May 21, 2014
For immediate release
Conley sets personal best as she tests 10,000 waters
Shadrack Biwott, the 2013 USA Running Circuit champion, delivered a pair of strong performances and 2012 Olympian Kim Conley recorded a personal best to highlight a recent series of strong efforts by Sacramento Running Association athletes.
Folsom’s Biwott followed up a seventh-place finish at the 12k Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane, Wash. (35:19) with a second-place effort at the USA 25k Championships in Grand Rapids, Mich. (1:14:30). Winner Christo Landry tied the American record with a 1:14:18 clocking.
“For awhile, he (Biwott) wasn’t sure where his fitness was,” said SRA Technical Director Kevin Pool, who manages the SRA Elite Team. “He took a lot of confidence from that (Bloomsday) race.”
Biwott plans to run in the Rock ‘N’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon on June 1.
West Sacramento’s Conley, meanwhile, continued her march toward the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, set for June 26-29 at Sacramento State, by setting a personal best of 31:48 in the 10,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational.
Conley, an Olympian in the 5,000 meters two years ago and a former UC Davis standout, continues to test the longer distance and plans to race in the 10,000 next month in Sacramento.
The SRA’s Dominique Jackson ran a season-best 2:05:26 in the women’s 800 meters at the USF Last Chance Meet and is pushing to land a spot in the USA Outdoor field. JK Withers delivered a personal best of 3:46.82 in the 1,500 at the Oxy Invite.
Jane Kibii, another SRA standout, won the Pacific Association 5k in Portola Valley and teammate Tori Tyler finished third, helping the SRA women to the team title and keeping them in first place in the overall road series.
The SRA’s Anthony Solis won the men’s race and Anthony Costales placed third. The SRA men’s team is third in the Pacific Association road racing standings.
“We’re doing better than we ever have,” Pool said of the team’s regional performance.
The Sacramento Running Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding ways to encourage people of all ages and abilities to run. The SRA is committed to developing new, quality running events that appeal to a broad variety of runners.