Aptos Local Wins Big at Wharf to Wharf

Michael Oppenheimer

11 years ago

Aptos High School graduate Brett Gotcher has been running most of his life, and he’s been the top local finisher eight times in the last 12 years, so it was no surprise to see him leading the pack throughout the 41st annual Wharf to Wharf race.

Gotcher matched his best finish ever and set a personal record by finishing third place with a time of 27 minutes, 30.74 seconds. The La Selva Beach native once again was the first American to cross the finish line, earning him both the $2,000 for third place and a $1,000 bonus purse. Gotcher sprinted past Ashalew Meketa of Ethiopia down the stretch to finish 3 seconds ahead of the fourth place runner.

Kenyan Nelson Oyugi came from obscurity post the fastest time at 27:12.04. Oyugi finished with a 12.19-second lead to defeat three-time winner and fellow Kenyan Shadrack Kosgei, who finished just ahead of Gotcher.

Gotcher has been running marathons on the world circut since 2010 and finished 5th in the 2012 Olympic Trials.

The twenty-one year old Oyugi kept a 30-40 yard cushion between himself and the rest of the field for half of the 6.2-mile race then really opened it up on the last down hill stretch ensuring no one could catch him.

Oyugi had just arrived in the States one week prior to the race — even his countryman Kosgei had never hear of him. You can be sure he won’t be overlooked next time.

Women’s 2013 Wharf to Wharf Champion

Another surprise was Portland’s Emily Infeld, whose 30:51.99 was 9.7 seconds ahead of Almaz Negede Fekade of Ethiopia to earn the title of fastest woman in the 2013 Wharf to Wharf race. Infeld was making her debut in both a road race and the 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) distance.

“Everyone raves about this [race] and I heard it’s super fun,” Infeld said. “So my coach decided I could just come down here and see what kind of fitness I’m in and have fun running it.”

Infeld was not even aware that there were cash prizes involved, earning $4,000 for first plus the kicker for being the first American woman across the finish line.

While a surprise winner of the race, Infeld has a distinguished distance running record. She recently graduated from Georgetown and was the 2012 NCAA 3,000 meter indoor champion.

At the 2012 Olympic Trials, she placed eighth in the 5,000 setting a new school record. She is an All-American, a Big East champion and a Penn Relays champion who is currently training under coach Jerry Schumacher in Portland.

An elated Infeld said, “I only started back to my full training schedule two weeks ago and I have plans to race more track this summer, but after this I really want to do more road races!”

Infeld is already making plans to defend her title in next year’s Wharf to Wharf.

Last year’s winner, Risper Gesabwa, was feeling the effects of running a half-marathon just last week in Peru and finished third in 31:13.

Women’s Top Ten Results