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The Runner’s Rite of Spring ®

ing Mexico’s Dionicio Ceron, 46:43 to 46:44. Steve Jones of 1993 (April 4)
Wales followed five seconds back in 46:49. Runners tried out a new course which featured an out-and-
back crossing of Memorial Bridge (pending construction of
the FDR Memorial forced the shift). Last year’s runner-up
1990 (April 1)
Lisa Weidenbach returned in 1990 to match Julie Shea (‘75, William Koech was joined by several of his Kenyan team-
mates including William Sigei, who had won the World
‘76, ‘77) as the only female three-time winner. She cruised Cross Country only a week before. Once again the Kenyans
to a relatively easy win over Anne Audain, 52:38 to 53:18. were under world record pace at five miles, only to ease the
Chris Fox, a Hagerstown, MD resident who had dreamed up during the second half of the race. Sigei triumphed over
of winning this race since he was in high school, had his Anthony Kiprono, 46:29 to 46:33. Judi St. Hilaire swept past
dream come true when he bested Ashley Johnson 47:06 to early pacesetter Pauline Konga of Kenya after nine miles
47:07—the second one-second winning margin in a row.
and scored a 3-second win in 52:27.
1991 (March 31)
After seven years as title sponsor, Nike turned the top role 1994 (April 10)
over to Northern Telecom, a major telecommunications After 11 years Greg Meyer’s men’s world record of 46:13
company which had just recently opened a World Head- fell to Kenya’s William Sigei. On a relatively warm, windy
quarters in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Under day (a thunderstorm blew in later that morning) Sigei and
Northern Telecom the prize money grew to $21,500, the Kenyan teammates Josphat Machuka and Thomas Osano
largest purse ever. With the cherry blossoms in full bloom, broke away from the pack early, but the pace sagged to over
Great Britain’s Carl Thackery and American Bill Reifsnyder world record pace by nine miles. However, Sigei upped the
went charging after the event record. Thackery prevailed in tempo and closed with a 4:29 last mile to claim the mark
the match up, but missed the record by just 12 seconds with with a 46:01. Both the 18-year-old Machuka (46:05) and his
a time of 46:25. Reifsnyder followed in 46:30. Fellow Brit Jill uncle, Osano (46:07), bested Meyer’s longstanding mark as
Hunter reduced the women’s event record to 51:57 – a time well. Kenya’s Helen Chepngeno and Jane Omoro produced
just 10 seconds off Carl Hatfield’s winning time in 1975 and the closest finish ever with World Cross Country Champion
26 seconds under Lisa Martin’s event mark. Chepngeno declared the winner by inches in 54:05. With
a revised race course, the number of finishers grew to over
1992 (April 5) 4,600.
In 1992, the Kenyans made their marks here as elsewhere.
Running into 30-35 mph winds, Richard Chelimo (who
won a silver medal that summer at 10,000-meters in the
Olympics) and William Koech went 1-2 with respective
times of 47:06 and 47:15. They went after the 1983 event
record (46:13), passing 5 miles in 22:46 before the winds
slowed them. Russian Albina Galliamova won the women’s
race in 53:44.

1993 saw the first use of Memorial Bridge on the Cherry Ismael Kirui sets a World Record on 45:38 in the 1995 race
Blossom course.
2019 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Media Guide 55