Kiprono, Wacera win at Bloomsday
SPOKANE - Last year a pair of Ethiopians - Belete Assefa and Buzunesh Deba - captured the men's and women's crowns at the Lilac Bloomsday Run, marking the first time in history that the champions both hailed from that east African county.
This year, though, it was that other east African powerhouse showing up in force, as Kenyans led a sweep of both divisions, Allan Kiprono returning to the victor's stand after a one-year absence, and Mary Wacera notching her first Bloomsday win.
A field of 49,094 signed up for this year's Bloomsday, the number reduced somewhat by chilly conditions in the days leading up to race day, as well as a forecast of thunderstorms for during the race. The storms arrived all right, but several hours ahead of time, and conditions for the women's elite start at 8:45 were dry, although with a breezy headwind for sections of the race. Those winds led to a slow first mile of 5:27, with a large pack huddled together down the first hill. As the pack reached the bottom and began up the first uphill at mile 1-1/2, three-time champion Lineth Chepkurui (2008-2010) came to the front and began pushing the pace.
Wacera caught Chepkurui at the 4 1/2-mile mark. Those two continued to battle all the way down Broadway, but as they made the final turn toward the finish with 200 meters to go, Wacera unleashed a fierce kick and surged into the lead, crossing the line two seconds ahead of Chepkurui.
"I thought if I could come with her to 400 meters," said Wacera, "I knew I had a strong kick."
In the men's competition, a late scratch by pre-race favorite Ethiopian Mosinet Geremew due to illness made it anyone's race to win. A much smaller pack than in the women's race emerged early, as Kenyans Cleophas Ngetich, Allan Kiprono and Kevin Kochei had a firm grip on the lead by the three-mile mark at the top of Cemetery Hill. On the turn onto Fort George Wright at 3 1/2 miles, Ngetich lost contact, and Kiprono began to assert himself. Kiprono and Kochei were running stride for stride, with the duo matching Micah Kogo's course record pace through four miles.
As they reached the base of Doomsday Hill they were still together, but heading up Kiprono surged. At the top he had a lead of 30 meters, and he continued to build on that margin all the way to the finish, clocking 34:11, almost 30 second ahead of Kochei, with Ngetich two seconds behind that. American Aaron Braun ran a solid 35:11 for fourth.
"My focus was only on the road," said Kiprono of the breezy conditions. "I never felt the wind."
Kiprono and Wacera each earned $7,000 for their wins, part of a purse of nearly $100,000 in all divisions of the race. Mattie Suver and Aaron Braun each took home Bloomsday's top U.S. citizen prize of $5,000, plus open prize money.
Josh George of Illinois won the men's wheelchair race. Last year's women's champion, Susannah Scaroni, who grew up in nearby Tekoa, Wash., and now attends the University of Illinois, won again.