Where Your Dreams Become Reality
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Where Your Dreams Become Reality |
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Gilbert Okari, Guaranteed Women's World Record Headline Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Miler in DC By David Monti (c) 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved April 29, 2006 Some great road racing is on tap this weekend, despite the fact that many top athletes will be competing in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. In the United States, one of the best will be Sunday's Credit Union Ten Mile Run in Washington, D.C., which, for the first time, will feature a separate all-women's elite race with an early start. Approximately 25 women will set off at 7:50 a.m., ten minutes before the elite men and the recreational runners. The IAAF does not recognize the ten-mile distance for official world records. However, the independent Association of Road Running Statisticians does, and going into Sunday's race, they do not yet acknowledge a world record for 10 miles in an all-women's race. Therefore, Sunday's Cherry Blossom women's winner will set a pending ARRS world record for the distance. The top entrants in the women's race are athletes from Eastern Europe, including 2000 Olympic Marathon silver medalist, Lidia Simon of Romania. She will be challenged by a trio of Russians: Olga Romanova, Alevtina Ivanova, and Lidiya Grigoryeva. Turena Johnson Lane of Muncie, Ind., is the top U.S. entrant. Gilbert Okari, the lanky Kenyan who dominated U.S. road racing last summer, is the top entrant on the men's side. He placed fourth here last year, beaten by three-time champion and compatriot, John Korir, who will not be defending his title as he prepares for his marathon debut in Boston on April 17. Last year's runner-up, Reuben Chebii of Kenya, is also expected to compete, as is compatriot Samuel Ndereba. Matt Downin of Westwood, N.J., and Chris Graff of Palo Alto, Calif., are carrying the U.S. hopes into the race. The last Americans to win the Credit Union Ten Mile Run were Chris Fox in 1990 (47:06) and Joan Nesbit in 1993 (53:25). The event records are 45:38 by Ismael Kirui of Kenya (1995) and 51:16 by Colleen De Reuck, then of South Africa (1998). Both marks were world records at the time, but De Reuck's mark was set in a mixed gender race. There is a prize money purse of $31,500 with $6,000 going to the race winners. The race also raises significant funds for it's official charity, the Children’s Miracle Network, which will receive a donation of over $500,000. The event also funds two $5,000 grants for developing U.S. distance runners as part of the Road Runners Club of America Roads Scholar program. Some 10,000 runners are expected to take part; the race sold out back in December.
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Cross Country Spikes 10% off Injured?
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