Assefa, Deba Complete Ethiopian Sweep At Bloomsday
Spokane, Washington – Belete Assefa, 22, of Ethiopa used a huge kick at the end to win the elite men’s race at Bloomsday.
Assefa became the first Ethiopian to win Bloomsday. Nearing the seven-mile mark, though, Assefa was trailing Emmanuel Bett of Kenya, before he turned on the jets and won the race with a comfortable lead.
Women’s Race
Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia won the elite women’s race, as the 25-year-old opened a comfortable lead midway through the course and crossed the finish line in an unofficial time of 39:52 without being contested.
The Lilac Bloomsday Run, also known as Bloomsday, is an annual timed road race in Spokane, Washington, held on the first Sunday of every May since 1977. The course is 12 km (7.46 mi) long. The course starts in Downtown Spokane and heads northwest along the far west end of town, passes by Mukogowa Ft. Wright Institute and Spokane Falls Community College before heading up “Doomsday Hill” and back downtown to the Spokane County Court House.
Athletes’ Stats:
Belete Assefa . . . 22 . . . Ethiopia . . . Champion 2011 Crescent City Classic 10k (28:14) . . . Champion 2011 Bolder Boulder 10k (29:22) . . . 12th place finish 2013 Hy-Vee Drake Relays Half Marathon (1:05:55) .
Buzunesh Deba . . . 25 . . . Ethiopia . . . 2nd place finish 2011 NYC Marathon (2:23:19) . . . Since 2009 she has won the following marathons: California International, San Diego, Los Angeles, Grandma’s Marathon, and the Twin Cities Marathon . . . 4th place finish Bloomsday 2011 (40:29) . . .
Source: khq.com & Wikipedia
