31 March 2009

CONTACTS: (Please do not publish these numbers or emails. Race information is available on the web at www.cherryblossom.org, by email at info@cherryblossom.org, or on the race hotline, 301-320-3350)

Phil Stewart
Event Director
301-320-6865 (d); 301-802-2194 (cell)
pstewart@cherryblossom.org

Frank McNally
Media Coordinator
703-801-2566 (cell); 703 572-4040 (d); 540-338-5648 (e)

WASHINGTON, DC -- One of the stongest elite fields in recent years will be lining up on 15th St. alongside the Washington Monument Grounds on Sunday, April 5 for the 37th running of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile. The event serves as the Road Runners Club of America's 10 Mile National Championship. Both the men's and women's defending champions, Ridouane Harroufi of Morocco and Lineth Chepkurui of Kenya, seem well positioned to repeat, with Harroufi coming off a win at last weekend's Azalea Trail Run 10K in Mobile, AL, and Chepkurui placing 4th at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Aman, Jordan, one of the most competitive distance running events of the year. However, 2007 champion Tadesse Tola of Ethiopia, who clocked the third fastest winning time ever (46:01) in a dominating victory, and three-time champion ('01, '03, '05) John Korir are expected to mount serious challenges. Other male runners who appear to be in good early season form include Kenyans Silas Sang, 3rd at Azalea Trail (28:28), and Kiplimo Kimutai, 6th at the World's Best 10K (28:04). Two Japanese runners from the Himeji 10 mile in Japan, the sister race of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 mile, Mitinori Takano and Naoto Morimoto, could offer challenges as well. Takano placed 4th at the 2009 Himeji race in 48:01, while Morimoto has a 46:46 10-mile time to his credit.

Chepkuri will be pursued by two veteran Olympic marathon silver medallists, Kenyan Catherine Ndereba (2004 and 2008) and Romanian Lydia Simon (2000), along with 2003 Credit Union Cherry Blossom champion Olga Romanova of Russia. Ndereba, a four-time winner of the Boston Marathon, a two-time world marathon champion, and the former world record holder in the marathon (2:18:47), is looking for her first win here in three appearances. Other women considered to be serious contenders include Pauline Wanguru of Kenya, who won Sanyo Half Marathon earlier this year in a quick time of 1:10:54, and Russian Alevtina Biktimirova, who placed second in last year's Boston (2:25:27) and Chicago (2:29:26) marathons and finished 4th in the 2009 Tokyo Marathon in 2:29:33.

Several American women entered in the field could give chase to the women's-only American 10 mile record of 55:42, set in this race back in 2006 by Turena Johnson Lane. Tops in the group are Zoila Gomez and Tera Moody, who finished just a second apart in personal best times of 2:33:53 and 2:33:54 respectively in last spring's Olympic Trials Marathon.

Jason Lehmkuhle, 7th in the 2007 Olympic Trials Marathon (2:12:54), and Mike Morgan, 12th in the same race (2:16:28), lead the American men.

The elite runners will be racing for a total prize purse of $40,000, the largest ever. With $7,500 checks going to the first place male and female finishers, the event is the only world-class competition in the Washington Metropolitan area. "We take great pride in our tradition of bringing the world's finest athletes to the streets of Washington, DC each year," said Event Director Phil Stewart. "Washington, DC is a world-class city and it merits a world-class running event."

A 400-runner satellite race organized for U.S. troops serving in Iraq will start simultaneously with the start of the mass race at 7:40 a.m. The organizing committee provided t-shirts and bib numbers for the event at Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq and has promised a free entry into the 2010 race for any runner competing in the Camp Victory race who returns home and wants to compete in Washington, DC next spring."We are pleased to support our troops serving in Iraq," said Stewart, "and we hope to give away lots of free entries next spring."

Widely known as "The Runner's Rite of Spring," the event is hugely popular among the more-gentle running population as well. Registration filled to the 12,000-runner limit in two hours and 45 minutes last December. This year's field comes from all 50 states and over a dozen foreign countries. Among them are approximately 25 runners from "Students Run LA," who have raised $25,000 to make the trip from Los Angeles to participate. The group consists of at-risk high school and middle school students who commit to a rigorous running program and to meeting strict academic standards to help them escape the hard-scrabble life of inner-city Los Angeles. This will be the first trip to the Nation's Capital for these student-athletes. Event organizers waived the entry fees for the group.

One familiar face among the starters is Bethesda runner Ben Beach, who will be participating in his 37th consecutive Cherry Blossom race. An editor at The Wilderness Society, Beach is the only runner to have finished every year since the race started in 1973. He also will start his 42nd consecutive Boston Marathon on April 20th.

This year's ten-mile entrants span 79 years, between 86-year-old Walt Washburn of Vienna, VA and 7-year-old Sydney Garrett of Newport News, VA.

Washington, DC politicians entered include DC Mayor Adrian Fenty and City Council Member Kwame Brown.

The sponsoring Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc. takes great pride in this year's nearly $1,000,000 contribution to the Children's Miracle Network, raised from over 70 participating Credit Unions, Credit Union partners, and event participants. From the total, approximately $400,000 goes to Washington, DC's own Children's Hospital. More than 600 Credit Union members serve as volunteers and over 6,200 entrants are Credit Union members.

Entries for the 10-mile and the 5K Run-Walk are closed. Spectators are encouraged to view the event in the vicinity of the Washington Monument Grounds. The staging area is ¼ mile from the Smithsonian Metro stop (Orange and Blue lines). Metro opens at 5 a.m. on race day.

Parents still can sign up their children ages 12-and-under for a free 1K Kids Run at 8:15 a.m. on the Washington Monument Grounds. Kids Run registration opens at 7:15 a.m. on Sunday.

The race will be televised on WJLA ABC Channel 7 in a half-hour special at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 11 and on NewsChannel 8 at 1:00 p.m. the same day.

Supporting sponsors include Gatorade Endurance Formula, Navy Federal Credit Union, and Metro Run & Walk. The event is part of the Professional Road Running Association (PRRO) Circuit and the 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival held from March 28 to April 12. This year's festival celebrates the 97th anniversary of the gift of the cherry blossom trees and the enduring friendship between the citizens of the United States and Japan.

For additional information visit www.cherryblossom.org, send an e-mail to racedirector@cherryblossom.org, or contact the race hotline at 301-320-3350.