7-10-07
Kingsport, TN
The Indian Path Medical Center & SunTrust Bank Crazy 8s 8k Run received good news today with the addition of Kenyan superstar Simon Ndirangu to the elite field. A small army of talented Kenyan distance runners will join Ndirangu Saturday night, July 14th on the candle-lit streets of Kingsport. They will all battle for a common goal – The Gastroenterology Associates $5000 Dash For The Gold for the 1st male finisher, plus the Regional Eye Center $10,008 World Record Bonus.
No less than 20 men from the running mecca of Kenya will glide around the figure-8 course headlined by Ndirangu, Nicholas Kamakya, Peter Kamais, Luke Kipkosgei, Patrick Nthiwa, Josphat Boit, and previous commitment Linus Maiyo. Ndirangu might be the cream of the crop, with 2 major road race victories this spring – the Carlsbad 5000 meters in California and the Uptown 8k in Dallas. He also ran an eye-popping 27:39 10,000 meters at the Cardinal Invitational on the Stanford track, which would translate to about 22 minutes for 8k. Peter Githuka set the standing world record of 22:03 at Crazy 8s in 1996.
"We're excited about Simon," said co-event director and elite athlete recruiter Hank Brown. "He's probably the best we've seen here in a few years, and a legitimate contender to break the record. And he'll have plenty of friends to keep him company."
Kamakya might be Ndirangu's closest companion. He recently finished 3rd at the Peachtree Road Race, and followed that up with a huge win at the Utica Boilermaker 15k on Sunday. Kamais shadowed Kamakya at Peachtree (6th) and Utica (2nd).
At 31 years of age, Kipkosgei is a veteran of the world athletics scene. His illustrious career includes a gold medal at the 1998 Goodwill games 5000 meters, and a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships 3000 meter steeplechase. He has clocked 3:56 in the mile, sub-13 minutes for 5000 meters and 27:12 for 10,000 meters.
Nthiwa is no stranger to Kingsport, winning Crazy 8s in 2002, and finishing 2nd in 2003. Boit is very dangerous with his 2 NCAA titles and 27:47 10,000 meters.
"Things have really picked up the past few days," said Brown. "I've received a flurry of emails from agents and athletes. We'll probably host about 70 elites this year, which is by far the largest group we've ever had at Crazy 8s. They all want to run Crazy 8s!"
"We're going to see one heck of a lead pack," said co-event director Tyler Hobbs. "We'd love to see a new record set inside J. Fred Johnson Stadium."
For more information on Crazy 8s visit www.crazy8s.org. You can register at the Fun Fest Store or most sponsor locations.
Sponsors for the 2007 Crazy 8s 8k Run are Indian Path Medical Center, SunTrust Bank, The Regional Eye Center, Holston Medical Group, Cardiovascular Associates, Gastroenterology Associates, Bill Gatton Honda, Lively State Farm, Eastman Credit Union, Blue Ridge OB/Gyn, McDonald's of Greater Kingsport, United Way of Greater Kingsport, REACH!, Americourt Hotel, Foot Rx, Food City, Culligan, Charter Media, Oak Hill Cemetery, Citadel Broadcasting, and YMCA of Kingsport. VIP sponsors are Jon Mather, DDS, Mountain Region Family Medicine, Martin Dentistry, UBS Financial, and Celebration Church.
| Crazy 8s 8k Run |
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| Elite Athletes 2007 |
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| Males |
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| Name |
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| First | Last | Sex | Citizen | Bib # | Local Sponsor |
| Simon | Ndirangu | M | KEN | 1 | Holston Medical Group |
| Nicholas | Kamakya | M | KEN | 2 | UBS Financial |
| Josphat | Boit | M | KEN | 3 | Celebration Church |
| Peter | Kamais | M | KEN | 4 |
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| Karim | El Mabchour | M | MAR | 5 | Martin Dentistry |
| Luke | Kipkosgei | M | KEN | 6 | Jon Mather DDS |
| Patrick | Nthiwa | M | KEN | 7 | Celebration Church |
| Alene | Emere Reta | M | ETH | 8 | Martin Dentistry |
| Linus | Maiyo | M | KEN | 9 | Jon Mather DDS |
| Abera Ertiban | Temesegan | M | ETH | 10 | Mountain Region Family Medicine |
| John | Itati | M | KEN | 11 |
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| Haran | Lagat | M | KEN | 12 |
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| Chala | Lemei | M | ETH | 13 |
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| Soloman | Molla | M | ETH | 14 |
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| Wegayehu | Tefera | M | ETH | 15 |
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| Dagne | Alemu | M | ETH | 16 |
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| Demesse | Tefera | M | ETH | 17 |
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| Joshua | Kemei | M | KEN | 18 |
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| Ernest | Kimeli | M | KEN | 19 |
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| Matt | Thull | M | WI | 20 |
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| Bryan | Lindsay | M | KY | 21 |
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| Evans | Kiptoo | M | KEN | 22 |
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| Samuel | Kosgei | M | KEN | 23 |
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| David | Langat | M | KEN | 24 |
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| Samuel | Rotich | M | KEN | 25 |
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| Christopher | Rutto | M | KEN | 26 |
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| Jason | Hartmann | M |
| 27 |
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| Rob | Duncan | M | KS | 28 |
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| Sammy | Malakwen | M | KEN | 29 |
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| Joseph | Chirlee | M | KEN | 30 |
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| Ronald | Kurui | M | KEN | 31 |
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| Gideon | Talam | M | KEN | 32 |
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| Brian | Morseman | M |
| 33 |
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| Thomas | Palmer | M |
| 34 |
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| Justin | Young | M | MHRC | 35 |
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| Daniel | Kanyaruhuru | M | MHRC | 36 |
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| Sammy | Nyamongo | M | MHRC | 37 |
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| Joseph | Ngetich | M | KEN | 38 |
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| Michael | Delano | M | VA | 39 |
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| George | Ondimu | M | KEN | 40 |
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| Orinthal | Striggles | M | SC | 41 |
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Females |
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| Name |
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| First | Last | Sex | Citizen | Bib # | Local Sponsor |
| Luminta | Talpos | F | ROM | 51 | Jon Mather DDS |
| Alemtsehay | Misganaw | F | ETH | 52 | Martin Dentistry |
| Neriah | Asiba | F | KEN | 53 | Celebration Church |
| Magdalene | Mukunzi | F | KEN | 54 | UBS Financial |
| Belainesh | Gebre | F | ETH | 55 | Mountain Region Family Medicine |
| Olga | Kimaiyo | F | KEN | 56 | Holston Medical Group |
| Gladys | Asiba | F | KEN | 57 | Holston Medical Group |
| Caroline | Chepkorir | F | KEN | 58 | Mountain Region Family Medicine |
| Caroline | Cheptanui | F | KEN | 59 | UBS Financial |
| Lisa | Pratt | F | UT | 60 |
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| Bethanie | Brewster | F | WI | 61 |
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| Aziza | Aliyu | F | ETH | 62 |
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| Meskerem | Legesse | F | ETH | 63 |
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| Yimenashu | Taye | F | ETH | 64 |
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| Mercy | Cheburet | F | KEN | 65 |
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| Joyce | Chematui | F | KEN | 66 |
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| Caroline | Cretti | F | ZAP | 67 |
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| Allison | Grace | F | ZAP | 68 |
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| Pamela | Kipchonge | F | KEN | 69 |
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| Kathy | Newberry | F | VA | 70 |
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| Angelina | Mutuku | F | KEN | 71 |
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| Stephanie | Herbst-Lucke | F |
| 72 |
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| Natalie | Hughes | F | TN | 73 |
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| Cheryl | Anderson | F | VA | 74 |
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| Lauren | Young | F | MHRC | 75 |
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| Amanda | Tate | F | TN | 76 |
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| Petra | Staskova | F | MHRC | 77 |
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| Terre | Stouffer | F | TN | 78 |
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