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The Runner’s Rite of Spring ®

1995 (April 9) women’s title in 54:28. A total of $35,000 was given to Chil-
Pre-race speculation centered on the Kenyans cracking the dren’s Hospital, bringing the total charity contribution to
46:00 barrier for the first time. With world cross country over $140,000.
runner up Ismael Kirui and 1994’s third place finisher Jos-
phat Machuka as the top seeds, the stage was set (Sigei was 1998 (April 5)
out due to injury). Race day dawned with no wind, although A new course featuring an out-and-back section on Rock
temperatures were in the upper 50s and the humidity was Creek Parkway delighted the 5,800 finishers. South Afri-
high. As expected, Kirui and Machuka went right to work, can Colleen DeReuck proved that the layout was fast as
dropping further below world record pace with each pass- she shattered Rose Cheruiyot’s World Record for 10 Miles
ing mile. Suffering from blisters, Machuka dropped off by of 51:39 — set in the 1995 race —with a scintillating 51:16
5 miles. Kirui slowed to a 4:41 ninth mile, but responded performance that placed her 23rd overall. (She would have
with a 4:31 closer to smash Sigei’s year-old mark with a been the overall winner of the 1973 race!)DeReuck finished
45:38. Just over six minutes later Rose Cheruiyot of Kenya, over two minutes ahead of runner-up Marian Sutton of
who had set a world 5K record a week before, collected the Great Britain. On the men’s side Simon Rono, who would
second world record of the day as she sprinted home far in go on to be the top road runner of the year, produced a fast
front of the women’s field in 51:39, chopping 2 seconds off sub-46:00 time with a 45:51, the second fastest time ever
Jill Hunter’s 1991 world record set in New York City. U.S. in the event. He pulled Kenyan teammate Joseph Kariuki
marathon champion Debbi Kilpatrick finished second in under 46:00 as well (45:58). Kenyans secured the top eight
55:05. Over 5,200 runners finished. places in the men’s race.

1996 (March 31)
Lazarus Nyakeraka, 20, the hottest Kenyan on the U.S. road
circuit in the early months of 1996 with wins in major races
the two preceding weekends, toed the line with a number of
his Kenyan teammates who were looking to steal a little of
his luster. On a perfect race morning with only a 100-yard
puddle on Hains Point remaining from the worst winter
of flooding in over 20 years in Washington, DC, Joseph
Kariuki remained with the youthful Nyakeraka for 8 miles.
At that point, Nyakeraka surged away for a 46:37 to 46:49
win. Joan Nesbit became the first American winner since
1993 with a methodical dismantling of the women’s field
in 53:25. Steve Jones of Wales, a frequent top 10 finisher
over the years. turned 40 and demolished the late Barry
Brown’s 1985 masters event record of 49:46 when he posted
a remarkable 48:26, finishing 11th overall. The prize money
was upped to $26,000 with $5000 going to the top male and
female.

1997 (April 6)
The event celebrated its 25th running in 1997 and a number
of former champions (including the first women’s winner,
Kathrine Switzer) came to join in the festivities. A group of
a dozen runners who had run the 1973 event — and Ben Colleen DeReuck set a World record of 51:16 in the 1998
Beach, the only individual who has completed the race race
every year it has been run – were feted at the Saturday night 1999 (April 11)
dinner. On race day, special coffee mugs were awarded to 24 Construction along Independence Ave. meant another
men and 94 women who ran faster than the winning times revision in the course for 1999. The popular Rock Creek
in the first race (51:22 and 71:19). Runners from Kenya Park section was retained, but a new section took runners
continued to dominate the men’s competition – this year it through the West End and Foggy Bottom sections of Wash-
was Peter Githuka upsetting defending champion Lazarus ington, DC. It was the first time the course had ventured
Nyakeraka in 46:29. On the women’s side, Olympic mara- off of National Park Service land. A cool rain greeted 6,000
thon gold (‘92) and silver (‘96) medallist Valentina Yegorova starters. The many turns in the course slowed the times.
of Russia took the lead from the start and captured the For the first time since 1991, a non-Kenyan male won the

56 2019 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Media Guide