Posted: July 30, 2007

Athletics (RWire): Rookies Kibet, Ayalew Win Quad-City Times Bix 7

Keflezighi finishes 4th at Midwest summer classic By Jim Gerweck, Running USA wire DAVENPORT, Iowa - (July 28, 2007) - "No Experience Necessary" might have been the watchword at the 33rd running of the Quad-City Times Bix 7 as two rookies came away with top honors Saturday morning. Kenyan Duncan Kibet, who was also making his 2007 debut on the American roads, and Ethiopian Wude Ayalew, who opened the month by winning Peachtree in her first appearance there, displayed beginner's luck - or pluck - in leaving racers with far more Bix experience behind in their wake. The Bix 7 mile course is considered one of the more challenging on the U.S. circuit, with its constant up and downhills in the first six-plus miles taxing a runners pacing sense to the max. The consensus is it takes at least one run, and often several more, over the course before you learn how to properly ration your energy over the challenges. Both victors turned that notion on its head. Kibet, in spite of seeming to labor on each of the course's four major climbs, was able to restore enough of his lead on the subsequent descents to hold on for a five-second victory in 32 minutes, 15 seconds. Thomas Nyariki, whose return to competition last year after losing an eye in a carjacking in his native Kenya, was one of the feel-good stories of 2006, outsprinted Morocco's Karim El Mabchour and American Meb Keflezighi on the final flat straightaway to take second in 32:20, with the other two finishing two and six seconds back, respectively. For Keflezighi, Bix 2007 was not only his fourth run in Davenport (the Team Running USA athlete won here in 2002 when the race served as the American-only national championship), but the 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist's return to competition after dropping out of the Flora London Marathon due to a severe blister on his left foot. Keflezighi, 32, had some last-minute hesitation in coming to Davenport; not because of questions about his fitness, which he answered in the positive during the race, but because competing would force him to miss the funeral of Mike Long, the professional athlete coordinator for Elite Racing who passed away last week. "I thought about it, but then realized Mike would have wanted me to go race," said Keflezighi, who dedicated his effort to Long. After the race, he felt pleased with his performance. "I made a bid to get second, and I was right there, but when those guys started to sprint when we hit the flats I just couldn't go with them," he said. "I don't have those wheels just yet." With an ambitious schedule that includes East Coast stops at Beach to Beacon and Falmouth in the next two weekends, Keflezighi, who trains at high altitude in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., should quickly hone his racing sharpness. Ayalew, 20, obviously still has a racing razor's edge, running virtually unchallenged from the gun to best Luminita Talpos by 20 seconds, 36:57 to 37:17. Talpos, tuning up for the World Championships next month, overtook Ogla Kimaiyo in the second half of the race and held on for a 10-second edge. Cassie Hintz, who recently completed her freshman year at Wisconsin, was the only U.S. woman to crack the top 10, placing 10th in 39:00. Ann Alyanak, another World Champs-bound marathoner, was one place and 57 seconds behind. This marked the first year that Bix used ChampionChip technology for finish results; with Bloomsday, Bolder Boulder and Bay to Breakers having switched earlier, there are now no major races left in the U.S. using tear-off pull tags to score their events. 11,331 finished the Midwest summer classic under cooler than average conditions (73 degrees and 75% humidity). Davenport's Christy Lazaridis used a 2.7-mile headstart to win the fourth Rhythm City Casino Race for the Jackpot. Lazaridis crossed the finish line 78 seconds ahead of men's champion Kibet and pocketed $3,300 for her "victory". 33rd Quad-City Times Bix 7 - Davenport, IA, Saturday, July 28, 2007 MEN 1) Duncan Kibet (KEN), 32:15, 2007 automobile or $10,000 2) Thomas Nyariki (KEN), 32:20, $4000 3) Karim El Mabchour (MAR), 32:22, $2500 4) Meb Keflezighi (USA / CA), 32:26, $1500 5) William Chebon (KEN), 32:57, $1000 6) Linus Maiyo (KEN), 33:02, $900 7) Nelson Kiplagat (KEN), 33:09, $800 8) Evans Cheruiyot (KEN), 33:10, $700 9) Reuben Chebii (KEN), 33:13, $600 10) Solomon Molla (ETH), 33:34, $500 WOMEN 1) Wude Ayalew (ETH), 36:57, 2007 automobile or $10,000 2) Luminita Talpos (ROM), 37:17, $4000 3) Ogla Kimaiyo (KEN), 37:27, $2500 4) Deribe Alemu (ETH), 37:33, $1500 5) Galina Aleksandrova (RUS), 37:43, $1000 6) Nuta Olaru (ROM), 38:01, $900 7) Genet Getaneh (ETH), 38:19, $800 8) Leah Kiprono (KEN), 38:46, $700 9) Maryna Dubrova (UKR), 38:51, $600 10) Cassie Hintz (USA / WI), 39:00, NCAA 11) Ann Alyanak (USA / OH), 39:57, $500 Complete results at: Bix7.com Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director (805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016 Ryan@RunningUSA.org www.RunningUSA.org. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest