Kenyans swept the top four places in the sizzling-fast and super-close Cherry Blossom Ten-Mile Run in Washington, D.C., Sun., April 6.

Daniel Salel, 23, edged Stephen Sambu, 25, for first as both were clocked in 45:29.

Allan Kiprono, 24, rounded out the top three as he also dipped under 46 minutes -- his finishing time was 45:47.

Edwin Kipyego, 23, of Kenya was fourth in 46:19, Tolossa Gedefa, 21, of Ethiopia fifth in 46:38, and Christopher Landry, 27, of Ann Arbor, Mich., was the first American, finishing sixth in 46:41.

While the men’s race was a real nail biter, the women’s winner, Aliphine Tuliamuk-Bolton, 25, originally from Kenya, won rather handily in 52:16, which was 1 minute, 29 seconds ahead of Makida Abdela, 24, of Ethiopia, who finished second in 53:45. Abdela had finished third the previous day in the Cooper River Bridge Run 10K in Charleston, S.C., where she ran 32:33. 

The next four runners in the Cherry Blossom race crossed the line in a blanket finish as Frances Koons, 28, of Kenya edged Etaferahu Temesgen, 24, of Ethiopia for third (both were clocked in 54:30), Susanna Sullivan, 23, of Falls Church, Va., finished only one second further back, in 54:31, to take fifth, and Brianne Nelson, 33, of Golden, Colo., clocked 54:33 in finishing sixth.

A total of 17,747 runners finished the race – 10,548 men and 7,199 women.

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