by Larry Eder
Simon Bairu, en route to Canadian Record for 10,000m, May 1, 2010,
Payton Jordan Invite, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Amy Yoder Begley and Simon Bairu lead the 32,427 finishers on the 8 kilometer course on Sunday, April 10. Congrats to all who ran or walked the race this year!
Amy Yoder Begley and Simon Bairu Lead Largest Field in Event History
to Win 32nd Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K
CHICAGO – U.S. Olympian Amy Yoder
Begley and Canadian national record holder Simon Bairu, outran the
largest field in Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K history today
posting wins in the 32nd edition of the iconic Chicago road race. An
event-record field of 32,427 runners followed the champions across the
finish line to officially kick off the outdoor running season to Chicago
amid 70-degree weather.
Begley, a native of Kendallville, Ind., crossed the finish line in
26:50, the fastest women’s time since 2006. Shortly after her Chicago
racing debut Begley said, “Rebounding from Achilles surgery last year to
win the 2011 Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle in my return to the
Midwest is extremely rewarding. It’s a great test for my fitness as I
prepare for the USA Track & Field Championships in June.”
Begley is a six-time U.S. national champion and a member of the 2008
U.S. Olympic Team in the 10,000 meters. She was a 15-time NCAA
All-American and two-time NCAA champion at the University of Arkansas,
and is currently a member of the Nike Oregon Project based in Portland,
Ore., which aims to prepare American athletes for Olympic success.
Bairu, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, broke the
finish line tape in 23:38 in his Chicago racing debut, bettering last
year’s men’s winner (John Kemboi of Keyna) by one second. Following his
finish, Bairu reflected on his finish by saying, “I couldn’t think of a
better way to kick off my competitive running season than to have won
the 2011 Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K. It’s such a fast, flat
race course and it feels great to post a win at an event I’ve long
admired.”
Bairu was a two-time NCAA cross-country champion and three-time Big
Ten cross-country champion. Last spring, he set the Canadian national
record in the 10,000 meters, making him a front-runner for the 2012
Canadian Olympic Team. He is currently a member of Nike’s Oregon Track
Club based in Portland, Ore.
For the third-consecutive year, the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle
8K featured an Elite Club Competition for USA Track & Field
(USATF)-member running clubs. Both winning teams from last year repeated
as champions. Wisconsin Runner Racing Team (Racine, WI) placed first
for the men and Runablaze Iowa (Des Moines, IA) ranked first among the
women, each repeating as champions. Tyler Sigl, Scott Mueller, Matt
Thull and Eamon McKenna posted a joint time of 1:38:54. Erin Moeller,
Casey Owens and Ellen Ries posted a combined 1:26:45 finish time to
place first for the women.
“Today’s Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle reflected the spirit of
Chicago,” said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. “With a record
field and two great champions in Amy and Simon, we kicked off the
outdoor running and fundraising seasons in a big way.”
About the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K
Long recognized as an annual rite of spring and the kick-off to
the outdoor running and fundraising season in Chicago, the Bank of
America Shamrock Shuffle 8K takes runners on a scenic tour of downtown
Chicago, starting and finishing in Grant Park. The race began at
the intersection of Columbus Drive and Monroe Street at 9 a.m. and
concluded with live musical entertainment at the traditional Post-Race
Party in Grant Park.
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