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It was the third win in four years for Canadian Ben Flanagan at the seven-mile Falmouth Road Race on Sunday.

He won in the time of 32:25. Taking second was American Biya Simbassa who clocked a 32:25 finish time. David Kiprotich Bett of Kenya took third in 32:39.

Flanagan is in good company, as past winners include Bill Rogers, John Korir, and Stephen Sambu, to name a few.

American Keira D’Amato took the women’s race in the time of 36:14. Forty-two-year-old Kenyan Edna Kiplagat finished in second place in the time of 36:28. Marielle Hall stopped the clock at 36:44 for third.

D’Amato is enjoying a fast 2022. In July, she had a great marathon taking eighth place during the Eugene World Athletics Championships clocking a 2:23:34 finish time. Six months earlier at the Houston Marathon, she set her personal best and the American record at 2:19:12, taking down Deena Kastor’s national record in the process. Kastor held the record from 2006 which she set at the London Marathon at the time of 2:19:36.

D’Amato set four new personal bests during 2022 including 10K in 31:17, 10,000m in 31:50.58, the 25K in 1:24:05, and the marathon. It appears to have all started during The Marathon Project in Chandler, Arizona in December 2020 where she finished in a new personal best time of 2:22:56, taking six minutes off her personal best. D’Amato was a late bloomer as she gave up her running dreams during her 20s to get married, have kids and take on a career in real estate.

At 37, she is demonstrating that a career does not have to follow the usual route to elitism.

Flanagan’s Twitter profile reads, “certified NCAA mammas boy.” This came about over the ripple he created when he won the 10,000m NCAA Division 1 Championship and then could be heard asking where his mother was. He ran straight to her in the stands and gave her a hug.

In June this year, Flanagan set the Canadian road 10K record with his 28:11 performance in Boston, MA. The year prior, he ran 27:49.09 for the 10,000m.

Flanagan runs for the Very Nice Run Club/On Athletics Club.

Men’s top-10 results

Ben Flanagan (Canada) 32:25
Biya Simbassa 32:25
David Kiprotich Bett (Kenya) 32:39
Leonard Korir 32:50
Wesley Kiptoo (Kenya) 32:51
Sam Chelanga 32:53
Alex Masai 32:55
Pat Tiernan (Australia) 32:59
Athanas Kioko (Kenya) 33:04
Colin Bennie 33:04

Women’s top-10 results

Keira D’Amato 36:14
Edna Kiplagat 36:28
Marielle Hall 36:44
Ednah Kurgat 36:49
Biruktayit Eshetu Degefa (Ethiopia) 36:53
Sarah Inglis (Great Britain) 37:05
Makena Morley 37:12
Elaina Tabb 37:27
Laura Thweatt 37:30
Tristin van Ord 37:34

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