Kibet wins New York mini 10K

Fresh off of an Olympic-qualifying 30:55.61 10,000m run on 30 May, Hilda Kibet of the Netherlands ran a smart, patient 10km race in Central Park on Saturday and topped a stellar field at the NYRR New York Mini 10K. Her time was 32:43 in warm, humid conditions. Madai Perez of Mexico was second in 32:49, and American Marathon record-holder Deena Kastor finished third in 33:14.

Kastor, of Mammoth Lakes, CA, the 2004 Olympic marathon bronze medalist, led a pack of 11 athletes through a 5:09 uphill first mile. She continued to press through Central Park's rolling hills in miles two and three - recording splits of 5:11 and 5:13 - but she had company in Perez, Kibet, and Kenya's Everlyne Lagat, with Kastor's U.S. Olympic Marathon teammates Magdalena Lewy-Boulet and Blake Russell trailing. At 5K (16:12), Kibet appeared the most comfortable. Kastor fell back after mile four, reached in 21:10, and though Perez took a slight lead, Kibet followed closely and with apparent ease. With 600 meters to go, the Kenyan native, who became a Dutch citizen this year and will represent her new country in the Olympic 10,000m, broke free and cruised to victory.

"It was a tough race," acknowledged Kibet, 27, who won $10,000. "My legs were not really moving at the start."

"The race was strategic," said Perez, 28, through a translator; she won $5000. "I did not think about the time."

Kastor, 35, who said that she ran the Mini to launch herself into marathon training, seemed thoroughly satisfied. "I'm definitely very happy with my performance," she said. "I didn't think I had this in me today." Kastor won $8500: $3500 for third place overall plus $5,000 in special American-only prize money on offer this year.

Lewy-Boulet, 34, of Oakland, ran a strong second half to finish fourth in 33:29; she won $5000. Russell, 32, of Pacific Grove, CA, was sixth in 33:40 and won $1250. Lewy-Boulet, Kastor, and Russell finished 1-2-3- at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials