatus, Hanna began the long process of making a comeback to competition. It culminated in a return to the USA National 100km Championship last March in Pittsburgh, where he took the silver medal behind Jim Garcia to qualify for his second world 100km, delayed now by six years.
In the ensuing months, training tales emerged from the northern California ultra grapevine that Rich Hanna was back, better than ever. On Sunday in France, he proved the rumors true, and gave American distance running one of its most memorable comeback stories.
World 100K Cleder, France, August 26, 2001