Posted: May 3, 2007

Athletics (RRW): Okari Looks To Defend Bloomsday Title

From David Monti © 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com Gilbert Okari, the lanky road racing ace from Kenya, will attempt to become the third man to win back-to-back titles at the Lilac Bloomsday 12-K on Sunday in Spokane, Wash. His chief rivals will be John Korir, George Misoi and Simon Ndirangu, all of Kenya, Ethiopian Tadesse Tola and Welshman Jon Brown. The other two men who won consecutive Bloomsday titles were Okari's compatriots Josephat Machuka (1994, 1995) and Lazarus Nyakeraka (1996, 1997). On the women's side, Olympic silver medalist and former world marathon champion, Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, will take on Teyba Erkesso of Ethiopia. Kathy Butler of Scotland, who was unable to finish the Flora London Marathon on April 22, is also in the field. A $56,000 prize money purse is on the line. Organizers expect 44,000 runners to take part. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest