JEFF EGGLESTON (RIGHT) WON THE 2010 MEDVED LILAC 10KM (PHOTO/ ERIC BOYCE)
Defending champions Maegan Krifchin of Syracuse, NY and Kip Tisia now living in Cleveland, NY, both members of Stotan Racing are set to try and defend their overall Medved Lilac 10km title and their USATF Niagara 10km crowns.
Krifchin, who is coming off of running a 16:18 5km last week at the Virginia Challenge, is actually seeking her third straight USATF Niagara 10km title, with a win on Sunday.
In 2011 Krifchin was edged out for the overall win by Salome Kosgei who won with a time of 35:47. Krifchin was able to obtain Lilac glory last year, cruising to a 34:22 victory.
A Challenge for Krifchin on Sunday could come from Hirut Guangul, an Ethiopian runner living in New York City. Guangul raced against Krifchin at the Go! St. Louis Half Marathon on April 7, where Guangul finished 4th overall for women with a time of 1:13:04. Krifchin finished 6th with a time of 1:14:36. Guangul, who makes a living traveling to city to city to run races to earn money recently finished 2nd at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon on May 5, finishing with a time of 2:38:05.
USATF Niagara also will welcome back 2010 USATF Niagara 10km Champion Laurel Leone (Burdick) on Sunday. In 2010, Leone finished 2nd overall with a time of 34:56 and recently finished 2nd overall for women with a time of 1:00:14 at the Mountain Goat 10mile. Other women contenders on Sunday will be Lynn Youngman of Scottsville, NY, who recently won the Flower City Half Marathon, which hosted the USATF Niagara Championships with a time of 1:19:34. Dana Buchanan of Rochester, NY, who is a former Canadian Steeplechase National Champion. Trisha Byler of Rochester, NY who has a personal best in the 5km of 17:16, which she ran in 2011 at the Bergen 5km, and Karen Blodgett who finished 4th last year at the Medved Lilac 10km with a time of 37:47. On the Men’s side of the race, Kip Tisia of Cleveland, NY, the 2013 USATF Niagara Half Marathon Champion and 2012 Medved Lilac 10km/USATF Niagara 10km Champion, is the local favorite going into Sunday’s race. Tisia, a native of Kenya, dominated last year’s race by winning with a time of 30:20. Like Krifchin, Tisia could be challenged by an Ethiopian. Demesse Tefera, who resides in New York City, has registered for Sunday’s Lilac 10km. Tefera, 31, captured the Joe Kleineman 10km, a race in Central Park in a time of 30:31 back on January 5. African distance runners have dominated the Lilac 10km in recent years. Five of the last six winners have either been Kenyan or Ethiopian. Jeff Eggleston, a native of Rochester, NY, living in Flagstaff, AZ at the time, has been the only American winner in the past six years. Eggleston won in 2010 in impressive fashion with a time of 30:09. Other contenders for Sunday’s race trying to disrupt the African dominance will be Andrew Foxenberg of Chittenango, NY. Last time, Foxenberg raced in Rochester he ran 24:44, as he finished 2nd at the Johnny’s Running of the Green 5mile. Foxenberg is also coming off an impressive performance at the Blue Cross Board Street 10mile in Philadelphia, PA, finishing with a time of 49:29.
Fred Joslyn, a 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier, is also entered for Sunday. Joslyn, making his third appearance at the Medved Lilac 10km, had his best finish last year by finishing 6th with a time of 31:54.
Tim Chichester of Mount Morris, NY was last year’s Medved Lilac 10km runner up finishing with a time of 30:49. Chichester recently finished 2nd at the USATF Niagara Half Marathon Championships with a time of 1:08:32.
Rounding out the main contenders for Sunday’s 10km is William Way of Ithaca, NY, who finished 6th at the USATF Niagara Half Marathon Championships with a time of 1:10:22, also has run sub 31 minutes for a 10km on the track.
Patrick Geoghagen of Syracuse, NY, finished 5th at the USATF Niagara Half Marathon Championships with a time of 1:09:51 also has a personal best in the 10km with a time of 30:05. Chris Burke of Tully, NY last weekend finished 3rd at the Boston Twilight 5km with a time of 14:44. Eddie Novora of Angola, NY, has a personal best in the 10km with a time of 29:33. Chip O’Hara of Auburn, NY, who recently finished third at the Hilly Mountain Goat 10 mile race with a time of 53:23. Jacob Krolick of Arcade, NY, recently ran the Mt Sac Relays 10km in the time of 30:37. Seth Yernye of Derby, NY, recently ran 15:02 for 5km at the Bucknell Invite.
In the masters division Kevin Collins who ran 32:01 at last year’s Lilac 10km and recently won the USATF Masters National 10km Championships will contend against Derick Jones of Henrietta, NY, the 2013 USATF Niagara Half Marathon Champion, and Jim Derick of Big Flats, who at the age of 47, ran 15:56 at the 2012 Chris Thater 5km.
In addition to the individual prize money that the Medved Lilac 10km and USATF Niagara Championship offer there will be a team competition. The Syracuse Track Club, Stotan Racing, and Genesee Valley Harriers will have five men each on a team completing for the USATF Niagara team title crown. In the Women’s team competition the Genesee Valley Harriers will battle the Brockport Distant Project team. Last Year the Syracuse Track Club Men and the Brockport Distant Project Women won the Open team titles.