Molly Huddle is in the habit of painting her finger nails different colors before every big race, depending on the occasion.
The former Providence College All-American may think of going with the colors of the B.A.A. going forward after her scintillating run yesterday morning in the enormously popular B.A.A. 5K.
The defending champion settled back in sixth place in a deep women's field as Ethiopia's Mamitu Daska tore through the first two miles in 4:38 and 9:28. Huddle began to move up over the final mile and sprinted around the corner onto the final straightaway to cross the finish line in a course record 14 minutes, 50 seconds. Huddle's time also bettered the American Record of 14:54 Deena Kastor ran in the 2002 Carlsbad 5000. Huddle's terrific finishing speed put her just ahead of Ethiopia's Sentayehu Eligu (14:51) and Daska (14:52). Huddle was the lone non-African in the top 10.
Former Dartmouth College All-American Ben True made it a perfect sweep for the United States, as well as New England, breaking the American Record with a sterling13:22 over the made-for-speed 3.1-mile layout and getting back in the winner's circle after finishing second last year.
Huddle, the former Providence College All-American, was off the pace in the early going, but running comfortably well under record pace. She used her finishing speed over the last 800 meters to puall away for the win. "I just wished for the best," said Huddle, who along with True brought home $12,500 in prize money. "The pace was plenty fast enough. It was the best scenario that could have happened for me. I just went all out on the last straightaway. It was really painful.
Ben True was equally impressive in the men's race, running hard in a pack of six through the mile (4:19) and 2 mile (8:34). The 2011 and 2012 winner surged ahead just on Boylston Street and sprinted home in front of the more than 10,000-runner field in an American Record of 13:22. True, a North Yarmouth, ME native, erased the 13:24run by B.A.A. official and former Olympian Marc Davis in 1996.
True stayed a step behind Kenyan Stephen Sambu of Tuscon, AZ (second, 13:23) at the front of the half-dozen runner pack as it barreled down Boylston Street. "I think he was doing more of the pushing over the last mile and I was just trying to hang on," said the former Dartmouth College All-American. "It was nice being out there. It seemed like everyone was yelling my name. I felt bad for Sambu. Everyone was cheering for me and not for him. I was looking at the clock for sure and that was plenty of motivation getting close to the record."
True's performance answered questions he had of his own fitness and he was looking for a hard pace from the gun.
"They said the course was faster this year so I knew there was a shot of running a fast time," he said. "It was hard to tell my fitness level this year because I was training by myself. This is a nice confirmation that I'm in the shape I have to be in going forward."
The day also featured professional mile races near the marathon finish line. Ethiopia claimed both titles as Dejen Gebremeskel was an easy winner in the men's race in 4:04.1 and Dawit Seyaum won by more than two seconds in the women's even in 4:35.4.