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The Runner’s Rite of Spring ®

2017 (April 2) PRRO race to augment his $8,000 first place prize in 46:17.
The organizing committee approached the 2017 race, which Both runners won the RRCA National Championship
marked the 45 running of the event, with the modest goals titles as well. A chilly morning awash in blossoms greeted
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of no wind and running a full 10 miles after the two difficult some 17,000 starters in the 10 mile and 2,000 in the 5K
years in 2015 and 2016. These expectations were exceeded Run-Walk, but for the first since 1992 the runners did not
handily with a close to perfect day for running and cherry cross Memorial Bridge which was closed for construction.
blossoms, which had been forecast to bloom two weeks Continuing its commitment to helping young Americans
before the event, in the final stages of peak bloom. After just out of college, the race teamed up with the RRCA to
Sam Chelanga broke a 27-year drought for an American offer a special $1,200 purse to the top RRCA Roads Scholar
male winner, Stanley Kebenei made it two in a row for the grant recipient and RRCA RunPro Camp alumni. Abbabiya
Red, White and Blue with a surge after nine miles which Simbassa(RunPro) and Emma Bates (Roads Scholar) earned
brought him across the line in 46:35, good for a three- these awards. And yes, Ben Beach finished again for the 46
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second win over Kenyan James Kibet. Ethiopian Hiwot consecutive year.
Gebrekidan, only 21-years old, had an easier time winning
the women’s competition over country woman Buze Diriba
53:37 to 53:52. The 45 running celebration brought a host
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of past luminaries to town and two of them showed their
longevity with excellent finishes in their age groups. Kath-
rine Switzer, the first woman’s winner in 1973, captured the
women’s 70-74 divsion in 1:30:31 and four-time winner Bill
Rodgers clocked 1:19:15 to place 7 in the men’s 65-69 divi-
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sion. Of course Ben Beach kept his streak going as the only
runner to have finished all 45 editions with a time 1:34:18.
Beach completed his 50 Boston Marathon in a row just
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over two weeks later. Joan Samuelson, the 1984 Olympic
gold medalist in the inaugural women’s marathon, showed
her excellence remains some 33 years after her win in Los
Angeles by setting an American women’s 55-59 age group
mark of 1:03:55. In keeping with the five-year anniversary
tradition of offering (I would have won this race in 1973)
mugs to all runners who ran faster than Sam Bair’s and
Switzer’s winning times of 51:12 and 1:11:19, the organizers
handed out mugs to 36 men and 218 women. After years
of being held on the Washington Monument Grounds at
the conclusion of the 10 mile, the Kids Run was moved to
Saturday and held in conjunction with the Health and Fit-
ness Expo. The change was well received. Longtime Volun-
teer Coordinator Michelle Carter won the third Les Kinion
award for outstanding service to the event.

2018 (April 7)
Dubbed “Our Championship Year,” the 2018 race hosted
both the PRRO Circuit Championship and the RRCA
National 10 Mile Championship held in conjunction with
the RRCA’s 60th Annual Convention held in Washington,
DC. The PRRO Championship which rotates among the
PRRO Circuit races, was being held at the race for the first
time. Winners of the other PRRO Circuit Events can earn
the $10,000 PRRO “Super Bonus” by winning the Champi-
onship as well. Ethiopian Buze Diriba did exactly that and
pocketed $18,000 for winning – $10,000 from PRRO and
$8,000 from the Credit Union Cherry Blossom with a time
of 53:45. On the men’s side Ethiopian Jemal Yimer picked
up $2,500 in PRRO cash since he had not won another

2019 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Media Guide 63