Kenyan breaks 5K record in SyracusePeter Githuka sprints to a 13:37.5 finish at the Festival of Races.

By JIM RODENBUSH - October 5th 1998 - Syracuse Newspapers


Peter Githuka of Nyandarwa, Kenya, triumphantly raised his right arm as he crossed the finish line of the men's 5K race Sunday at the Syracuse Festival of Races. Cheered on by hundreds of on-lookers, Githuka sprinted the final 200 meters on his way to the race win and a New York state record time of 13 minutes, 37.5 seconds.

Githuka's time beat the old state 5K road race record of 13:41 and shattered the festival record of 13:52, set in 1995 by Tim Hacker.

Githuka, who was seeded third in the race, beat second-place finisher Paul Mbugua of Kenya by 18 seconds.

"It was a nice course for me to run," Githuka said of his first Festival of Races appearance. "It was cold during the race and I generally don't like a lot of cold when I run. I feel good about setting the record."

Githuka's state record was the highlight of the sixth annual festival, a series of three races that began and ended outside Syracuse University's Manley Field House. In the men's 5K, 408 runners finished. There were 296 finishers in the women's 5K. Another 2,500 took part in the 3K fun and fitness run.

The festival began at 9:30 a.m. with the women's competitive run. The start came with temperatures in the 40s and a light wind. Those conditions weren't good news to Christine McNamara, the 1997 runner-up in the race, who was suffering from a cold.

Despite the weather conditions and her own health problems, McNamara won the women's race in a time of 16:28, beating 1996 champion Molly Watcke by 23 seconds.

"I wasn't sure how the race would go," McNamara said. "I thought I would make the top three. It was going to depend on if I felt like running today. I don't feel too bad right now. Besides the cold, I am otherwise OK."

McNamara, 29, of Boulder, Colo., was attracted to the Festival of Races in part because her mother, Patricia McNamara, is from Camillus.

A 3k fun and fitness run was held between the men's and women's competitive races. The run drew many families, as well as students from 23 local elementary and middle schools.

Evan Giamundo, 7, and his mother, Danielle Giamundo, were two of 364 runners representing Long Branch Elementary. That total was the highest from any school, earning Long Branch the title of team champion for the second straight year.