Posted: July 13, 2006

Athletics: Crazy 8's 8-K Set For Saturday Night

From David Monti

© 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

The 17th annual Indian Path Medical Center & SunTrust Bank Crazy 8’s 8-K Run is set for 10:08 on Saturday night in Kingsport, Tenn., and athletes from Kenya look like the group to beat.

"We always attract a top group from Kenya," said co-race director and elite athlete recruiter Hank Brown, in a press release. "This year is no exception. We don't have to advertise ourselves to the Kenyans. They know all about Crazy 8's."

Julius Kiptoo looks like the man to beat from the Kenyan contingent. Kiptoo, 28, has already won four USA road races this summer, including the Fifth Season 8-K in Cedar Rapids, Ia., on July 4, where he clocked 22:45. On the women's side, teenager Lineth Chepkurui comes in as the Kenyan favorite with three road racing victories this year, backed up by a third place finish at the Bolder Boulder 10-K.

The male and female finishers will receive $2,000 each, regardless of their finish time. However, they have the opportunity to earn a special $10,008 bonus if they break the existing world records of 22:03 and 24:28 set at this race, respectively, by Kenyan Peter Githuka in 1996 and Asmae Leghzaoui in 2002.

The Kenyans will face challenges from athletes from Morocco and Ethiopia, plus a group of Americans who are determined to get on the podium. Here is the full entry list:

MEN - Westley Alkin IRE Isaac Arusei KEN Fasil Bizuneh USA/VA Abdi Chepkwony KEN David Cheromei KEN Pacesetter Benson Cheruiyot KEN Joe Driscoll USA/NC Karim Elmabchour MAR Mohamed Fadil MAR Josh Horton USA/SC Solomon Kandie KEN Richard Kimeli KEN Richard Kiplagat KEN Julius Kiptoo KEN Stephen Kirui KEN Abraham Kosgei KEN Samuel Kiplimo Kosgei KEN Alex L'hereaux CAN Ed Moran USA/VA John Mortimer USA/MS George Ondimu KEN Richard Ondimu KEN Aaron Saft USA/VA Michael Sang KEN Jared Segera KEN Ryan Sheehan USA/MI Joshua Stevens USA/VA Orinthal Striggles USA/SC Ryan Woods USA/FL Jacob Yator KEN

WOMEN - Claudia Camargo ARG Lineth Chepkirui KEN Melissa Cook USA/TX Desi Davila USA/MI Danielle Deines USA/NC Jane Jeruto Kibii KEN Meskerm Legesse ETH Malika Mejdoub MAR Alemtsehay Misganaw ETH Callen Moraa KEN Lisa Pratt USA/UT Mary Jo Saunders USA/NC Tere Stouffer USA/TN Luminita Talpos ROM

Tag and Save Tag and save this article to your Del.icio.us favourites. What is Del.icio.us?

Comment on this story.

Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest