Home › Race Coverage › Wanjiru Sets New 10 Mile All-Comers Record; Yimer Repeats, Kebenei Gets USA Record

Wanjiru Sets New 10 Mile All-Comers Record; Yimer Repeats, Kebenei Gets USA Record

By mitchpa on April 8, 2019

By Clay Shaw

WASHINGTON, DC, APRIL 6, 2019—Rosemary Wanjiru of Kenya led nearly the entire Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run. Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia was right on Wanjiru’s heels for nearly the entire race, which seemed to annoy Wanjiru at times. With 600 yards to go Wanjiru turned on the jets to pull away on the two slight inclines before the final turn and downhill finish. Wanjiru, setting a new course record, and fastest 10-mile time ever in a women’s only race on US soil, timed in 50:42. Gebreslase ran 50:47, in the classic Kenya-Ethiopia duel. Margaret Muriuki of Kenya was third in 51:38, despite running the Cooper River Bridge 10K in SC the day before.

Emma Bates of Boise, Idaho, who led the huge pack down Independence Avenue, was first USA and 6^th overall in 52:18. Bates just missed Janet Cherobon’s record by five seconds.

Jemel Yimer of Ethiopia was the repeat champion in 45:36, after unleashing a kick with 100 yards to go. Josphat Tanui of Kenya was a close second in 45:38. Edwin Kibichy of Kenya was 3^rd in 45:58, as he held off a hard-charging Stanley Kebenei of Colorado Springs, Colorado who took fourth in a new USA record of 46:00. Kebenei was quite elated with the record, and had expressed a desire to “go for it”, when I spoke with him earlier this year. The old mark was set in 1983 by Greg Meyer of Michigan. Kebenei called Meyer afterward to tell him, as Meyer had expressed amazement that his USA record had stood since 1983. Twenty-four men broke 50 minutes and 41 women broke 60 minutes on an ideal running day.

Perry Shoemaker of Vienna, VA was top Master among women in 57:29, placing 28th overall. Deena Kastor of Mammoth Lakes, CA was second Master and 37^th, in 59:15 and was greeting and congratulating many finishers afterwards. David Wertz of Springfield, VA led the male Masters in 53:16, placing 43^rd. The famed ultra-marathoner, Michael Wardian of Arlington,VA, was 45^th and second Master in 53:28. Wardian who recently ran across the country of Israel, continues to run fast and often.

The RRCA Roads Scholar Run Pro Camp Development Awards went to Futsum Zienasellassie of Flagstaff, AZ (46:57), Reed Fischer of Boulder, CO (47:03), and Willie Milam of Boulder, CO (47:07). The women’s winners were Emma Bates of Boise, ID (52:18), Samantha Palmer of Northport, AL (53:44), and Katy Jermann of Burnsville, MN (54:03).

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom has been run for 47 years. Ben Beach (age 69) of Bethesda, Maryland has run all of them, and heads to Boston to run his 53^rd consecutive Boston Marathon. The 2019 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Run marks the 18^th year of title sponsorship by Credit Union Miracle Day, raising over $9.5 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals since 2002. 17,393 runners finished the 10 miler, and also included a companion 5K.

ADDENDUM

Several days after the event, this information was released: Organizers of the 2019 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, run last Sunday, April 7 in our Nation’s Capital, announced today that a semi-circle of cones on the revised course marking the turn-around point on Ohio Drive on an out-and-back segment between miles three and four had been misplaced. The net effect of that was to shorten the 10-mile course by 240 feet, negating the apparent American record time run of 46:00 run by Stanley Kebenei.

Despite the shortened route taken by the runners, race organizers will go ahead and pay Kebenei the $10,000 record bonus for posting a time faster than Greg Meyer’s American record of 46:13, set here in 1983. The Credit Union Cherry Blossom Run also pays $1,000 and $750 each year to the first two men and women who run times better than 46:00 and 52:00 minutes, respectively. Race winners Jemal Yimer (45:36) and Rosemary Wanjiru, (50:42) and second place finishers Josphat Tanui (45:38) and Gotytom Gebreslase (50:47) will be paid those time bonuses; their times were well under the established time bonus benchmarks.

Event Director Phil Stewart said, “The organizers profoundly regret this unfortunate error in an event which for 47 years has prided itself in organizational excellence and support for elite athletes as well as the masses of runners who follow them. We have taken every step possible to make our bonus winners whole again. Clearly this is not the ending we wanted to an outstanding weekend with perfect running conditions, nearly $100,000 in prize money and bonuses paid out, and $400,000 raised for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.”

Due to road construction, the course for this year’s race had to be adjusted just a few weeks before the date of the event. The revised course was then measured and certified in accordance with international course measurement standards, and record times would have been valid if the course was run as measured. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Later analysis showed that the turn-around on Ohio Drive in West Potomac Park had been misplaced on race morning. Sadly, an application for recognition of Kebenei’s effort being an American record will not be submitted to USATF. Rosemary Wanjiru also ran an apparent record—fastest U.S. all-comers time in a women’s only race—which will also go unrecognized, even though she finished one minute and two seconds faster than the time of 51:44, set here in 2007 by Tebya Erkesso. Race organizers do not offer a bonus for U.S. all-comers records. Wanjiru’s time will not be considered as Credit Union Cherry Blossom women’s event record, leaving intact Colleen DeReuck’s time of 51:16 as the standard.

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