- -Hank Brown
Cool, dry weather forecasts had the people of Kingsport in a frenzy about the possibility of another 8k world record at the Indian Path Medical Center & SunTrust Bank Crazy 8's 8k Run. The buzz about town on Saturday afternoon was about temperatures in the low 60's for the 10:00 pm start time with low humidity. Certainly Peter Githuka's 22:03 record set here in 1996 would tumble from the onslaught of talented Kenyan distance stars in town for the event. The stage was set to pay the Regional Eye Center $10,008 world record bonus.
It never materialized. The cool weather never made an appearance, the humidity hung around like an unwelcome guest, and from the opening mile, the pace never seriously challenged the world record. There was some good, fast racing nonetheless as Kenyan Reuben Cheruiyot continued his dominance of the U.S. roads with a hard fought win over fellow countrymen Lazarus Nyakeraka, Mark Yatich, Kenneth Cheruiyot (no relation to Reuben), and Ethiopian Nigusu Urge. Cheuiyot's winning time was 22:24.5 with Nyakeraka not far behind in 22:32.3. Yatich, K. Cheruiyot, and Urge all crossed through the archway finish line in well under 23 minutes. In the women's race Kenya's Naomi Wangui battled Kenyan protégé Martha Komu shoulder to shoulder throughout until Wangui won the sprint to the finish in 26:21.8 to Komu's 26:27.2.
"I was hoping to go for the record," said Reuben Cheruiyot after the race. "But the weather was too warm. And the first mile we couldn't get going. I am happy to win."
A lead pack of about 15 men passed through the first mile in 4:35, already nine seconds off world record pace. The traffic jam thinned out slightly on mile two with Cheruiyot and Nyakeraka leading the charge with Yatich, Cheruiyot, Urge, Kenyan Daniel Too, Ethiopian Gebremdhian Gebrema, and Kenyan Hezron Otwori all joining the convoy. At 4k the pack returned to the middle of the figure 8 course, which also serves as the start and finish line area. The huge crowd along the streets loudly voiced their approval of the ultra-talented distance runners in flight through the streets of their hometown. They knew better than to blink.
Gebrema and Otwori were casualties along the candle-lit section of mile three as the rest of the pack showed no mercy. Too lost contact as they hit the only significant hill between 5k and 6k, and by the time the leaders whisked by mile four (18:15), Urge had also taken a seat in the back. Even though the remaining 4-pack was tight, it was apparent that Reuben Cheruiyot was in control of the race. He slammed down the accelerator around 7k, and although the others still hung around, it was obviously now Cheruiyot's race to win. But just in case, he took no chances by taking only 4 minutes and 10 seconds to go from mile four to the 8k finish, or about 4:17/mile pace.
"The last mile was important," said Cheruiyot. "I knew the pack would run together and it would come down to a fast finish."
The women's race came down to a battle of two of Kenya's brightest young stars. Komu came to town as a 17-year old product of Kenya's stock of never ending superstar talent. With a reported 15:12 5k PR she was listed as the pre-race favorite. 21-year old Wangui came to town on a two-race win streak. Nothing more than a racing singlet separated the two throughout the race as Komu followed Wangui around the course like a little sister in a big crowd. Wangui finally made the decisive move with less than a quarter mile as the "veteran" came away with win number three in as many weeks.
Place Name Citizen Time Prize $ Bonus $ Total $Open Men 1. Reuben Cheruiyot KEN 22:25 $1700 $200 $1900 2. Lazarus Nyakeraka KEN 22:33 $1200 $150 $1350 3. Mark Yatich KEN 22:40 $800 $150 $950 4. Kenneth Cheruiyot KEN 22:43 $500 $250* $650 5. Niguso Urge ETH 22:44 $300 $150 $450 6. Daniel Too KEN 23:04 $200 $100 $300 7. Gebremdhian Gebrema ETH 23:09 $100 $100 $200 8. Hezron Otwori KEN 23:13 $75 $100 $175 9. Simon Bor KEN 23:21 - $100 $100 10. Jaren Segera KEN 23:25 - $100 $100 11. Sammy Nyamongo KEN 23:38 - $100 $100 12. Charles Mulinga ZAM 23:42 - $100 $100 13. Malcolm Campbell SCO 23:59.9 - $100 $100 14. Amos Gitagama KEN 24:07 - $50 $50 15. Sammy Ng'eno KEN 24:11 - $50 $50 16. Mike Cox VA 24:18 - $50 $50 17. Chris Pluchos NC 24:38 $50 $50 18. Mike Kibe KEN 24:40 $50 $50 19 Kevin Odiorne TN 24:58 $ 100# $50 $150 20. Ben Dowdy VA 25:00 $50 $50
Open Women 1. Naomi Wangui KEN 26:22 $1700 $250* $1850 2. Martha Komu KEN 26:28 $1200 $150 $1350 3. Nuta Olaru ROM 27 :01 $800 $100 $900 4. Michelle King CAN 27:16 $500 $100 $600 5. Eunice Sagero KEN 28:26 $300 $50 $350 6. Amanda Lynch TN 29:07 $200 $200 7. Keely Weaver TN 29:36 Did not accept $ 8. Casey Smith VA 30:42 $75 $75
Place Name Age Time Age-Graded Time Total $
Male Masters Age-Graded 1. Greg Johnson 42 26:41 25:24 $200 2. Gordon Terwilliger 51 28:58 25:45 $100 3. Lynwood Wagner 53 30:09 26:22 $50
Female Masters Age-Graded 1. Jennie Rosenberg 50 35:13 30:54 $200 2. Doris Windsand-Dausman43 33:17 31:04 $200 3. Debbie Smith 48 37:38 33:37 $50
* $100 4k prime # $100 First local finisher