The top American finish in both the men's and women's fields was 13th, by Ryan Vail of Portland, Ore. (2:13:23), and Adriana Nelson of Boulder, Colo. (2:35:05). Track Olympian Julie Culley, who saw her second chance at competing in New York scuttled by injury, watched from First Avenue as many of th
Colorado resident Adriana Nelson -- a native of Romania and now a U.S. citizen -- was the top American woman, finishing 13th in 2:35:05. Amy Hastings, who had the fastest personal among Americans in the field, visibly suffered over the last several miles and finished 19th in 2:42:50.
Some runners handled the heat better than others. Adriana Nelson, who at sixth was the top U.S. women's finisher, was happy with her time of 32:49 and didn't mind the conditions. She recently ran a race in New York in similar heat, which helped prepare her for the Peachtree.
Adriana Nelson was the first American woman to cross the finish line with a time of 32:49. Nelson ran the 2009 Peachtree as a Romanian, but became an American citizen in early April. She had a sixth-place overall finish in the open division.