30 May 2014

Credit Union Cherry Blossom Media Contact Information:
(not for publication)

Keith Peters, Credit Union Cherry Blossom Media Coordinator
307-690-6803 or [email protected]

Website: www.cherryblossom.org

May 30, 2014, Washington, DC: Organizers of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run have released the final, certified results for the 2014 event, held on April 6th. U.S. Olympian Janet Bawcom ran 10 miles in 52:12 to set the single-sex American record in the women’s USA 10 Mile Championship, Presented by America’s Credit Unions. In doing so, Bawcom, from Flagstaff, AZ, broke the record she set here a year ago by a whopping 1:16, and pulled American Sara Hall under her former record time as well; Hall ran 52:54 in a very impressive debut over the distance. In the men’s USA 10 Mile Championship, presented by America’s Credit Unions, Christo Landry ran 46:41, the fourth fastest American performance in the 42 editions of event; Landry placed sixth overall in the open men’s race, while Bawcom was a close second in the open women’s race. Hall placed fourth in the open women’s race. Ethopia’s Mamitu Daska won the women’s race in 52:05 and Kenya’s Steven Sambu won the men’s race in 45:29, the third fastest time ever recorded in the event.

Top local runners in the 2014 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run were 27 year-old Tim Young of Fredericksburg, MD in a time of 47:45, and Etaferahu Temesgen of Silver Spring, MD in a time of 54:30. Both have won trips to the 2013-2014 PRRO Circuit Championship at the Utica Boilermaker 15K on July 13.

Thirteen year-old Nathan Davis of Frederick, MD won the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 5K Run-Walk for the second consecutive year, with a time of 17:58. Twenty-six year-old Lauren Johnston of Washington, DC won the women’s 5K Run-Walk in 20:17.

If team results were kept for the elite women, the top three American women would have beaten their Ethiopian counterparts by a combined time of 44 seconds. But team results aren’t compiled for the elite athletes. They are, however, kept for a total of 14 different categories, involving a total of 177 teams; team scoring is based upon the combined times of a team’s first three runners. In the Washington Metropolitan Area Elite Team division $1,000 in prize money is awarded to the winning men’s and women’s teams; all other teams compete simply for bragging rights.

Georgetown Running Club won the men’s Washington Metropolitan Area Elite Team competition in a time of 2:30:59, and they also won the women’s Washington Metropolitan Area Elite Team competition in a time of 3:02:07. Engility Dream Crushers won the corporate team competition in 3:17:56; SDO NASA was the first Credit Union team with a time of 3:11:56; CFPB Team A was the first government team in 3:27:33; the White Cheddar Shredders were the fastest House team in 3:23:50; Minnesota Nice and Fast won the competition among Senate teams with a time of 3:23:46; USA Today #2 was the fastest media team in 4:05:53; and the winning military team was New Hope Det 1 Pentagon with a time of 3:15:06. Among local running clubs, Pacers New Balance won the men’s open title in 2:29:43, while HCS Women A took the women’s open title in 3:02:21; MCRRS Master Competitive took the mixed masters running club title in 3:00:32; and both PR/DC Elite teams won the men’s and women’s running store elite team titles in 2:38:22 and 3:16:54 respectively.

A total of 231 Members of Congress representing all 50 states signed on as Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run Honorary Race Chairs. Other numbers of interest include 17,849 runners in the Ten Mile Run and 2,140 participants in the 5K Run-Walk. As part of the event’s commitment to an environmentally-friendly event, 13,247 runners, volunteers and spectators rode Metro to the races.

On the fundraising front, a total of $487,000 was raised for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals this year. Since the Credit Unions became the title sponsor of the race in 2002, over $6.5 million has been has been raised for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

With the results now certified, the All-time searchable database containing the finishing times of the nearly 250,000 participants who have completed the event since the inaugural year in 1973 will be updated by mid-June. Participants can review their entire competitive histories at the event by going to www.cherryblossom.org after June 15.

Finally, Run Washington, the runner’s source for the DC area, recently named the 2014 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run the “Best Spring Race” in their annual Best of Washington Running poll.

About the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile:

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom is known as “The Runner’s Rite of Spring®,” and is the only truly elite road race in our Nation’s capital. The staging area for the event is on the Washington Monument Grounds and the course passes in sight of all of the major Washington, DC Memorials. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a consortium of 170 premier children’s hospitals across the United States. About one-third of the funds raised support Washington, DC’s own Children’s National Medical Center (“Children’s Hospital”). The event also funds two $5,000 Road Runners Club of America “Roads Scholar” grants designed to support up-and-coming U.S. distance running talent.

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run is a proud member of the Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO) Circuit. PRRO is an alliance of race directors who together organize the PRRO Circuit, a nationwide series of premier non-marathon road racing events. The PRRO Circuit races share a common commitment for a drug-free sport. All the circuit events pay for elite athlete drug testing in partnership with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Circuit events include the World's Best 10K in San Juan, PR, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, the Lilac Bloomsday 12K in Spokane, WA, the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY, and the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, GA. A trip to the PRRO Race of Champions at the Utica Boilermaker 15K on July 13, 2014 will be awarded to the first local man and woman.

Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc., a consortium of credit unions and credit union suppliers, is the title sponsor of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run and 5K Run-Walk. PSCU is the lead financial partner of Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc. Supporting sponsors include New Balance, Gatorade, Navy Federal Credit Union, Larabar, Potomac River Running and BAE Systems.

Complete information about the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run and 5K Run-Walk can be found at: http://www.cherryblossom.org.

About America’s Credit Unions:

Credit unions provide consumers choices for financial services such as checking accounts, investments and loans of all kinds including mortgages. Funds are federally insured, but unlike banks, there are no stockholders at credit unions. Earnings are returned to member-owners in the form of lower loan rates, higher savings rates, low or no-fee products and services. The credit union philosophy of placing members’ needs first is why more than 98.9 million Americans do their banking at one of America’s 6,800 credit unions. Credit unions are for everyone—no matter where you live, there is a credit union to meet your needs.

To find a credit union near you visit:

www.asmarterchoice.org or www.culookup.com