CHERRY BLOSSOM OPENS SPRING RUNNING SEASON IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

By David Monti

(c) 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

The two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival, which begins tomorrow in Washington, D.C., honors the anniversary of Japan gifting 3,000 cherry trees to the United States in 1912.  These gorgeous flowering trees form the backdrop for another great Washington tradition which is part of the festival: the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile which will celebrate its 35th running on Sunday.

Race director Phil Stewart expects 10,000 runners to compete on the flat course which begins and ends in West Potomac Park near the FDR Memorial.  Consistently one of the fastest 10 mile races in the world, the event has seen the men's world record set in 1983 and again in 1995, and the women's world record in 1976, '77, '79, '87, '95 and '98, according to the independent Association of Road Racing Statisticians.  At last year's race, the elite women were given a 10 minute head start, and Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia ran 52:11, the fastest ever 10 mile by a woman in an all-women's race.

The elite women will set off early again this year and, along with the elite men, will be chasing the richest purse in the history of the event: $32,000 plus $3,000 in time bonuses.  The first place male and female will earn $6,000 with an extra $750 bonus added on if the men's winner runs sub-46:00 and the women's winner runs sub-52:00. The event is the only world-class running event in Washington, D.C., and is part of the Professional Road Running Organization circuit.

The top athletes include three-time winner John Korir of Kenya, who is looking to extend his "odd streak" of winning the race in odd years.  He won in 2001, 2003 and 2005.

"John is certainly a strong threat to continue his odd streak," said Stewart, "but he faces some formidable competition from a pack of runners who are not about to concede that since it is 2007 it must be a 'Korir Year.'"

Should Korir win again, he would join Bill Rodgers as the only four-time winner.  Rodgers won the race in consecutive years between 1978 and 1981.

Other leading athletes in the men's race are Isaac Arusei (KEN), John Yuda (TAN), John Kibowen (KEN), Tadesse Tola (ETH), Samuel Ndereba (KEN) and Linus Maiyo (KEN).  The top U.S. entrants are Chris Graff and Justin Young (Fernando Cabada withdrew).

Although Lydia Grigoryeva is not expexted to defend her title, a solid women's field has been assembled by elite athlete coordinator, Bill Orr.  Teyba Erkesso of Ethiopia, Alena Samokhvaolva of Russia, Kathy Butler of Great Britain, Dorota Gruca of Poland, Lidia Simon of Romania, and Magdalene Makunzi of Kenya have all broken 32 minutes for 10 km either on the road or track.  Any one of them could take the title.

ENDS