Winner of half-marathon finished first — but a year late

DULUTH — This might have happened for Mathew Chesang last year. He was in good shape and was registered to run in the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon on Grandma's weekend.

Only one problem: He waited too long to find a hotel room. He called, searched, scoured the North Shore to find one but couldn't. So the native Kenyan, who ran track for Kansas State and currently trains in Kansas City, stayed home.

This year he called early, finished late.

Running stride for stride with Fernando Cabada for much of the race Saturday, Chesang broke away in the final mile to win in 1:04:48, 19 seconds ahead of Cabada of Gray, Tenn., the U.S. record-holder in the 25K. The winner's share for men and women was $1,500.

Liza Hunter-Galvan caught Caroline Rotich at the 10-mile mark, then pulled away to win the women's race in 1:13:29, 71 seconds faster than Rotich.

The men's race was close until nearly the end.

With a breeze in their faces, Chesang and Cabada, both 26, together broke away from the pack at 3 miles.

"We were side by side after three," Cabada said. "I decided to try to take the lead -- it was a good pace, and I didn't want to slow down. He came up beside me, and that was the best thing that could have happened, to help push the pace. We were neck and neck for the next 9 miles, until 1 mile to go."

That's when Chesang pulled away to set a personal-best time in his sixth career half-marathon by 43 seconds.

Thing is, this all could have happened 12 months ago.

"This year I called early. I made the phone call back in April and was able to find a place," said Chesang, who has lived in the United States for six years.

In the women's race, Hunter-Galvan had a reason she showed so much emotion as she crossed the finish line. The New Zealander is trying to qualify for her country's Olympic marathon team. New Zealand's Olympic committee requires their athletes to prove they can be competitive in an Olympic field, and her time Saturday could help.

Krige Schabort and Ernst Van Dyk know each other very well. Both are from South Africa, though Schabort now lives in Atlanta. But the two elite wheelchair racers have gone head to head for years. And both have impressive résumés. Most recently, Van Dyk had edged out Schabort to win the Boston Marathon. So it should come as no surprise that they finished 1-2 Saturday, with Schabort winning this time. It was his third Grandma's victory in four years. Schabort finished in 1:29:33, two seconds ahead of Van Dyk.

Amanda McGrory of Champaign, Ill., defended her 2007 title, winning in 1:49:59 for her third Grandma's title.

• According to Dr. Steve Harrington, the race's medical director, 22 people were sent to a hospital for treatment, most for dehydration, high or low body temperature. Of those, 15 were sent from the course; seven from the medical tent. Two were spectators injured in falls. Elite runner Joseph Chirlee, a Kenyan who lives in Marietta, Ga., was hospitalized briefly after dropping out of the race because of a rash from an insect bite, but he will be fine, according to Chirlee's sponsor, John Elliott.

• The Iron Three all finished Saturday. The three have run all 32 Grandma's Marathons: Joe Johnson (Menominee, Mich.), John Naslund (Bloomington) and Jim Nowak (Reedsburg, Wis.).

• Al Franken, the DFL senate candidate, was at the race. "I was up just to cheer people on," he said.

• Thirteen years ago, Burnsville's Sue Olsen ran Grandma's while 8 1/2 months pregnant. Saturday she and son John ran it together, finishing in just less than 5 hours, 48 minutes.

• Among first-time marathon finishers was Minnetonka native Tim McIntosh, who played baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos and New York Yankees. McIntosh, who lives in Lodi, Calif., said he hopes to get back into baseball as a scout. He finished in just less than 5 hours.

Staff writer Paul Levy contributed to this report.