Doomsday decides matters

For two miles, the 29th Bloomsday belonged to Gilbert Okari.

For the final four, John Korir showed the form which won Bloomsday 2003, catching and blowing past Okari for a 13-second win, finishing the 12-kilometer (7.46 mile) course in 34:26.

Korir’s victory, which earned him the $7,000 top prize, came despite a surprising start by the long-legged Okari, who covered the first two miles in 8:34, the fastest two-mile split in Bloomsday history.

“He was pushing me,” said Korir, a 29-year-old Kenyan who finished 2004 as the second-ranked road racer by Running Times magazine and was considered the pre-race favorite. “I was surprised. He’s pretty tough.”

Okari flew down into Latah Creek all by himself with a 75-meter lead, but the 27-year-old Kenyan began to lose his huge advantage heading up Cemetery Hill, and by the three-mile mark, Korir was within six seconds.

“I tried to get out in front and stay there,” Okari said. “I had a fast second and third mile and tried to keep the distance.”

By the turn onto Fort George Wright Drive, it became apparent Korir was going to reel Okari in.

The two were shoulder-to-shoulder as they hit the four-mile mark past Spokane Falls Community College.

Okari and Korir stayed close throughout the downhill portion approaching Doomsday Hill, with 23-year-old Kenyan Julius Kibet making it a three-man race.

As Korir began to ascend the hill, he started to pull away, breaking into a two-step advantage which he stretched into a 6-8 second lead by the end of the climb.

“I saw that his pace was going down,” Korir said of Okari. “When I caught him I decided I better just go for it.”

Okari and Kibet fell behind, with Okari feeling the effects of a side stitch.

“I found that speed really high at the beginning,” Okari said. “I felt like I had a little stitch and couldn’t maintain it.”

Korir passed the 10K (6.2 mile) mark at 28:38, building a 75-meter lead over Kibet and Okari. He had a strong finish, breaking into a sprint at the end to complete the race eight seconds behind his 2003 time of 34:18.

Korir now has a shot at the $15,000 Triple Crown, which he could clinch with a win July 4 at the 10K Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta.

The first leg of the crown was the Cherry Blossom 10-mile, held in Washington D.C., won by Korir in 46:54. Okari finished fourth there, 22 seconds behind Korir.

Okari finished this Bloomsday second in 34:39, 13 seconds behind Korir, and Kibet was third with a time of 34:42.

Ernest Meli Kimeli, a 19-year-old Kenyan who finished third at the Cherry Blossom, came in fourth with a time of 35:04.

Defending champion Simon Wangai of Kenya fell into eighth place, finishing in 35:19, 20 seconds off his winning time last year, but well behind Korir this year.

Wangai stuck with the pack behind Okari for the first few miles, but trailed off after a side stitch hit him at Doomsday Hill.

“The weather was good,” Wangai said. “I would have had a good time. The stitch got me on Doomsday Hill, and they left me behind. I could have caught them if not for that.”

The top American was Brian Sell from Rochester, Mich., who finished ninth with a time of 35:27.