KIMbia Athletics

Fasil Bizuneh popped his marathon PB in New York at the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2007 — that despite a go-for-broke approach in which he raced aggressively and went after a spot on the Olympic Team.  Now the Arizona State grad returns to New York to take a crack at the traditional NYC course and a very, very tough field, albeit with what he calls a “more measured approach.”  He took some time to answer a couple of pre-race questions and preview NYC.

Your marathon PB came in New York at the Olympic Trials in 2007. Although 13th place may not have been exactly what you were hoping for, you stuck your nose in that race for as long as possible and raced commendably.  How will that NYC experience affect or inform your approach to Sunday?

One of the issues that affected me at the Olympic Trials race in 2007 was and injury that I was dealing with the four weeks leading up to the race.  Fortunately my training for this year’s NYC Marathon has gone off without a hitch and I am excited for my prospects on Sunday.  With the Olympic Trials, I had an all or nothing mentality. If I couldn’t be in the Top 3, then it really didn’t matter what place I got.  For Sunday’s race, I will use a much more measured approach.  Therefore, I should cross into Manhattan at 20 miles with plenty of run left in my legs. Read the full article

KIMbia’s Sean Quigley returned to his high school stomping grounds on Sunday and was able to score a familiar result.  Quigley, a Massachusetts native, won the 20th annual Mayor’s Cup 8k Cross Country Championship over a strong field in Boston’s Franklin Park, the same place he won a state championship as a senior at Archbishop Williams High in 2002.  Quigley clocked a 23:54 to edge out second place Jacob Korir by one second.  Third place Andrew Ledwith was close behind in 23:57.

Racing in a lead group of five early on in the race, Quigley and Korir seperated themselves on the final loop of the 8k course.  Despite not leading once the whole race as the duo approached the finish line, Quigley laid down a perfectly timed sprint finish to gain a decisive one second lead as he broke the tape.

Perhaps the biggest win of 24 year old Sean Quigley’s young career, the Mayor’s Cup 8k is by far the most prestigious all-comers cross country race in the nation.  For his effort, Quigley earned a total of $900 in prize money between being the overall winner and top American finisher.

Full results for the Mayor’s Cup can be found here.

Eight years is a pretty good lifespan for a parakeet, a computer, and a winning streak. In defending his 10k National Title on the roads of Toronto, Simon Bairu remained undefeated in Canadian Road or Cross Country National Championships since 2001. Contended in conjunction with the Oasis ZooRun, Bairu won in a largely solo effort, clocking 29:48 to miss the course record by just seven seconds. Read the full article

Select shots featuring KIMbia athletes racing in the 2009 Chicago Marathon. Race recap here.

Though young and with nary a marathon to his name, KIMbia’s Charles Munyeki showed no hesitation to mix it up with the world’s finest in Sunday’s Chicago Marathon.  At the halfway point, the lead pack consisted of Vincent Kipruto (PB 2:05:47) Sammy Wanjiru (PB 2:05:10 and possessor of the marathon Gold from the Beijing Olympics) and Munyeki.  The pace was just a handful of seconds away from World Record pace, at 62:00.

Yet Munyeki didn’t flinch until 35k, when the pre-race favorite Wanjiru broke things open.  In his debut at the distance, Munyeki would come home in 2:07:06, having held on for 4th, as standout Abderrahim Goumri made a late charge from 4th all the way into 2nd.  Ben Maiyo, 2nd here in 2005, took 11th with 2:16:38, after attempting the very tough early pace.

Check back Tuesday for a full gallery of photos from the race!

Jason Hartmann delivered what could well be the breakout marathon performance of his career, winning the Twin Cities Marathon in a massive PB of 2:12:09 on Sunday.  Hartmann took the victory with a margin of almost one minute, as a trio of Kenyans, led by Augustus Mbusya in 2:13:03, took places two, three, and four. Although Hartmann’s potential in the marathon had been suggested by his 10th Place showing in the 2007 Olympic Marathon Trials — a 2:15:27 clocking on a hilly course — Sunday’s race marks his first major road win, and makes him the 4th-fastest American of 2009, behind only Olympians Keflezighi, Hall, and Ritzenhein.  In the past three years, only those men, and Olympian Brian Sell have run faster.

Full results can be found here.  Check back at the end of this week for a Q&A with Jason!