BLOOMSDAY ADDS USA-ONLY PRIZE MONEY
By David Monti
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
Lilac Bloomsday Run 12k
Organizers
of the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12-K in Spokane, Wash., have added USA-only
prize money to the 2009 edition of their event in an effort to attract
and reward home country athletes. The additional $20,000 in prize
money set aside for American citizens brings their total purse to
$93,000, one of the largest of any non-marathon road race in the United
States.
"Bloomsday's decision to increase the elite athlete
purse shows its continued commitment to competitive distance running,
both in the United States and internationally," said Bloomsday elite
athlete coordinator Jon Neill in a prepared statement. "We're hopeful
the American purse will draw top U.S. runners to Spokane and show that
they can compete with the world's best."
Like most of the top
road races in the United States which invite international fields,
Bloomsday hasn't seen an American men's champion in a long time. The
last American man to win Bloomsday was Jon Sinclair in 1986, while men
from Kenya have won the last 15 editions of race. On the women's side,
Colleen De Reuck was the last USA champion in 2002.
Race
director Don Kardong has made sure the USA prize money will be fairly
earned, however. In order to be eligibe for a home country award, an
American athlete must finish in the top-25 overall. Also, the USA
awards will be cumulative with open prizes, meaning that an American
champion would earn a total payday of $12,000 ($7,000 open award plus
$5,000 USA award). USA prize money will be paid five-deep, equal for
men and women: $5,000-2,500-1,250-750-500.
Held the first Sunday
in May, the race is also one of America's largest. Last year's
edition, the 32nd, recorded 43,629 finishers, and the race has seen
nearly 1.3 million finishers since its inception in 1977.