FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Men's and Women's USA 10 Mile Championships
Presented by America's Credit Unions Attract America's Top Runners
to the Nation's Capital in Pursuit of American 10 Mile Records
Janet Bawcom Eyes Her Own Mark Set Last Year;
Matt Tegenkamp Hopes to Challenge Greg Meyer's Longstanding
American Record Set Here in 1983; Both Expect to Challenge International
Fields for Overall Victory in Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run
April 2, 2014, Washington, DC: The lure of American Championship titles and
the largest amount of prize money ever offered at the Credit Union Cherry
Blossom 10 Mile Run has had the desired effect. With a total of $81,800 in
prize money and bonuses available to top foreign and American runners, the
likelihood of down-to-the-wire, record setting racing has never been
better. Last year's American champion Janet Bawcom will toe the starting
line with the fastest 10 mile time among all women—her 53:28 American
single sex record set here in 2013—while American Matt Tegenkamp has never
been shy about running with the leaders in an international race. Tegenkamp
will have his sights set on Greg Meyer's longstanding American Record of
46:13, set here in 1983, which he will likely have to break if he hopes to
win the race outright; course record holder Alan Kiprono ran a blistering
45:15 in 2012, and is returning to avenge his second place finish last
year.
The women will start at 7:18 am on Sunday, April 6th, in order to allow
their efforts and any potential records to be recognized as coming from a
women's only race; the men will start at 7:30 am. Secretary of the
Department of the Interior Sally Jewell will be sounding the horn to signal
the start of both races as well as giving a brief welcome speech to all
runners.
"The opportunity to compete for the USA 10 Mile Championships Presented by
America's Credit Unions has proven to be quite a draw for the top American
men and women this year," said Phil Stewart, Event Director of the 42nd
annual Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run. "Defending champion Janet
Bawcom, will be joined on the starting line by two other former U.S.
Olympians, Jen Rhines and Blake Russell as well as Sara Hall, Lindsey
Scherf and many other highly competitive American women. On the men's side,
Matt Tegenkamp headlines a field that includes Mo Trafeh, winner of both
the Half Marathon and 25K USA Championships in 2013, Christo Landry and
Matt Llano, who recently placed 4th and 5th, respectively, at the Gate
River Run 15K in Jacksonville, Florida, and a deep roster of very talented
American men."
Stewart added: "The Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run has always
featured highly competitive fields, with foreign runners winning the men's
and women's races as far back as 1984. There has been a long drought of
American winners—Chris Fox was the last American man to win the race in
1990, Joan Nesbit won the women's race in 1996—and it's exciting to think
that we might see an American runner win the race outright this year."
Stewart isn't the only one who is excited about the upcoming race. 1983
Cherry Blossom champion and still American Record holder, Greg Meyer, who
will be watching from the sidelines on Sunday has said: "While it's an
honor to hold an American Record, it's time someone else owned it! My gosh,
it's older than most of the Americans competing! I can't wait to see
someone break it!"
In addition to Janet Bawcom and her fellow American competitors, the
women's field includes Ethiopian Mamitu Daska, winner of numerous U.S road
races in 2013, including the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, the New York
Mini 10K and the Boston B.A.A. 10K; Moroccan Malika Mejdoub, who ran 54:24
to place 2nd here in 2014; Aliphine Tuliamuk of Kenya, who recently won the
Virginia Beach 8K and has a 10 mile personal best of 54:28; and, for the
first time in a number of years, Japan will be represented by Inoko
Higuchi, who has run 1:10:51 for the half marathon. With a personal best of
54:37, 2012 Olympian Claire Hallissey, representing Great Britain, living
in Arlington, VA will be a local favorite. (More detail on the Women's
field is available at
http://www.cherryblossom.org/images/2014/14_CUCB_Bios-Women.pdf)
The Kenyan Kiprono and Americans Tegenkamp, Trafeh and others will be
joined at the start by a stellar field. Daniel Salel of Kenya won here last
year in a time of 46:06; Kenyan Steven Sambu placed 4th here a year ago in
46:59 and recently ran 1:01:08 to place 3rd at the New York Half Marathon.
Edward Kipyego, who boasts a half marathon personal best of 60:05, will
surely give his fellow Kenyans a run for their money. Top local runners
include Washington D.C. based runners Luke Meyer, the 1st American here in
2011, and Chris Kwiatkowski, who cracked the top 10 here last spring. (More
detail on the Men's field is available at
http://www.cherryblossom.org/images/2014/14_CUCB_Bios-Men.pdf)
With the U.S. Championship purses being added to the traditional
international purse, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run will offer
over $81,800 in prize money and bonuses this year. If an American man were
to win the race and break the American record with a sub-46:00 time, he
would earn $16,500. If an American woman were to win the race, and break
the American record with a sub 52:00 time, she would also take home
$16,500.
Since 2002, the sponsoring Credit Unions and race participants have raised
over $6 million for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
About the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile:
The Credit Union Cherry Blossom is known as "The Runner's Rite of Spring®,"
and is the only truly elite road race in our Nation's capital. The staging
area for the event is on the Washington Monument Grounds and the course
passes in sight of all of the major Washington, DC Memorials. The event
serves as a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, a
consortium of 170 premier children's hospitals across the United States.
About one-third of the funds raised support Washington, DC's own Children's
National Medical Center ("Children's Hospital"). The event also funds two
$5,000 Road Runners Club of America "Roads Scholar" grants designed to
support up-and-coming U.S. distance running talent.
The Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run is a proud member of the
Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO) Circuit. PRRO is an alliance
of race directors who together organize the PRRO Circuit, a nationwide
series of premier non-marathon road racing events. The PRRO Circuit races
share a common commitment for a drug-free sport. All the circuit events pay
for elite athlete drug testing in partnership with the United States
Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).Circuit events include the World's Best 10K in
San Juan, PR, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, the Lilac Bloomsday
12K in Spokane, WA, the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY, and the AJC Peachtree
Road Race in Atlanta, GA. A trip to the PRRO Race of Champions at the 2014
Utica Boilermaker 15K on July 13, 2014 will be awarded to the first local
man and woman.
Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc., a consortium of credit unions and credit
union suppliers, is the title sponsor of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom
Ten Mile Run and 5K Run-Walk. PSCU is the lead financial partner of Credit
Union Miracle Day, Inc. Supporting sponsors include New Balance, Gatorade,
Navy Federal Credit Union, Larabar, Potomac River Running and BAE Systems.
Complete information about the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run and
5K Run-Walk can be found at: http://www.cherryblossom.org.
About America's Credit Unions:
Credit unions provide consumers choices for financial services such as
checking accounts, investments and loans of all kinds including mortgages.
Funds are federally insured, but unlike banks, there are no stockholders at
credit unions. Earnings are returned to member-owners in the form of lower
loan rates, higher savings rates, low or no-fee products and services. The
credit union philosophy of placing members' needs first is why more than
98.9 million Americans do their banking at one of America's 6,800 credit
unions. Credit unions are for everyone—no matter where you live, there is a
credit union to meet your needs.
To find a credit union near you visit: www.asmarterchoice.org or
www.culookup.com
###
|
