|
|
|
|
 What's  ?Shoes for Runner's Runner's Expo Books For Sale ! Forums Live Chat Room! Runners Clinic Event Calendar Running News & Stories Headline News Race Applications Race Results Photo Gallery Scrap Books Run Clubs Regular Runs Runners F.A.Q. Links Guestbook Software Add to Calendar Runner Survey Contact Us Advertise Search Pace Chart Subscribe to Runner's World
|
Otwori and Nyakeraka in Showdown at 23rd Annual Lilac Bloomsday Run by Donald F. Kardong Spokane, WA --After Hezron Otwori of Kenya stormed up Doomsday Hill and notched a 20-second victory in the 1998 Lilac Bloomsday Run, he was asked whether the absence of defending champion Lazarus Nyakeraka had left the door open for a new winner. Nyakeraka had defeated Otwori in 1997 by five seconds and had also won the 1996 race, but he was unable to return last year to defend his title. Otwori was unruffled by the suggestion. "Even if he were here today he would not challenge me," Otwori responded, smiling confidently. "This year, it would be a different race." That was then, of course, and this is now--Sunday, May 2--showtime for the two Kenyan stars. Nyakeraka will get a chance to regain his title, and Otwori will have an opportunity to prove that last year was no fluke. Prognosticators are giving Nyakeraka a slight nod, since he finished ahead of Otwori at the Crescent City Classic on April 17. But only time will tell which of the past champions is most ready to handle Bloomsday's rolling midsection, or whether a new Bloomsday champion will be crowned from among the host of challengers. In this year's women's division, 1998 Bloomsday champion Jane Omoro is also back to defend her title. Last year Omoro outdueled three-time World Cross Country Champion Lynn Jennings for a 36-second victory. This year Omoro is expected to receive her greatest challenge from Colorado's Libbie Hickman, the #1 ranked American road racer of 1997 and 1998 and the winner of this year's Carlsbad 5000. In masters matchups, Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov, after a 2:14:19 victory at the Boston Marathon, will battle Craig Young, the top-ranked U.S. masters runner of 1998. Local favorite Kim Jones, meanwhile, who set the U.S. masters 12K mark of 42:17 at last year's Bloomsday, is favored to defend her title. Nearly 50,000 runners, joggers and walkers have already signed up for the 23rd running of the popular 12-kilometer event, and another 3,000-4,000 are expected to add their names to the roster this weekend. This year's Bloomsday is host to the Road Runner's Club of America's annual convention. The race is also the next-to-last event of the 1998-99 PRRO Circuit. The PRRO World Road Running Championships are scheduled for July 4 at the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. More information on the Lilac Bloomsday Run is available on the event's website: bloomsdayrun.org. # # #
Have you got a human interest story about a runner you know or a race report to share ? ontherunevents.com is happy to share stories with our readers. Send us your stories, your experiences!
Copyright © 1999 ontherunevents.com, All rights reserved.
please visit
|
