Kenyan runners set to return for Ten Mile Road Race

The Kenyans are coming back.

Gilbert Kiptoo, who took the men’s side in the Firefighter’s Ten Mile Road Race in 2010, and Phillip Kipchumba, who finished third and later went on to win the inaugural Thunder Bay Marathon last summer, are both expected to be in the field on May 23 for the start of the 2011 event.

That suits five-time champion Jon Balabuck just fine.

“That really highlights the event,” he said Tuesday, at a news conference outlining the latest edition of the race, a staple on the local running calendar since 1910. “It just adds a little more spice to the event itself.

Jokingly, Balabuck, who finished an uncharacteristically low ninth in 2010, said he’s going to rely on Mother Nature to slow down the Africans.

“Yeah, we hope it’s really cold out,” he said, chuckling. “That’s the only thing we’re hoping for if there’s a whole pile of Kenyans coming out. It just kind of puts everything in perspective, knowing there is someone going to be chomping at your heels, or someone you’re going to be looking at for the whole race,” Balabuck said.

Competition aside, the event, which will be featured in an upcoming Harper-Collins book detailing the best road races the world has to offer, has evolved into a family affair, which is why it’s remained so popular, Balabuck said.

“There are tons of spectators and anyone can toe the line and have a great day and a great experience. And that’s what the Ten Mile Road Race has really developed into,” said Balabuck, a firefighter who once donated a kidney to help save his mother’s life.

“That’s what makes it a marquee event. If you look at all the big events in North America, they have those two components. They have a very high competitive field, but they also have the big base of participation. That’s what the Ten Mile Road Race has developed into,” he said.

“Now it’s on par with the bigger marathons and on par with the bigger events. That’s what makes it such a great day.”

Race director Mark Smith said there aren’t many races around the world that date back as far as this one, and it’s perhaps the oldest of its distance in Canada, if not North America.
While it started out solely aimed at elite runners, it’s morphed into a more inclusive event, one that drew 1,013 athletes to the start line in 2010.

The race’s history and distance are both key elements of its appeal.

“Ten miles is a serious distance that seriously challenges the runners,” Smith said. “And I think the third thing is the amount of community support and involvement. It’s just incredible how the route is lined by members of the public who come out to cheer on friends and family. It’s just great.”

Adding to the incentive is prize money. First introduced in the male and female open category a year ago, the cash bonuses have been extended this year to different age categories, and will include winnings for the top Northwestern Ontario male and female racers.

Overall first place is worth $1,000, second place earns $600 and the third-place finisher gets $400.

Registration can be done online at http://www.10mileroadrace.org or at Fresh Air Experience. The deadline is May 18.

Race kits can be picked up beginning May 18, through May 22. Unlike previous years, there will be no kit pick-ups on race day.