Musyoki Eases Up on Way to Title Defense

A year ago, if there was a major road race to be run, William Musyoki was there, running with impressive intensity.

Despite friends’ warnings that too much racing might lead to burnout, Musyoki continued to follow the call of the miles, inspired by constant improvement and lure from race directors.

It wasn’t until he finished first in last July’s Bastille Day 8K, with a time far from what he had hoped, that Musyoki admitted a change was needed in his race schedule.

Sunday at the Bastille Day 8K in Newport Beach, Musyoki will get an opportunity to show that he has learned his lesson.

The race offers $100,000 to any runner who can better the world’s 8K record. Alberto Salazar set the men’s record of 22 minutes 4 seconds in 1981, and the women’s record of 25:03 was set in 1986 by Norway’s Grete Waitz. Actually, half of the $100,000 bonus will be donated to the United Cerebral Palsy Assn. of Orange County in the runner’s name.

Notwithstanding the bonus, the top men’s and women’s finishers will receive $1,000 and a trip for two to Paris.

Musyoki set his sites on the Bastille Day race early this year. In fact, he went the entire month of June without a race, deciding instead to train in the high altitude of Big Bear.

“William’s been concentrating on this since January,” said Ron Gee, Musyoki’s adviser. “William is very fit.”

Musyoki, who predicted before the 1989 Bastille Day race that he would run a world’s best but ended up at 22:56, said, “Last year at this race, I was not in too good of shape. I was too tired. This year, I will not say I will run a good time. I will just say I’ll give myself a try.”

Musyoki, a diminutive, soft-spoken 23-year-old who lives in Van Nuys, is the defending champion and favorite, but there are plenty challengers, among them:

* Steve Bishop--A 30-year-old graduate of Montana State, the Los Alamitos resident has made a name for himself at local road races in recent years. He won the Bastille Day race in 1988, the La Palma 10K last week, and next Thursday will try for his eighth consecutive victory at the Manufacturers Hanover 3.5-mile championships, a corporate-only competition at Griffith Park.

* Samson Obwacha--If anyone knows Musyoki’s strengths and weaknesses, it’s Obwacha, a fellow Kenyan and Musyoki’s roommate. The 34-year-old has been on a roll lately, winning several races in the Southwestern United States the last few weeks.

* Wes Ashford--The 28-year-old former BYU standout has a best of 13:42 in the 5K and recently won the La Palma 5K. Ashford has problems with asthma, though, so his performance could depend on which way the wind--and dust--blows.

* Brad Hudson--A solid performer for the University of Oregon the last three years, the 23-year-old Hudson won the Pacific 10 cross-country title in 1988. He has run 13:54 for 5K.

* Terrence Mahon--Hudson’s teammate at Oregon, the 19-year-old is a local favorite from La Habra. The Times’ prep cross-country runner of the year in 1987, Mahon is known as a tenacious and resourceful competitor.

* John Koningh--The Newport Beach chiropractor is a former UC Irvine standout and a consistently strong performer at the local race level.

Other top men include Tyrus Deminter of Los Angeles, Kevin Broady of Anaheim, Dan Aldridge of Santa Rosa, Alfredo Rosas of Hermosa Beach and Marco Ochoa of Anaheim.

In the women’s division, top entrants are Sylvia Mosqueda of Alhambra and Brenda Webb of Austin, Tex. Others include defending champion Michele Buchicchio, 34, who has been ill recently and is not expected to be up to par; Kathy Kanes, winner of last Sunday’s Gardena 5K; Jeanne Lasee-Johnson of Bonita and Lisa Gonzales of Corona del Mar.

Death Valley Dropouts: David Warady and John Rosmus, who set out to run the length of Death Valley last Thursday, did not make it.

Warady, from Huntington Beach, experienced heat exhaustion and had to quit 36 miles into the 126-mile trek. Although he rested for more than an hour, he called it quits after becoming physically sick in the 118-degree heat. He attributed his problems to eating too much around mile 28.

“I stopped way before hitting the death zone,” said Warady, who, after resting at a nearby hotel drove to Las Vegas and spent the night playing blackjack, then ran 24 miles the next day.

Rosmus, of Fullerton, was more fortunate. After reaching Furnace Creek Ranch, the 62-mile mark, Rosmus was feeling OK, but decided to call it quits.

“I decided that was enough of an adventure,” Rosmus said. “For me, it pretty much turned out like a training run. But it’s not much fun when you’re running out there by yourself. I think we’ll do it differently next time.”

Next time?

Yes, Rosmus said he plans to try the trek again in about two weeks. This time he will team with Monarch Beach ultrarunner Rich Ballante, who expressed interest in the venture from the beginning.

Family Picnic: What’s a family to do to celebrate the Fourth of July? The Mahons of La Habra showed their spirit at the Huntington Beach Parade 8K last Wednesday.

Nineteen-year-old Terrence Mahon was first overall in 24:02.

Tim Mahon, 18, won the 16-18 age division in 26:20. Brendan Mahon, 14, was second in the 13-15 category at 30:17 and Brian Mahon, 12, won the 12-and-under division in 31:25.

Kelly Mahon, 17, and brother Robert, 15, are also runners but did not compete. There are 10 Mahon children in all and six run competitively. All six are entered in Sunday’s Bastille 8K.

Running Notes

Local standout Kathy Smith of Costa Mesa placed 20th in the women’s field at the Peachtree 10K last week. Her time of 35:07 was not her best, but the race, run in the severe heat and humidity of Atlanta, was tremendous nonetheless, Smith said. “The whole race is lined with spectators,” Smith said. “There were bands, balloons. . . . It’s just like a six-mile blur. You just have this adrenalin rush the whole way. I’ve never had so much fun in my life.” . . . A quality field is expected for the elite portion of the San Clemente Fiesta 5,000 on July 29. Among those expected to compete for $15,000 in prize monies: Steve Spence, the 1989 TAC distance runner of the year; William Musyoki, Brenda Webb, Olympic marathoner Margaret Groos and Canada’s Sue Lee, the world record-holder at four miles.