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

The conclusion of the World Athletics Final means that the 2009 track and field season has come to a close for us.  We saw many terrific performances, as our thirteen athletes who hit the track turned in a total of fourteen personal best performances, and with KIMbia talents collecting six top-five finishes in the 5000m and 10,000m races at the US National Championships — including four spots on the American World Championship team.  In particular, we were proud to dominate the Men’s 5000m in Eugene, with five runners in the top nine, and to see OTC member Matt Tegenkamp join one of the most exclusive clubs in US distance running, by going under 13-minutes in the 5000m with his 12:58.56 clocking on a chilly night in Brussels.

If you have questions for any of the members of Team KIMbia about this 2009 season,  please send them to questions[AT]kimbia[DOT]net or post them in the comments below!  If you need a quick refresher on some of the performances from the season, check the athlete bio pages or our race recaps, below.  Make sure you get your questions in by the end of the day Tuesday, September 22! Read the full article

As many American track fans caught their breath on a weekend falling between college conference and regional championship weekends, and professional track meets on each coast, KIMbia athletes still found themselves plenty busy in competition at several excellent, if less widely-covered, events.

With many KIMbia athletes making their States-side homes in Boulder, it was fitting to have so many of them run before the hometown crowd.  Each year, following an all-comers citizens’ race, the pros take to Boulder’s streets in a race scored by national affiliation, and, this year Millicent Gathoni — the defending champion — and Jane Gayunki led the Kenyan team, finishing 5th and 8th, respectively. In the men’s competition, KIMbia was represented on Team Kenya, Team USA, Team Commonwealth, and Team Colorado, with John Yuda our first finisher, notching a 3rd-place finish for Team Commonwealth.  Boulder-resident James Carney followed Yuda and was the first American finisher in 4th place. Other Top 10 finishes came from Gilbert Okari (6th) and Charles Munyeki (7th), both competing for Kenya.  Locally-based Jason Hartmann took 12th as a member of Team Colorado, and Fasil Bizuneh would represent Team USA in 15th. Read the full article

For the second time in just more than a month, Tim Nelson finished second at a national championship race with a thrilling last-minute sprint that almost netted him the win.

At February’s national cross country championships, Tim almost ran down a solo-running Meb Keflezighi. This morning, at the Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville, Fla., Tim surged strongly in the last 400 meters and almost caught Anthony Famiglietti, who led from the 5K mark. Fam held on to win in 43:36, with Tim finishing 1 second back. Fasil Bizuneh was next across the line with another strong run, running 43:52 to hold off Olympian Dan Browne. James Carney rounded out a closely packed top 10 with a 44:13 run.

Elva Dryer continued her promising Boston Marathon prep with a 4th-place finish in 50:40.

Top 10 results are here.

Lineth continued her impressive winter cross country campaign on Saturday, winning the women’s 8K race at the always highly competitive Kenyan Armed Forces Cross Country Championships in Nairobi. Representing Moi Air Base, Lineth ran 29:10 for the 8K course to easily turn back her closest pursuers, Penina Arusei (29:41) and former track world champion Sally Barsosio (29:50).

Meanwhile, in Houston this morning, Fasil Bizuneh ran a strong 1:02:40 to take sixth at the Houston Half Marathon, which served as the American championship. Despite running alone almost the entire way, Fasil was only 10 seconds off the personal best for the distance he set while placing at Houston two years ago.

Fasil was second this morning in Dallas, with Morocco’s Karim Elmabchour getting away from him only in the last 100 meters. In weather that Fasil described as “very windy!” the two ran 1:04:51 and 1:04:55. This year’s American marathon champion and Fasil’s former training partner, Fernando Cabada, was third in 1:05:19. Results of the half marathon are here.

James Koskei was unable to defend the marathon title he won in Dallas last year, finishing fifth this morning in the 26.2-miler. James was leading with less than 5K to go when, at an aid station, he was clipped from behind and knocked over. Results of the marathon are here.

Next up for Fasil will be the Houston Half Marathon in five weeks. He ran his PR of 1:02:20 there in 2007.

Lots of KIMbia folks in action over what for non-professional American runners is a holiday weekend.

First up, on Sunday Matt Tegenkamp and Chris Solinsky race 3,000m in Gateshead, England. You can watch the meet live online here, starting at 9:55 a.m. Eastern time.

On Monday, Elva Dryer, James Carney and Fasil Bizuneh will contend for the national 20K title in New Haven, Conn. Elva and James were second in last year’s race. Running Times will have live coverage here.

The same day, (much) further south, Jane Gakunyi, Richard Kiplagat and Luke Kipkosgei will race half as far at the U.S. 10K Classic in Atlanta, Ga. Luke and Richard were second and fourth, respectively, in last year’s race.

Richard Kiplagat and Fasil Bizuneh are among the elite field in Sunday’s NYC Half Marathon. Although he might not have the fastest half marathon personal best of the field, surely Richard will be the leading cat expert among the top finishers.

Fasil and Jason will be on hand for a question-and-answer session following the July 5 screening of the Running Film Festival, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon during the Olympic track trials. Jason and Fasil are among the subjects of Born To Run: A Tale of Endurance, which will be excerpted at the festival.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Eugene during the trials, come by and say hi. If you buy your tickets before June 15, you can win VIP passes and a massive flat-screen HDTV.

More info at the festival’s site. A trailer of trailers on the Running Times site.

Lots of fast times last night at Ridgemont High Stanford University. The KIMbia take:

Not sure why, but the men’s A 1500m race was split in two sections. Matt Tegenkamp won his section in 3:40.04 over, among others, Chris Lukezic. Chris Solinsky was in the other section and ran 3:43.59 in a race that Kevin Sullivan won in 3:39.75. Now, 3:43 might not seem all that impressive, but given that Chris fell during the race and got gashed up similar to last summer in Stockholm, we think it’s pretty darn good.

In the fast heat of the 5,000m, James Carney lowered his PR to 13:31.62 in his first track race of the year. Tim Nelson also ran well, posting a 13:38.78. Simon Bairu ran 13:46.75 in the same race.

Fasil Bizuneh won the glass-half-full/glass-half-empty award in the fast heat of the 10,000m. He smashed his former PR by running 27:50.48. But oh, that .48 of a second, as the Olympic A standard is 27:50.00.

Videos and full results here.