WASHINGTON –With great weather on both coasts, Credit Union Miracle Day presented a $580,485 donation to Children’s Miracle Network yesterday from the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run and the Credit Union SacTown Run in Sacramento Calif.
A third race, the Freedom Run at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait took place yesterday as well, with sponsorship from the Defense Credit Union Council, while a fourth race will take place Wiesbaden Army Garrison in Germany on April 15, sponsored by Andrews FCU.
Since credit unions became the title sponsors in 2002, over $8 million has been donated to CMNHs nationwide.
On a sunny day at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, the first male finisher and first American male was 27 year-old Stanley Kebenei, from Oakland, Calif., who finished in 46:36 (24 seconds away from breaking the longstanding American record of 46:13). The first female was 21-year-old Hiwot Gebrekidan from Ethopia in 53:37.
At the Credit Union SacTown Run in Sacramento, the top male runner was Aaron Braun of Arizona in 49:07. The top female runner was Jane Kibii of Kenya (who trains in Auburn, Calif.) who came in at 55:49.
In all, some 198 members of Congress had signed on as honorary race chairs of the events, representing 44 states, American Samoa, D.C. and Guam.
16th Year of Sponsorship
“We are thrilled to be in our 16th year of title sponsorship of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run and the Family of Races to help the kids at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals,” said Theresa Mann, chair of Credit Union Miracle Day. “These are amazing events that credit unions and their business partners nationwide have enthusiastically united to be part of.”
“A big shout out to our co-lead partners, CUNA Mutual Group and PSCU, and the hundreds of credit union volunteers who enjoy helping on race weekend,” added John Bratsakis, chair of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Race Committee and president and CEO of the MD|DC Credit Union Association. “We are very pleased to have nearly 200 Members of Congress supporting the race benefitting our local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.”
Congressional FCU and United States Senate FCU again co-sponsored the annual Cherry Blossom Capitol Hill Competition, the race within the larger Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run. House and Senate offices form teams to compete for the Capitol Hill Cup. The team with the best race time wins the cup to display in its office. Nearly 600 congressional staffers ran in what’s known as the “Runner’s Rite of Spring.”
In the 7th annual SacTown Run at the State Capitol, more than 1,700 participated in the event which features a 10-mile race, the UC Davis Children’s Hospital Miracle Mile fun run and fitness walk, and a 5K. More than one-half the runners were credit union staff and members. Nearly $200,000 was raised by California and Nevada credit unions.
“The involvement of California and Nevada credit unions in the SacTown run event for the past six years really highlights our mission of changing people’s lives,” said Diana Dykstra, president and CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues. “We are pleased to join the Sacramento Running Association once again in hosting such a wonderful event.
New this year was the “Homemade-Half Challenge,” for those interested in running a half-marathon. Runners could run in both the 5K (in less than 40 minutes) and the 10-miler—which adds up to the equivalent of a half-marathon.
The 2017 Run—hosted by the Sacramento Running Association—serves as the Pacific Association 10-Mile Championship.
Racer Talks Strategy
In the Cherry Blossom Run, Kebenei, 27 from Oakland, Calif., made a late-breaking move in the final quarter mile of the race to win. Kebenei, who was born in Kenya, and became a U.S. citizen in 2014, bested Kenyan James Kibet—46:35 to 46:39—after trailing his rival for much of the tenth mile. Just as he did at last weekend’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships, during the opening miles, Kebenei led the frontpack, but ultimately decided to let others press the pace instead.
Discussing his strategy in post-race interviews, Kibeni said: “If I go, these guys will finish me. I had to be smart. Sometimes you have to test the race; you want to know who is strong and who is ready to go.”
Kebenei took home a total of $13,000 in prize money for his effort—$8,000 for the overall victory and $5,000 for being the first American, while Kibet won $4,000. The third-place finisher was Ethiopian
For as close as the men’s race was, the women’s top-ten saw big gaps separate all but the fourth and fifth place runners. Gebrekidan threw down the gauntlet at seven miles, and ran away from the field to win $8,000, race officials said. Last year’s second place finisher, Ethiopian Buze Diriba, placed second again, in a time of 53:52 to win $4,000. Rounding out the women’s top-ten were: Kenyan Gladys Kipsoi (54:36) who won $2,000; the 2014 winner from Ethiopia, Mamitu Daska (54:45), who won $1,500; Karolina Nadolska, from Poland, who closely followed Daska in 54:48 to win $1,000; Ethiopian Firehiwot Dado Tufa, who won $900 for her 55:16 effort; first American Tara Welling (55:34) who took home a total of $5,800 ($800 for seventh place, $5,000 in developmental funds); Nancy Nzisa, from Kenya, (55:57) who won $700; second American woman Hannah Davidson (55:59), who won $3,100 total ($600 and $2,500); and 10th overall and third American Susanna Sullivan (56:12), who won $2,000 ($500 and $1,500).
American developmental prize money was also paid to: Katie Kellner (57:27), in the amount of $1,000; Mary Dell (57:35) who won $800; Ashley Brasovan (57:41) who won $600; Nicolette Mateescu (58:02) who won $400; Katheryne Potter, who also ran 58:02 ($300); top local runner Julia Roman-Duval, from Columbia, Md., who won $200; and another local runner from Washington, DC, Kerry Allen (58:49) who took home $200.
Other Notable Finishers
Other notable finishers included 59-year-old Olympic Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, who won the 55-59 year-old age group in a time of 1:03:55, a new age group record; the women’s winner of the first Cherry Blossom Run in 1973, Kathrine Switzer, who also won her age group (70-74) in a time of 1:30:31; 40-year-old, 2004 Olympian, Carrie Tollefson, yet another age group winner (40-44) in a time of 1:04:48; four-time winner Bill Rodgers, who placed second in the 70-74 age group in 1:19:15; and 67-year Ben Beach, who has now finished every Cherry Blossom Run—45 in all—this time running 1:34:18.
Over 27,000 runners submitted applications to participate in the 2017 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile and 5K Run-Walk, and the list of accepted runners represents all 50 states and 14 foreign countries. The event is limited to 16,000 finishers by the National Park Service.
Complete, searchable results for both the 10-mile and 5K events are available at www.CherryBlossom.org.
A short highlight video can be found at facebook.com/RunningandRacing