FALMOUTH — Micah Kogo knew two of the rivals who'd been at his side for the last several miles. Emmanuel Mutai, the former London Marathon champion, was his Kenyan countryman. Abdi Abdirahman had competed in four Olympics. It was the third man in, the mystery guest, who troubled him as he headed for the final hill. "I was worrying about the white guy — I don't know the name," Kogo said. "I was thinking he might kick before I kick."
The guy in question was Dartmouth grad Ben True, who has enough track speed to be dangerous with a finish line in sight. So Kogo jumped him as they topped the Heights and dashed off to a two-second victory Sunday morning in the 41st Falmouth Road Race, covering the 7 miles in 32 minutes and 10 seconds. But True, who just missed making the US team for the world championships, left a star-spangled calling card as he, Abdirahman, and Ben Bruce all finished in the top five.
"I think US distance running is steadily improving," said True, a Maine native who doubled as a skier in his Hanover days. "You see it in the Olympics last year and you see it in the past few international races. We've decided that we belong at the top."
Aside from an Ethiopian interregnum several years ago Falmouth has been part of Kenya's hardtop kingdom and it was again this time as Joyce Chepkirui ran away from everybody after she reached Nobska Light, beating Great Britain's Gemma Steel by 23 seconds in 36:43. "I feel so happy," said Chepkirui, who'd won the Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine a week earlier and is making up for being left off the Kenyan team for the global meet.
Even with defending champion Stanley Biwott stranded at home after last week's fire at Nairobi's international airport disrupted air travel, the Kenyan men figured to prevail for the 19th time. What was unusual was that the lead pack featured several Americans. One reason was that the organizers didn't flood the field with Kenyans, who grabbed eight of the top 10 places last year. Still, there's no question that the Yanks have been coming for a while now.
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"The playing field is becoming more and more level as the [drug] testing becomes more of a deterrent," opined Frank Shorter, whose Olympic marathon triumph in 1972 was a breakout moment for US road racing. "It allows the clean athletes like the Americans not to worry as much. They line up thinking they have a shot."
Indeed, Bernard Lagat has medaled in the 5,000 at the last three world championships and Galen Rupp won Olympic silver in the 10,000 last year. On Saturday in Moscow he and Dathan Ritzenhein both made the top 10 in the 10,000. True had hoped to be with them but he finished fourth in both events at the June trials, missing a spot by less than half a second in the 5,000. "That was a hard sting," he acknowledged.
So True opted instead for an international duel along Nantucket Sound. As the initial 10-man pack was halved while they ran along Surf Drive he stayed up with Kogo, Mutai, Abdirahman, and Bruce. "I definitely wanted to gun for the win," said True, who'd claimed the US 15-kilometer title in Jacksonville in his only other road outing of the year. "I thought that it was possible."
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It's been 25 years since an American won the men's race here (remembering that he was Mark Curp will win you bar bets along Main Street), which also is the last time there were three homeboys in the top five. When Kogo won six years ago by dropping fellow Olympic medalist Meb Keflezighi, he knew who he was dealing with. Misjudging True, he fretted, would have consequences. "I kept thinking to myself, if I'm at the top of the hill with the leaders, I'll be able to win," True said.
But Kogo blew by him at the crest and dashed away toward a $10,000 check. While True said that he'd rather be in Moscow ("No offense to Falmouth — I love the Falmouth Road Race"), he earned a double-dip payout for a consolation prize — $7,500 for second place and $5,000 as top American.
It was a lucrative day for Dartmouth alums as Alexi Pappas, a Big Green steeplechaser who went on to help Oregon win last year's NCAA cross-country crown as an eligible grad student, cashed a similar domestic reward by placing sixth in 37:32. "I was equally excited and intimidated by the distance," said Pappas, who's been transitioning to the roads. But she hasn't been uncomfortable with the company she's keeping, nor are the US males.
"We're getting better, but we can't be satisfied with three in the top five," declared Abdirahman. "We need to win races. We're behind the Kenyans and Ethiopians now but we should be first. We're bigger than them."
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John Powers can be reached at jpowers@globe.com.