YOKOHAMA - Team USA finished seventh at the 2009 Yokohama International Women's Ekiden Sunday in Yokohama, Japan. Host team Japan won the final edition of the event with a time of 2:15:05. The U.S. team was timed in 2:20:27.
The marathon relay featured a total of 14 teams including national teams from China, Kenya, Romania, Russia and Finland.
Carrie Messner Vickers (Vail, Colo.) opened for Team USA, running 16:04 to put the U.S. in tenth-place after the first 5 km. On the 10 km second leg, Desiree Davila (Rochester Hills, Mich.) posted a personal best 32:57 to move team USA in to sixth-place. Samia Akbar (Herndon, Va.) and Stephanie Herbst-Lucke (Atlanta, Ga.) each followed with consecutive 6 km legs, running 20:39 and 20:18 respectively as the U.S. slipped to eighth-place. Taking the sash for the 10 km fifth leg, Davila's Hansons-Brooks teammate Melissa White (Rochester Hills, Mich.), also ran a personal best of 32:42 to move Team USA back in to sixth-place as she handed off to Allison Grace (Blowing Rock, N.C.), who ran 17:47 for the final 5.195 km leg.
For more information on the 2009 Yokohama International Women's Ekiden visit www.usatf.org.
