Richard Slater
RIYADH — The Riyadh Road Runners (RRR) returned to Ranco Farm Friday for the second time in a month to complete the second race in its 10-mile series.
Just as in last month’s race, Laura Blazek and Mo Foustok proved unbeatable in the middle distance race, both winning by convincing margins and in doing so extending their unbeaten runs.
The male event was a one horse race from the outset, with Foustok taking the lead within the first 500m and extending it throughout the race. He romped home in 59:26, a full two kilometers clear of his nearest challenger.
With his closest rival Hamad Ozaybi absent due to the Saudi National Championships taking place on the same day, Foustok wasn’t forced to dig so deep for this victory, maintaining a steady pace.
After the race he commented to club chairman Richard Slater that: “I’ve got the bug back, I’m training hard and enjoying it a lot,” which bodes well for some fast times later this season.
Behind him, Russ McArthur and Saudi national Abdulwahed Al-Murshidi battled for second place over the course of the first lap, with McArthur appearing the more at ease of the pair as they began the second lap.
McArthur pulled away from Al-Murshidi over the course of the second lap, and Thomas Brackmann came through the field to grab third place in the final kilometer, eventually beating Al-Murshidi by 6 seconds and in doing so claiming his first ever podium place at a Road Runners event.
In the ladies’ event, the race followed what has become a common pattern, with Laura Blazek striding away from all her rivals at the outset and sealing victory by a considerable margin.
A mark of Blazek’s ability is that she finished 5th overall (of 164 competitors), a fantastic achievement in what was a strong male field.
Behind her, Claudine Roghi ran superbly to secure a personal best time of 1:13:48, with Clare Scott pushing hard over the final kilometers to finish a mere two minutes behind.
The next race is the annual half marathon event, which will be the longest and toughest event of the season to date.
Riyadh Road Runners thanked Carrefour Tala Mall for its generous sponsorship of the club this season.
Male race: 1. Mo Foustok (KSA) 59:26, 2. Russ McArthur (GB) 1:07:45, 3. Thomas Brackmann (GER) 1:08:37.
Female race: 1. Laura Blazek (USA) 1:11:20, 2. Claudine Roghi (NZ/FRA) 1:13:38, 3. Clare Scott (GB) 1:15:59.
