Posted: June 28, 2007

Athletics (RRW): Crazy 8's 8-K Lifts Prize Money & Attracts Top Talent

From David Monti © 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com Organizers of the Indian Path Medical Center & SunTrust Bank Crazy 8's 8-K announced that they have boosted their prize money purse and, as a result, have attracted some top talent for the July 14 race held along a candle-lit course in Kingsport, Tenn. Under their "Dash For The Gold" program, the male and female race winners will each receive $5000, more than double last year's payout of $2000. In addition, the total prize money purse has risen significantly to $24,300 (paid 8-deep) from $10,100 last year. The race also continues to offer a $10,000 world record bonus (22:03/24:28). "The interest from the elite runners has been extremely high this year," said Hank Brown, who recruits professional athletes for the event. "A $5000 payoff combined with a $10,008 world record bonus puts Crazy 8's up there with the top races in the country, so it has been a big boost to our recruiting." So far, Brown has signed-up defending women's champion, Luminita Talpos of Romania; 2003 Crazy 8's champion, Linus Maiyo of Kenya; recently crowned Bolder Boulder 10-K men's champion, Ridouane Harroufi of Morocco; the most prolific road racer on the North American scene, Alene Emere Reta of Ethiopia; and the rising Demesse Tefera, also of Ethiopia, who placed third at last month's Healthy Kidney 10-K in New York City in a personal best 28:30.6. "We're always looking for the best," added Brown. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest