Friday Night at Rizzi's

“1, 2, 3, 4, can I have a little more?” Lennon/McCartney

Boulder Wave’s five invited women at today’s Steamboat Classic 4 Mile were not satisfied to take “only” the top four places, but made it a clean sweep of the top 5 places and the women’s prize money. The trio of Adriana Nelson (ASICS), Diane Nukuri Johnson (ASICS), and 2009 world championships marathon silver medalist Yoshimi Ozaki (adidas/Daiichi Life Insurance) quickly broke from the field and passed through the mile in 5:05. With Adriana heading the group, the three passed the mid-point at Glen Oak Park in about 10:23, and the half-way prime bonus of $500 went to Adriana. Shortly thereafter, Yoshimi slipped off the pace. Diane and Adriana came through 5K in 16:08, dead even. Diane began her surge after that, and used her former track speed to open up a five second margin at the finish on Peoria’s waterfront along the mighty Illinois River, taking the biggest road race win of her career so far in 20:41, almost a minute faster than her 7th-place result here last year.

Adriana also continued her vastly improved 2011 racing, taking 2nd in 20:46. Yoshimi came home third in 20:55, followed by Kiyoko Shimahara (Mizuno/Second Wind AC) in 21:55, and Fiona Docherty (ASICS), in her first race since an injury knocked her out of April’s Virgin London Marathon, earning 5th in 22:09.

On the men’s side, Josh Moen (Mizuno/Team USA Minnesota) came back from last week’s 6th-place finish at the US 8K Championship to take 5th in 18:22, with Justin Young right behind in 18:30 for 6th.