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Heated Battles in Rainy Weather Highlight 23rd Annual Lilac Bloomsday Run by Donald F. Kardong Spokane, WA--The first rainfall in Bloomsday history failed to dampen the prowess of either Joshua Chelanga or Jane Omoro, as the two Kenyans outraced over 50,000 soggy entrants to win their respective divisions of the 23rd edition of the Lilac Bloomsday Run. Chelanga, fourth in this year's World Cross Country Championships, was the favored candidate to upset two-time Bloomsday champion Lazarus Nyakeraka, who Chelanga had outsprinted by five seconds last weekend at the Sallie Mae 10K in Washington, DC. Halfway into the 12-kilometer race, those two broke away from a pack that included 1998 Bloomsday winner Hezron Otwori, and from there it was a two-man duel. Chelanga began to move away from Nyakeraka at mile five on his way up "Doomsday Hill", and by the top he had built a five-second lead. Chelanga steadily lengthened that margin over the next mile, but as he approached seven miles he began to waver. Meanwhile Nyakeraka surged, steadily narrowing the gap. Chelanga seemed to come alive just in time, rallying his spirits and sprinting to a 34:18, five-second victory. Nyakeraka, although disappointed in his bid to become the first three-time Bloomsday champion, was philosophical about the defeat. "When you have a race, you have someone who wins and someone who doesn't," he said. "I'm not disappointed." Defending women's champion Jane Omoro, who won last year's Bloomsday with relative ease, had a tougher time this year, as three runners--Kenyans Eunice Sagero and Teresa Wanjiku, and American Libbie Hickman of Ft. Collins, Colorado--were right with her at the top of Doomsday Hill. Omoro seemed to be struggling in the chilly weather, and admitted afterwards to being uncomfortable with the conditions. "I don't like cold weather," she said, "But there's nothing to do about it but run." After a valiant bid by Sagero to steal the race, Omoro passed her and began the surge to the finish, with Wanjiku and Hickman close behind. Omoro managed to shake first Hickman and finally Wanjiku, finally crossing the line in 39:37, three seconds in front of Wanjiku and 37 seconds ahead of her 1998 winning time. Hickman followed in third, while Sagero held on for fourth. In masters competition, Kim Jones successfully defended her Bloomsday title, while Russian Andrey Kuznetsov finished 15th overall, well ahead of second masters runner Craig Young of Colorado Springs, CO. Washington state residents Kari McKay of Spokane and Eric Tollefson of Tacoma were the winners of the inaugural Washington State Road Running Championship division of Bloomsday. This year's rainy weather was especially difficult for the top field of wheelchair racers. Saul Mendosa and Jean Driscoll seemed unfazed, though, as both managed to return to the winner's circle, Driscoll for the eleventh straight time. Mendosa's 26:29 victory was only a minute shy of the course record. This year's Lilac Bloomsday Run was the next-to-last event of the 1998-99 PRRO Circuit. Race winners Chelanga and Omoro will both advance to the PRRO World Road Running Championships, to be held July 4 at the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. Look here for race results # # #
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