Koech Beats Heat, Wins Bastille Race

The energy-zapping heat prevented any world records from being set at the Bastille Day Celebration Saturday. But that didn’t keep the strong field of runners and the 5K and 8K participants from delivering some competitive races in Newport Beach.

Kenya’s Peter Koech, 42, who is competing in the Indy Life Masters Circuit for the first time this year, withstood an early fast pace and won the 8K in 24 minutes 2 seconds. Defending champion Craig Young of Colorado Springs finished second (24:07) and Steve Plasencia of Shoreview, Minn., was third (24:54).

Plasencia, 41, who suffered his first loss in a masters race, led the first mile with a world-record pace of 4:36. Young moved into the lead just before the three-mile mark, but Koech showed a strong kick over the final kilometer to win his second masters race.

“Craig Young and Steve Plasencia are good runners, so I knew it was going to be a fight between the three of us,” Koech said. “I tried to lead at one point, but I’m not prepared to go that speed, so I decided to just stay in second place and wait until the end.”

In the women’s division, Ruth Wysocki of Canyon Lake, Calif., won the event for the second consecutive year (27:49). Because of the heat, she couldn’t match her masters division world-record time of 26:19 set on the same course last year.

“Overall, I think the race was a little tougher, the weather was a little muggier,” Wysocki said. “I thought it was a really good effort but I tried not to let myself feel pressured by the time from last year.”

In the open 8K race, Kelly Flathers, 27, of Huntington Beach outlasted Darlene Mota of Washington to win in 28:28. Flathers, who won the same race last year, had to run a quicker first mile than she had planned.

“The first mile was about a 5:15, it was screaming,” said Flathers, who is planning to run in the Chicago Marathon in October.

In the men’s division, Danny Gonzales, 33, of Newport Beach was first (24:24), followed by Laguna Niguel’s Danny Reed (24:41).

Kristin Farmer, 29, of Rancho Santa Margarita won the women’s 5K (18:35) for the second year in a row.