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Lead Stories: Sunday, November 23, 2008

Kenyans Kogo & Ndereba Featured in Sunday’s Lilac Bloomsday Run

Posted April 30th, 2008 at 9:30 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Road Racing

Over 47,000 runners are expected for one of America’s great sporting rites of spring: the 32nd Lilac Bloomsday Run set for Sunday in Spokane, Wash.

The race may be big, but it’s also fast. Race director Don Kardong and elite athlete coordinator Jon Neill have pulled together a very strong field, led by two of Kenya’s heaviest hitters: Micah Kogo and Catherine Ndereba (Pictured).

Kogo, 21, is as swift on the road as he is on the track where he has a 26:35.63 10,000m personal best. Although he has limited road racing experience, he’s been nearly unbeatable.
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Big Race Registration Numbers on Both Coasts

Posted February 28th, 2008 at 10:30 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

Two large U.S. road races are seeing soaring registrations, further evidence that the second running boom is going strong.

On the east coast, the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10-K in Richmond, Va., host of the U.S. Men’s 10-K Championship, has already surpassed last year’s early March registration figure of 25,000. The race, scheduled for Saturday, April 5, has capped entries at 30,000 this year. Organizers expect registrations to remain strong because there will be a price increase on March 1 from $30 to $35.

On the west coast, the 32nd annual Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane, Wash., is also reporting strong entries. The May 4 event is already the world’s largest 12-K, and online registration has been nearly double what it was at the same time last year, suggesting that there may be an upsurge in Bloomsday attendance for 2008.
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PRRO Circuit Takes Tough New Anti-Doping Stance

Posted October 26th, 2007 at 10:30 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Drugs In Sports

The independent organizers of the Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO) Circuit have adopted a toughened anti-doping stance.

Under the new policy the five PRRO Circuit events –which include the World’s Best 10-K in San Juan, Puerto Rico; the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, D.C.; the Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane, Wash.; the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Ga.; and the Utica Boilermaker 15-K in Utica, N.Y.– will no longer invite any athletes who have returned to competition after serving a doping suspension of at least two years.

This new new measure comes after two years of mandatory drug testing at all PRRO events which has been paid carried out by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and paid for by the individual events.
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Okari Looks to Defend Bloomsday Title

Posted May 3rd, 2007 at 9:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

Gilbert Okari, the lanky road racing ace from Kenya, will attempt to become the third man to win back-to-back titles at the Lilac Bloomsday 12-K on Sunday in Spokane, Wash.

His chief rivals will be John Korir, George Misoi and Simon Ndirangu, all of Kenya, Ethiopian Tadesse Tola and Welshman Jon Brown.

The other two men who won consecutive Bloomsday titles were Okari’s compatriots Josephat Machuka (1994, 1995) and Lazarus Nyakeraka (1996, 1997).

On the women’s side, Olympic silver medalist and former world marathon champion, Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, will take on Teyba Erkesso of Ethiopia. Kathy Butler of Scotland, who was unable to finish the Flora London Marathon on April 22, is also in the field.
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