Hometown Favorite Famiglietti Wins USA Men’s 8K Championships
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New York, March 18—Fifty of the best distance runners from throughout the United States were in Central Park today to compete for a national title at the USA Men’s 8K Championships, hosted by New York Road Runners. But it was a Manhattan resident who ran away with the win.
East 89th Street’s own Anthony "Fam" Famiglietti ran a perfect tactical race, using a strong move just after the 3-mile mark to distance himself from his 2004 U.S. Olympic teammate and friend, Abdi Abdirahman of Tucson, AZ, who finished second.
Famiglietti, who had originally thought about breaking Alberto Salazar’s American record of 22:04 and receiving the $25,000 bonus that would go with it, changed his strategy due to the challenging weather conditions (29 degrees and wind). He decided to run for the win, and he knew exactly how to do it. Fam sat back as Abdirahman and other runners, including eventual third-place place finisher Bolota Asmerom, pushed the pace before making his decisive surge. He pulled away for the victory, clocking 22:35 for the 4.97-mile course (4:32 per mile).
"My strategy was to run as evenly as possible," said Famiglietti. "I tried to conserve; I didn’t run outside myself." Asmerom also commented on the winner’s smart tactics: "He made one move and that was it. I always make the mistake of making 10 to 15 moves and paying for it."
Along with his excellent strategy, Fam also benefited from a home-course advantage. He runs in Central Park almost every day, often completing workouts on the exact loop where this race was contested. "I know how it feels to run fast on that course," he said.
Many New Yorkers in Central Park may not realize that the man who just flew by at a seemingly inhuman pace is their own Olympian neighbor. Others are beginning to proudly identify their hometown hero as he trains hard to represent the New York City running community around the world.
The 28-year-old Famiglietti pleased the hometown crowd and finally won this highly regarded title after placing second once (2004) and third twice (2005, 2003). He took home $11,000 for the victory: $10,000 for first place and a $1,000 bonus for being one of the first four men to cross the 5K checkpoint. Abdirahman (22:41, $8,000) and Asmerom (22:48, $5,000) were also rewarded nicely for their efforts, as were the other finishers in the top 15, who took home portions of the $35,000 guaranteed prize purse.
Each of the top three runners sincerely thanked the NYRR staff and volunteers who prepared the course. The race had been originally scheduled for Saturday over a different 5-mile route, but the snow and ice forced a one-day postponement and a course change to criterium-style laps around the park’s 1.7-mile lower loop. Thanks to these decisions and all the work to clear the roads, the race went off without incident.
"What a fantastic job the NYRR did to put this race together and this field together and to deal with everything that happened," said Famiglietti. "The surface was great and everything went smoothly. The course was fantastic."
But nothing could overshadow Famiglietti’s performance. NYRR president and CEO Mary Wittenberg said of his race, "It was a hard-fought victory in every way, and it ended with a New York City resident and Long Island native winning the day. This is a really big deal to have Anthony Famiglietti win a national title in Central Park."
Fam’s exciting victory heightens the anticipation for upcoming rematches against Abdirahman, Asmerom, and others. Though unsure of his 2007 racing schedule at this time, he admitted he is intrigued by the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, which will be run in New York City on November 3. Racing 26.2 miles would represent a major career move for the longtime steeplechase specialist. "The marathon reminds me of the steeple," said Famiglietti. "Other races are more predictable, but in the steeple, someone bumps you, you hit a hurdle—everything can change in a millisecond. In the marathon, anyone can get dehydrated, run out of gas...in both races, you never know what’s going to happen."
"Hopefully, my time will come," said Abdirahman, a 2:08 marathoner who has been touted as one of the heavy favorites to make the Olympic team at November’s trials. For Anthony Famiglietti, hometown favorite and new national champion, the time is now.
For more about USA Men’s 8K Championship runners in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon, click here.
Anthony Famiglietti of New York City steamed to victory in the 2007 USA Men's 8K Championships in Central Park on March 18.
Click here to view race photos.
