PHOTO: Robert Cheseret won the U.S. National 5K road championship on Sunday in Providence, R.I.

Robert Cheseret, a soldier stationed at Fort Carson, won the USA 5K Championships on Sunday in Providence, R.I., passing second-place Ben Bruce of Eugene, Ore., in the race's last few meters.
Cheseret, who was half a stride ahead at the finish, was given a time of 14 minutes flat. Bruce clocked 14:00.02.
Race organizers acted as if Cheseret was a surprise entry in the race. The announcer at the finish line didn't seem to know Cheseret's name.
"Now I'm not going to be a surprise anymore in the future," Cheseret said. "I'm very happy to win the race."
Cheseret trains as part of the Army's World Class Athlete Program, which gives elite athletes an opportunity to prepare for Olympic competition.
Gary Staines, owner of the Runner's Roost in Colorado Springs, is Cheseret's coach.
A former Pac 10 Track Athlete of the Year, Cheseret joined the Army after leaving the University of Arizona. He became a U.S. Citizen last year and competed in the U.S. Track and Field National Championships this year, finishing 11th in the 10,000 in 29:48:43. Cheseret is the brother Bernard Lagat, who won the 5,000 at U.S. Nationals in 13:54.
Cheseret said he is just now returning to form.
"The last three years, I've missed a lot of running," Cheseret said. "After college I joined the U.S. Army, and then last year I became a U.S. citizen. And now I'm catching up with my running. And then this past June I was in the U.S. Nationals and that was my first nations representing the USA and the U.S. Army. Then, after that, I went back and get more training. And now I'm feeling great."
Molly Huddle of Rovidence, won the women national title with a time of 15:48.