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CHICAGO (Sunday, April 3) - Deena Kastor got what she came for Sunday morning at The LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle - racing to an American 8K record. Brian Sell got what he was hoping for, too - grinding out a hard-earned repeat title.

Deena was just dashing as she blazed to an American record of 24:36 on the sun-drenched downtown streets. With temperatures in the high 40s, very little wind and a fast course, Kastor said she knew she was in shape and went for it, smashing the previous mark of 25:02, set by Lynn Jennings in 1991. It was the second-fastest 8K ever run by a woman, exceeded only by Morocco's Asmae Leghzaoui, who holds the world record of 24:28, set in 2002.

"My husband told me I was on world-record pace at four miles and I was shocked," said Kastor, who went through 5K in 15:13 and four miles in 19:36. "I felt controlled the whole way. I didn't feel too sporadic or aggressive. I was very happy with how I felt and how I was running."

Kastor, the 2004 Olympic women's marathon bronze medalist, showed great form, using her arms to maintain a strong pace as she ran to unofficial mile splits of 4:46, 4:53, 5:00, 4:55 and 4:57 (for .97 of a mile). She strided hard up Columbus Drive, reaching the finish in Grant Park to loud applause from the crowd. No other woman had been close except for Russian Tatyana Petrova, who tried to stay within striking distance for the first mile. By three miles, Kastor was more than 100 yards in front and 22 seconds ahead of U.S. record race. "I felt great. I felt wonderful," said Kastor, 32, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., who ran 25:05 last week at the U.S. Championship 8K in New York. "I knew that after my run in New York, when conditions weren't ideal and the way my training has been going, that if conditions were good, I would go for the American record in Chicago." "All week, conditions (in Chicago) were terrible. There were tornado warnings, rain, high winds, and then this morning, I awoke to almost perfect conditions."

Petrova, a native Russian who is based in Gaithersburg, Md., finished a distant second in 25:31, but the time still was the fourth-fastest ever run in the 26 years of The LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle. Kathy Butler, 31, of Madison, Wis., a dual citizen of Canada and Great Britain, placed third in 25:35, outsprinting Katie McGregor, 27, of Minneapolis, who finished in 25:36. Butler lost her event record of 25:25, set in 2001. Elva Dryer, 33, of Durango, Colo., ran fifth in 25:46, while defending champion Tatyana Chulakh, 22, of Russia, finished sixth in 26:22.

In the men's race, a pack of eight stayed together early, going through two miles in 9:19 with Sell, Khalid Khannouchi and Leszek Biegala of Poland at the front. Those three, along with Clint Verran were in the mix at four. And that's where the action started. At about 4.3 miles, Khannouchi,, 33, of Ossinging, N.Y., surprisingly dropped out. Right after that, Sell put in a surge. Biegala, 26, covered, but Verran, 29, was dropped. Then it was Sell and Beigala trading the lead with Biegala finally losing it on the final straightaway. Sell won in 23:17, two seconds ahead of Biegala, who will run the Hamburg (Germany) Marathon later this month.

"There were a bunch of us in the front," said Sell, 26, of Rochester Hills, Mich. "After Khalid dropped out, I looked back and Clint was 30 or 40 yards back. It was me and Leszek. Biegala, 26, said he didn't have spring in his legs because of his marathon training and could not answer Sell on the run for home. Still, he took the lead with about a half-mile to go. "But my sprint was not great," Biegala said.

Verran, 29, Royal Oak, Mich., grabbed third in 23:29 and steeplechase specialist Robert Gary, Columbus, Ohio, ran 29:39 for fourth. Fasil Bizineh, 24, Marina, Calif., who made a game effort early, running just off the lead, finished fifth in 23:44.

Sell is the second male to repeat a championship at The LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle. Shaun Creighton of Australia won three consecutive titles from 2001-2003. Collette Liss, who finished seventh Sunday, won in 1999 and 2000, as well as 2003.

A starting field of 22,500 started the race, which is the largest 8K race in the world.

The 2005 LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle 8K The LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle took place Sunday, April 3 in Grant Park. The 8K Race started at 9:30 a.m. followed by the 5K Fitness Walk at 10 a.m. Both events started and finished in Grant Park.

For more information or online searchable results, please visit www.shamrockshuffle.com or call 312-904-9814.