It was his first race outside of Kenya. Yet, Allan Kiprono took the lead in the 2010 edition of Beach to Beacon, nonetheless. And although he was kicked-down and finished as runner-up, taking position two by one second to the World Cross Country Champion — and soon-to-be New York City Marathon Champion — still makes for a heck of a performance.

Now he’s back in Cape Elizabeth and was the subject of an outstanding profile from the Portland Press Herald:

Wearing a plaid short-sleeved button-down shirt, khaki shorts and lime green flip flops, Kiprono, 21, looked as if he’d feel at home in the Old Port, just another college-age kid on summer break.

Instead he’s a working professional about to run his eighth race of the year. He won the Bellin Run 10K in Green Bay, Wis., in June and finished second in three other major races: the Bix 7-miler in Davenport, Iowa; the Bloomsday 12K in Spokane, Wash.; and the Crescent City Classic 10K in New Orleans.

KIMbia’s Boaz Cheboiywo will also be toeing the line on Saturday. Read the full article here.

It may be just a pair of “our” legs in the New York Times, but what a speedy set they are. The Times sent out a reporter named Michael Tanier to cover six professional sporting events in the New York area in just twenty-four hours, and the New York Diamond League stop was on his itinerary. The lens of his photographer captured Delilah DiCrescenzo navigating the water jump — and showcasing her Puma footwear for the camera.

The race may not have been everything Delilah was hoping for — 9th in 9:50.61 — she still sits as the 7th-seed at the upcoming US Championships, and defeated two higher-seeded women in New York.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Lineth Chepkurui won the Kenyan Armed Forces 5000m over Sharon Cherop (third at this year’s Boston Marathon), a win of determination for the star who continues to battle leg pain.

As defending Bay to Breakers Champion, Lineth Chepkurui had all eyes on her Sunday in San Francisco. But by using her credentials to help raise awareness for the Daraja Academy — an all-scholarship girls’ secondary school in Kenya, that was fundraising at Bay to Breakers — Chepkurui and Daraja became a compelling human interest story that got the attention of local media in all mediums, in the days leading up to the race.   The following is a compilation of some of the press mentioning the partnership:

San Francisco Examiner: Lineth Chepkurui fights injury to prevail again at Zazzle Bay to Breakers

San Francisco Sentinel: 2010 Race Winner and Other Bay Area Supporters Run for Kenyan Girls Education

San Jose Mercury News: Dogged determination marks 100th Bay to Breakers run

KGONewstalkAM810: Live Coverage of Bay to Breakers [Lineth Interview begins around 48:00]

A veteran of post-race, post-victory interviews, Lineth also had the chance to make a special in-studio appearance on KCBS, Saturday morning:

Asked why it was important to support girls in their education, Lineth replied:

“They’re so vulnerable. In Africa, they’re getting early marriage if they’re not taken care of. You know, our culture, in Africa, the girls chose not to be educated in the old culture. And that’s why we’re [now] taking much concern on girls.”

Photos from pre-race press conference, and in the KCBS studio with local student Paige Whistler and Daraja Academy co-founder Jason Doherty, both courtesy of Daraja Academy / Carr Educational Foundation. A full gallery of photos can be found on Daraja’s Facebook page, linked here.

Check back later this week, as we share an exchange of notes between Lineth and the Daraja student with whom she was paired — her “little sister” — in this partnership.

The first 2011 issue of Sports Illustrated For Kids featured Shalane Flanagan in trading card form, alongside fellow superstars Chris Paul, Matt Cain, and Thierry Henry. To see the handsome collectible pictured above for yourself, track down a copy of Volume 23, #1: contact the magazine about purchasing a back issue by emailing SI4Kids subscription services or check your local library, many of which archive magazines. (Though we can’t, in good conscience, urge you to tear materials out of a library holding, however awesome a running trading card might be…)