Josh Cox sets new U.S. 50K record

Josh Cox killed two birds with one stone on Sunday.

First, the 35-year-old runner from Mammoth Lakes, Calif., won the Arizona Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in 2:17:32. Then, he kept going to smash his American record for 50K, finishing in 2:43:45. Cox broke his old record by 3 1/2 minutes, and missed the world record by just seven seconds.

The women’s half-marathon featured the return of American star Kara Goucher, who competed in her first race since taking a year off to have a baby. Goucher, the top-ranked U.S. women’s marathoner in 2009, finished second in the half in 1:14:02.

Madai Perez of Mexico was first in 1:11:49.

Goucher was hoping for something in the 1:13-range, but her arrival to Arizona was delayed, when her baby became sick last week.

Shawn Forrest of Australia won the men’s half-marathon in 1:03:07 and Sally Meyerhoff of Tempe earned her first marathon
victory in the women’s event in 2:37:55.