Women's World Record Shattered
at Carlsbad 5000

CARLSBAD, Calif. (April 9, 2006) -- Olympic gold medalist Meseret Defar of Ethiopia made her fourth appearance count when she shattered the women's 5,000 -meter world record at Elite Racing's Carlsbad 5000 Sunday, winning in a time of 14:46 over the 3.1-mile course. The men's road race was equally exciting as Ethiopian Abreham Cherkos, just 18 years old, announced himself in grand fashion as he won in 13:15 in his first appearance in the United States.

Defar, who won the gold medal in the 5,000-meters at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, obliterated the old mark of 14:51, held by Britain's Paula Radcliffe and matched by Ethiopian youngster Tirunesh Dibaba here last year. It marked the 16th world record broken over the 21-year history of the race that runs along the Pacific Ocean.

"I did not go to the World Cross Country Championships last month because I wanted to break the world record here in Carlsbad," said the 23 -year old, who was met at the finish line by her husband and a cheering crowd of thousands. "I'm very, very happy, it's my fourth time here and I finally did it."

Defar, countrywoman Sentayehu Ejigu, Kenya's Isabella Ochichi and Australia's Benita Johnson separated themselves from the rest of the field early, reaching the first mile in 4:43, four seconds under Dibaba's world record pace from 2005. Seven minutes into the race and turning into the wind, Defar started to surge, opening a small gap between herself and Ochichi, who also broke a world record here at Carlsbad (14:53, 2004) and finished second to Defar in the 5,000-meters in Athens.

Ochichi was determined to stay in the front. Just over a minute later, Defar started to surge again, opening a five-meter gap, but again Ochichi stayed. The pair reached the two mile mark at 9:29, a 4:46 mile and six seconds under last year's pace. It became a two-woman race as Johnson and Ejigu fell off the lead pack.

The women made the final u-turn on Carlsbad Blvd., and with the wind at their back, Defar opened a gap again and this time Ochichi was unable to respond. From then on it was a one woman race. Running another 4:46 mile, she reached the three-mile mark in 14:15 and knew the record was in sight. Running in front of throngs of cheering spectators, Defar closed with a blazing kick down the homestretch setting her new world record of 14:46.

Ochichi finished second in 14:53, matching her own world record time she had set in Carlsbad back in 2004. Ejigu was third (15:17) and Johnson was fourth (15:19).

The men's race saw two-time champion and former world record holder Sammy Kipketer take the early lead along with Abraham Chebii, Shadrack Kosgei and Boaz Cheboiywo cruising thru the first mile at 4:10. Cherkos was behind the pack around the first turn. A quarter mile later, Cheboiywo made a move to separate the field and Cherkos went with him. The men were side-by-side at two miles, passing in 8:28 after clocking a 4:18 mile.

That's when the Cherkos made his bold move, immediately putting seven meters on Cheboiywo and further extending his lead all the way to the finish. His winning time of 13:15 was the fifth fastest time ever run at Carlsbad.

More than 8,000 participants competed in nine age-group races, enjoying sunny cool conditions throughout the day's events.