NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE Extended Professional Men's Gallery

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Abdi Abdirahman ran a courageous race from the start, taking the point position in the early lead pack.	Even with Haile Gebrselassie in the field, Abdi had vowed that he would run to win. He never backed down: Here he leads Haile through the park as others begin to struggle.	Two near-unknown runners wearing white, Joseph Chirlee (left) and 18-year-old Kipkoech Ruto, surprised many by finishing fifth and 13th. They flank Haile near the 5K mark.	Down to seven: Robert Cheruiyot, Gebrselassie, and Abdirahman start to press the pace. Second from right is Catherine Ndereba’s brother, Samuel.
And then there were three: Cheruiyot applied serious pressure as the leaders approached halfway; only Geb and Abdi could cover his move.	A benefit of leading a big race is that you never have to check your watch. NYRR president and CEO Mary Wittenberg sits on the press truck’s tailgate.	It’s not easy to grab a cup at 4:20 pace. At the next aid station, Cheruiyot’s water-grab would be the cue for Abdi’s attempt to steal the race.	Abdi threw down his cards at 7.5 miles. Cheruiyot, taken off guard, could not respond. Geb, however, would soon respond in kind.
Seconds later, Haile took control of the race with his own unanswerable move. His lead would widen steadily for the next five miles.	Times Square, with perhaps its lowest population since construction. Soon, however, 10,000 more runners would make brief visits.	Haile makes the final turn, from 42nd Street onto the West Side Highway, and gauges his lead. The Emperor need not have concerned himself with such trifles.	The Haile smile, known around the world. Seconds after crossing the finish line in a course-record 59:24, he looks ready for a few more miles.
James Kwambai ran virtually alone for the last eight miles, but he closed to within five seconds of Cheruiyot to finish a strong fourth in 1:01:03.	Unheralded (and unsponsored) Joseph Chirlee, who wore the incongruous number 13088, took many scalps with his fifth-place 1:02:47.	The Westchester Track Club’s Ethiopian contingent of roommates and training partners (from left) Worku Beyi, Deresse Deniboba, and Demesse Tefera put a gap on U.S. Olympian Alan Culpepper…	…but Culpepper reeled them in and then put them away with his trademark finishing kick. He was sixth in 1:03:34.
Canadian Dylan Wykes (10th, 1:04:04) outran ING New York City Marathon 2004 champion Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa (12th, 1:04:21), who had a sub-par race after jet-lag sleep troubles.	Before the race, 18-year-old Kipkoech Ruto, who trains with Cheruiyot, shyly denied being a good runner. Then he finished 13th, in 1:04:22, one stride behind Ramaala. We’ll keep calling him good.	Macharia Yuot, a “Lost Boy of Sudan” who received his U.S. citizenship two days before the race, ran 1:06:46 to finish 19th—and a very proud fourth among Americans.	Top finishers surround the new course record-holder at the awards ceremony in Battery Park.