TWO-TIME DEFENDING CHAMPION KOSGEI TO RETURN TO CRAZY 8'S 8-K
By David Monti
(c) 2012 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission.

(06-Jul) -- Organizers of the Indian Path Medical Center & CrestPoint Health Crazy 8s 8-K Run, scheduled for Saturday night, July 14, in Kingsport, Tenn., have announced that two-time defending champion Shadrack Kosgei plans to compete again this year.

Kosgei, 27, from Kenya, clocked 22:21.3 at last year's contest, held on a USATF-certified figure-8 course, slightly faster than his 2010 winning time of 22:26.5.   Only Peter Githuka, who set the course and ARRS world record of 22:02.2 in 1996, has won the race two times, also.  Nobody has won three.

"Shadrack is one of the all-time greats at Crazy 8's," said co-event director Hank Brown through a statement.  "He could make history if he three-peats.  Nobody has ever done that."

Six of the top-8 male finishers from last year will also be competing, Brown said, including second place Simon Ndirangu, the 2007 Crazy 8's champion.  The other top competitor is Morocco's Ahmed Baday.

"The field is stacked this year," Brown said.

This unique race is held at night, beginning at 10:08 p.m., and the course is lit by candle luminaries, and last year's event had 2290 finishers.  Should the winner break Githuka's record, he will be presented with a check for $10,008.

"It's going to be fun to watch," concluded Brown.

ENDS