2008 NYRR Team Championships - Men's Gallery

	Saturday, August 16, was a great day in Central Park for the NYRR Team Championships, an annual contest among hundreds of runners and scores of teams in the NYC-metro area. Runners compete out of pure love of the sport and for area-wide bragging rights. Afterward, everyone cheers for their fellow finishers and enjoys a festive morning of picnicking and shared pride. Go, teams!
New York, Saturday, August 16, 2008—The NYRR Team Championships provides a chance to show team pride, renew friendly rivalries, enjoy the camaraderie of other runners, and claim bragging rights in the metropolitan area. And no team in the open divisions had more to celebrate today than the Westchester Track Club (WTC). [More]
The men’s race started under cool, sunny conditions.	Westchester Track Club (WTC) dominated the lead pack.	By halfway, six runners remained in contention.	Girma Tola of WTC and Evance Rotich fought for the overall lead in the final 400 meters.
Rotich reached the tape first, in a zippy 23:29.	Tola was second in 23:31, also an excellent time.	Worku Beyi of WTC finished third in 23:40…	…followed by teammate Deresse Deniboba in 24:03.
In fifth was Teklu Tefera Deneke, 24:06.	The sixth-place runner, Abraham Ng’etich, ran 24:12.	Abiyot Endale of WTC, the 2007 Team Champs winner, was seventh this year.	Elijah Kitur of High Falls, NY, finished eighth in 24:23.
The New York Athletic Club’s John Henwood placed ninth…	…and Dejune Nigussie of WTC rounded out the top 10.	Kassahun Kabiso pushed hard to secure an 11th-place finish.	Warren Street’s Brian Dalpiaz was 12th, 24:58.
The NYRR Team Championships races are among the most competitive on the NYRR annual calendar. Even top-placing runners can feel humbled, but most are inspired by the top-level competition.
Second-place masters finisher: Birger Ohlsson of CPTC.	Alan Ruben of CPTC finished second in the 50+ division.	John Samsel of WTC took third in his 60-64 age group.	GNY’s Abe Weintraub, age 98, finished in an astounding 2:07:09.
John Nelson ran 29:39.	Joseph Porcaro won the 55-59 age group in 31:30.	The Staten Island Athletic Club was well represented.	Peter Yu of the Korean Road Runners Club: 36-flat.
Frank DeLeo of Prospect Park Track Club ran 37:31.	Gabriel Bermeo of Team for Kids clocked 30:48.	Lawrence Wolf, Rockland Road Runners, 53:29.	Van Cortlandt Track Club fielded a strong team.