CHEPKURUI SIZZLES A 12K WORLD BEST
First-timer Kurui captures Bloomsday men’s title
Press Release
May 2, 2010
Spokane, Washington—Lineth Chepkurui seemed unfazed by having World
Cross Champion Emily Chebet-Muge and 2010 Dubai Marathon champion
Mamitu Daska on her heels for much of the 34th annual Lilac Bloomsday
Run, as the Kenyan star used Doomsday Hill to break away and surge
ahead to notch a third straight victory with a stunning new world 12K
best of 38:10. In the men’s race, fellow Kenyan Peter Kurui eased up
Doomsday at the back of a pack of eight but then accelerated and
steadily distanced himself from the field, moving ahead over the final
two miles to earn a Bloomsday title in his first attempt.
A field of 55,088 signed up for this year’s Bloomsday Run, an increase
of nearly 4,000 over last year. Runners were greeted by nearly
cloudless skies and cool temperatures in the mid-40s, with occasional
gusts of wind. With mostly favorable running conditions, it didn’t take
long for the trio of Chepkurui, Chebet-Muge and Daska to break away
from the rest of the field. By three miles it had clearly shaped into a
three woman battle, with Chepkurui in the lead and using each of
Bloomsday’s three hills to try to break away.
“I had to push it hard because I knew they were very fast,” said the
2008 and 2009 Bloomsday champion. “So I put in more effort.”
That effort finally paid off toward the top of Doomsday, the third and
most famous hill on the course, as Chepkurui inched into the lead. At
five miles she was slightly ahead of Bloomsday record pace, but once in
the lead she seemed to gain steam, increasing her lead steadily over
the final miles. Her winning time of 38:10 eclipsed Delillah Asiago’s
1995 course record of 38:31, a time adjusted to reflect what proved to
be a short course, and Chepkurui’s time also obliterated the listed
world 12K road best of 38:22 set by Asmae Leghzaoui of Morocco at the
2005 Bay to Breakers. Chepkurui finished 15 seconds ahead of Daska and
40 seconds ahead of Chebet-Muge.
In the men’s race, a modest pace through the early miles kept a pack of
eight Kenyans together all the way to Doomsday Hill, near the five-mile
mark. Stephen Muange pushed the pace up the hill, hoping to use the
ascent as so many have done in the past to make a break, but this time
the hill didn’t shake a single runner. At the top, the pack still
numbered eight. One of those was Kurui, who was waiting to pounce.
“I stayed behind them because I tried to come up the hill,” said Kurui
later. “But it was windy, so I thought it was better for me to stay
behind.”
But not for long. As the incline flattened out, Kurui surged into the
lead, and the pack finally began to string out single file behind him.
Julius Kogo gave chase, as did Muange and three-time Bloomsday champion
John Korir, but no one was able to quite match Kurui’s surges. He would
speed to a 34:28 victory, five seconds ahead of Kogo, with Muange and
Korir a few seconds farther back. Kenyans took the first eight places,
with pre-race favorite Ridouane Harroufi and American Dan Browne
rounding out the top ten.
Browne’s performance earned him the $5,000 prize money paid to the top
American for the second straight year, a feat duplicated by Sally
Meyerhoff in the women’s race. In masters competition, Mbarak Hussein
took the men’s title, while Nicole Hunt of Deer Lodge, Montana, earned
her first masters title since turning forty a few days earlier.
In the men’s wheelchair race, a pack of five stayed close until two
miles, when Jordan Bird of Tucson, Arizona took the lead. 2008
Bloomsday champion Aaron Gordon and Scott Parson of San Jose,
California, gave chase, but it was to be Bird’s day. Bird stormed up
Doomday Hill and on to the finish for a victory by nearly 2 minutes.
In the women’s wheelchair division, three-time Bloomsday champion
Amanda McGrory of the University of Illinois whittled down a huge lead
established by Shirley Reilly of the University of Arizona on the first
downhill, and then, after gaining the lead by mile two never
relinquished it. Her winning time of 35:15 was a half-minute ahead of
Reilly.
In the masters division, eight-time open wheelchair champion Craig
Blanchette was victorious in his return to the streets of Spokane,
while Santiago Sanz-Quinto (T-2) and Jimbo Boyd (T-1) earned victories
in their respective quad divisions.
Nearly $100,000 was awarded in open, masters, US citizen, wheelchair
and Washington state resident divisions in this year’s Bloomsday Run.
Along with spirited elite competition in all divisions, over 50,000
finishers enjoyed performances from nearly 30 bands, vocalists and
performing troupes along the course, eventually reaching the finish and
claiming this year’s finisher T-shirt. Next year’s Lilac Bloomsday Run,
the 35th, will be on Sunday, May 1st, 2011.
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