Sun shines on Papa John's race

More than 6,000 runners and walkers started the sixth annual Papa John’s 10 Miler under a blue sky and a hot sun this morning, and at least three of those people finished the race in a familiar position inside Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

Abdi Abdirahman successfully defended his title in the USA Men’s 10 Mile Championship, which was part of the Papa John’s 10 Miler for the fourth straight year. And James Mutuse and Bonita Paul repeated in the men’s and women’s divisions, respectively, in the third leg of the Louisville Triple Crown of Running.

"This is a good race and a good course," said Abdirahman, a two-time U.S. Olympian from Tucson, Ariz. "To defend my title means a lot."

(Read more about the USA Men’s 10 Mile Championship in USA Track and Field’s press release, which Beyond the Derby’s Nathan Chambers wrote for the organization.)

Although weather forecasts had indicated a possibility of thunderstorms, a record number of participants flocked to the start line on Southern Parkway south of Central Avenue and began their 10-mile journey at 8:35 a.m. with the temperature hovering around 75 degrees.

The course followed Southern Parkway to New Cut Road, went around Iroquois Park, returned north on Southern Parkway, made turns onto Central Avenue and Floyd Street, and then ended in the stadium.

Mutuse, the 2002 Triple Crown champion from Richmond, Ky., finished the race 13th overall in 51:03; each of the 12 runners ahead of him only were in contention for USA Men’s 10 Mile Championship awards. Mutuse also won the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Rodes City Run, on March 25 after placing second behind Westley Alkin in the first leg, the Anthem 5K, on March 11.

“I thought I could break 50:00, but it was too hot,” Mutuse said, echoing comments that other runners made. “I couldn’t go any faster than that.”

Bowling Green, Ky., resident James Scott was second in 52:27, and Columbia, Ky., resident Jared Segara was third in 52:54. Scott was the top local runner in the USA Men’s 10 Mile Championship , taking 19th overall; neither Mutuse nor Segara qualified for it.

Louisville residents Jamie Weedman, a blind Jefferson Community College student, and Dave Gassman, his running guide, placed 945th in 1:27:02. They were 1,000th in the Rodes City Run.

Paul, who also lives in Bowling Green, finished in 1:01:18 - nearly a minute ahead of the next woman. Leigh Daniel of Ashland, Ohio, was second in 1:02:16, and Louisville’s Amy Doolittle-Crider was third in 1:02:49.

Lexington, Ky., resident Susie Bush had won the women's divisions in the first two Triple Crown races but ran elsewhere this weekend.

Full results can be found here.