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Indian Path Medical Center & SunTrust Bank Crazy 8's 8k Run
Saturday night, July 14
By Doug Janz, Running USA Wire
KINGSPORT, Tenn. -- Ever since Peter Githuka's world record run here in 1996, the Crazy 8's 8k race has been aiming for his 22:03 mark, and every year a group of talented Kenyans makes an assault.
The rest of the story can be found below the photo.
Alene Emere (right, bib #1), ETH, grimaces as he holds off Enock Mitei (left), KEN at the finish of the Indian Path Medical Center & SunTrust Bank Crazy 8's 8k. Emere's winning time was 22:03.4 (rounded to 22:04) vs. the world record of 22:03 (Peter Githuka, Crazy 8's, 1996). Photo by Ned Jilton II, Kingsport Times-News |
Every year, too, the humidity for the 9:58 p.m. race turns back the challengers. But Friday night's wonderfully cool temperatures gave new life to those record hopes, and for the $10,008 bonus for a men's or women's world record -- and the men came oh, so close.
It came down to the last two strides, when Ethiopian Alene Emere held off Kenyan Enock Mitei by less than a second. The clock said 22:03 when they hit the tape, and an excited crowd cheered wildly, then buzzed about whether they'd witnessed a new world record.
Not quite. Emere's time was 22:03.4, Mitei's 22:04.3, and third-place Shadrack Kosgei clocked a 22:06. Even without a record, the Indian Path Medical Center & SunTrust Bank Crazy 8's 8K had more than lived up to its reputation as the world's fastest 8K.
"I try to come back next year and break the record," said Emere.
Irene Kwambai, 20, of Kenya won the women's race, running a 25:40 to beat out Grace Mamanyi's 26:02.
Emere was at or below world-record pace throughout the race and said he would have broken the mark were it not for a couple of miscalculations. First, he couldn't see his watch on some of the the darkened streets and didn't notice the digital clocks set at each mile, therefore didn't get a good idea of his splits for the last couple of kilometers and lost a few seconds on the pace.
Then as the finish approached, Emere's 20-meter lead apparently safe, Mitei seemed to appear from nowhere and mount a challenge, nearly catching him with a lean at the finish line.
"I did not know," Emere said. “It was only me. If I knew he was there, I fight harder, break world record. If only during the race I asked person for my time, I set the record. To run fast tonight was no trouble."
Emere is no stranger to wild finishes. He was second at Peachtree earlier this month when he stopped at the finish line thinking he'd won the race. But in the end he lost to John Korir who eased past him thinking it was for second place before he realized Emere hadn't reached the correct finish after all.
At the Utica Boilermaker 15k, Emere was in a three-man sprint finish, again with Korir in the group, and ended up third. "My understanding always is important," he said. "At Peachtree, it is my mistake or I win. This race, I not understand my times, or I set the record."
The 19-year-old lives and trains in Japan and won that country's 2001 national championships for 5,000 meters (13:27) and 10,000 (27:29) within a three-day span. Emere said his 8k split in that 10,000 was 21:55, so he believed he was capable of a world 8k road record.
For Mitei, 20, this was an eye-opener. Even though he has a 27:43 10k best, he had no designs on a world 8k record. "I didn't expect anything," he said. "I just run.
"I saw him in the last finishing, and he was not moving as fast as before. In the last 100 meters I ran hard. I am happy -- but two more meters, maybe I catch him."
It was Mitei's fifth U.S. road race. Just behind him, 17-year-old Kosgei was establishing himself as a potentially major player on the U.S. circuit. In his American road debut, he missed the world record by only four seconds, and that despite taking an inadvertent elbow in the last desperate surge.
The top nine finishers broke 23 minutes, and 12 more were sub-24:00. Defending champion Reuben Cheriuyot was a late scratch after injurying his back at Utica.
Githuka himself was in the field, placing 13th in 23:14 as he trains for the Chicago Marathon. His world record temporarily safe, he smiled a big smile, threw his head back and said laughingly "I'm SO glad," then added: "He (Emere) is in very good shape. He tried very hard."
Kwambai, the women's winner, ran her fastest 8k ever in only her second U.S. road race. "I just try to break the group at 2 1/2 miles," she said. "I knew there were some competitors who could beat me, so breaking that group was important."
Mamanyi and third-place Martha Komu (26:05) led a 1-2-3 Kenyan sweep, while Kris Ihle-Helledy of the U.S. broke their stronghold with a fourth-place run of 26:26.
Defending champion Naomi Wangui dropped from contention into sixth place at 27:02 due to back problems. "The first mile was very fast," she said. "But my back was too tight after that. I thought 'better to run slow than not to finish.' I think it will be all right, though."
OVERALL 1) Alene Emere, Ethiopia 22:03.4 2) Enock Mitie, Kenya 22:04.3 3) Sharack Kosgei, Kenya 22:06.0 4) David Makori, Kenya 22:14.7 5) Sammy Ng'eno, Kenya 22:22.22 6) John Itati, Kenya 22:38.0 7) Evans Rutto, Kenya 22:41.6 8) Gilbert Koech, Kenya 22:47.8 9) Hezron Otwori, Kenya 22:49.4 10) Patrick Nthiwa, Kenya 23:06.3 WOMEN 1) Irene Kwambai, Kenya 25:46.4 2) Grace Momanyi, Kenya 26:05.8 3) Martha Komu, Kenya 26:05.8 4) Kris Ihle-Helledy, Wisconsin 26:26.9 5) Jane Omoro, Kenya 26:36.8 6) Naomi Wangui, Kenya 27:02.8 7) Jackline Torori, Kenya 27:06.7 8) Robin Lawhorn, Kentucky 28:20.2 9) Casey Smith 28:34.4 10) Ute Jamrozy, Butler, Tenn. 28:57.5 MASTERS 1) Greg Johnson, Knoxville, Tenn. 26:06.7 2) Tom Redding, Norman, OK 26:57.1 3) Steve Wilson, Clearwater, FL 27:40.9 WOMEN'S MASTERS 1) Sarah Kramer, Kingsport, Tenn. 30:54.7 2) Shannon Reade, Kingsport, Tenn. 31:11.7 3) Shirley Smith, Kingsport, Tenn. 38:30 GRANDMASTERS 1) Ervin Reid 28:30.9 WOMEN'S GRANDMASTERS 1) Suzy Deaton, Jonesborough, Tenn. 42:38.3 Complete Results may be found at http://www.crazy8s.org Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services USATF Road Running Information Center 5522 Camino Cerralvo, Santa Barbara, CA 93111 (805) 696-6232, fax (805) 696-6252 http://www.usaldr.org