USA: Korir Repeats, Chepkemei Sets Course Record at Quad-City Times Bix 7

Korir Repeats, Chepkemei Sets Course Record at Quad-City Times Bix 7 By Jim Gerweck

DAVENPORT, Ia. - (July 24, 2004) - For three decades, the weather - usually hot and humid - has been as much a challenge at the Quad-City Times Bix 7 miler as the hills and the other runners. But Saturday, conditions more typical of New England in October than Iowa's in late July greeted the 20,000-plus who showed up for the 30th running of this Midwest midsummer classic.

The unseasonably cool climate - an all-time low race-time temperature of 61 degrees - had engendered talk of records all week, and in the end, both the men's and women's winners realized those predictions, albeit in different manners. John Korir of Kenya has won at Bix when it's typically tropical, his first win here in 1998 establishing the course record of 31:52 and his win last year tying him with Joan Benoit Samuelson and Colleen De Reuck for most victories at four.

Korir proved he can win when it's cool, too, pulling away from countryman Linus Maiyo uncharacteristically early to a 14 second win in 32:36. Even though his time wasn't a record, Korir put his name in the record books as the Bix champion with the most titles, five.

"The weather was excellent - I felt very comfortable today," he said. "I think I could have run even faster if I had someone to run with."

Actually, even though Korir put away Maiyo and Samuel Ndereba with half a mile to go, he still technically wasn't in the lead. In a promotional twist, Tim Delf, who had been selected in an earlier lottery, was given a 2.4 mile head start over the rest of the field. If he held it to the finish he stood to make $3,000, but with 100 yards to go was added to the list of victims of Korir's kick and wound up 13 seconds behind.

Ryan Shay used the fitness gained from training with 2004 Olympian and 2002 Bix 7 champion Meb Keflezighi at the Team Running USA California camp to finish as the top American in eighth place at 33:37 in his first visit to Bix.

"This course really suits me," he said. "I'm kind of a strength runner, so the hills don't bother me that much."

Matt Thull was the second American in 10th at 34:30.

Meanwhile, the most competitive women's field in Bix history, with eight runners sporting sub-32 minute 10K PRs, charged out so fast from the start they were within sight of the lead men at a mile. Romania's Constantina Tomescu-Dita continued to hold a pace that only Susan Chepkemei of Kenya was able to match.

"I could tell by the splits and the way my legs felt we were going very fast, but I was feeling very good," said Chepkemei, attributing that to the cool weather.

Near the same point that her countryman Korir had sealed his victory, she made a similar move, but Tomescu-Dita answered it and regained the lead. Alas, she held it only for a few strides, as Chepkemei shot by her to reprise the finish order from their meeting at the Peachtree 10K earlier this month. The battle waged by the pair pushed both of them under the course record 36:02 set by Tegla Loroupe in 1994, Chepkemei finishing in 35:24 and Tomescu-Dita 12 seconds back. Third placer Masako Chiba's time of 36:26 was the sixth fastest ever recorded at Bix.

"It was a good race, and I'm happy my time was so fast," said Tomescu-Dita, who will represent Romania in the Olympic marathon in Athens next month. "It was a good speed tune-up for the Olympics."

Rachel Kinsman and Jeanne Hennessy were the top U.S. women in 14th and 15th in 39:53 and 39:58.

The first male master (40 and over) was Phil Kauder of Cascade, Ia. who ran 37:59, while Joan Benoit Samuelson, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the marathon, won the women's masters race in 43:49. It was her fifth master's title and her ninth overall when combined with her four Open titles.

With the good weather came a combined rise in the numbers for the Bix 7 and the Alcoa Jr. Bix 7. For the weekend, 20,127 people took part in the festivities.

30th Quad-City Times Bix 7 Davenport, IA, Saturday, July 24, 2004

MEN
1. John Korir, Kenya, 32:36, New 2004 Automobile
2. Linus Maiyo, Kenya, 32:50, $4000
3. Samuel Ndereba, Kenya, 32:52, $2500
4. John Itati, Kenya, 33:06, $1500
5. Nelson Kiplagat, Kenya, 33:13, $1000
6. Reuben Chebil, Kenya, 33:16, $900
7. David Korir, Kenya, 33:33, $800
8. Ryan Shay, USA/MI, 33:37, $700
9. Michael Mislay, Tanzania, 33:54, $600
10. Matt Thull, USA/WI, 34:30, $500

MASTERS MEN
1. Phil Kauder, IA, 37:59

WOMEN
1. Susan Chepkemei, Kenya, 35:24*, New 2004 Automobile
2. Constantina Tomescu-Dita, Romania, 35:36, $4000
3. Masako Chiba, Japan, 36:26, $2500
4. Lidia Simon, Romania, 36:38, $1500
5. Tatyana Petrova, Russia, 36:48, $1000
6. Silvia Skvortsova, Russia, 37:10, $900
7. Lyubov Denisova, Russia, 37:15, $800
8. Luminita Talpos, Romania, 37:34, $700
9. Magdaline Chemjor, Kenya, 37:53, $600
10. Tatyana Chulakh, Russia, 37:56, $500
*course record (previous record 36:02, Tegla Loroupe, 1994)

MASTERS WOMEN
1. Joan Benoit Samuelson, ME, 43:49

For full results and more, go to: www.bix7.com

source Running USA wire