With no defending champions, Bloomsday elite coordinator Andy LeFriec predicts tight finish at this year's race

Apr. 30—The Monday evening before the Lilac Bloomsday race may be as special to elite coordinator Andy LeFriec as the race itself.

That's when LeFriec handicaps the men's and women's professional fields, assigning bib numbers.

"There's a lot of math, a lot of planning and strategy, that goes into everybody's bib number," LeFriec said. "It's kind of an annual tradition. We try to put a lot of thought into it. It's a little bit like trying to handicap golf."

In other words, it's not an exact science. LeFriec figures he's pegged the elite winners about 15% of the time.

A year like this one makes it a little trickier. No elite winner returns to defend a title.

That makes the 50th edition of the race much more intriguing. There are a few more known runners in the men than the women.

LeFriec has tabbed a pair of Kenyans as pre-race favorites. He assigned the top bib to Reuben Mosip. Simon Waithira is seeded second.

Both have experience on the 7.46-mile Bloomsday course.

Mosip took fourth two years ago, finishing in 34 minutes, 54 seconds. Last year, Waithira took fourth, a second faster than Mosip the year before.

"It should be very close," LeFriec said.

Moscip and Waithira both ran Bloomsday sight unseen in their previous appearances. Moscip arrived in Spokane on Tuesday, giving himself an opportunity to become more familiar with the course.

"I'm really looking for (Moscip and Waithira) to really push each other," LeFriec said.

He doesn't expect them to challenge the course record, but things set up for a competitive race nonetheless.

LeFriec gives a U.S. runner a shot at challenging for the men's title. Reid Buchanan, a standout runner at the University of Portland, took second in 2022 (35:08).

LeFriec said Buchanan, who lives in Kansas City, Missouri, recently set the U.S. men's record for the 4-mile. He won the Trolley Run in Kansas City, running a blistering 4:24 per mile pace.

"He comes in in really good form," LeFriec said. "I think at the end of the day the Kenyans might be a little fast for him."

Overall, LeFriec likes how the men's field has shaped up.

"We have a lot of people returning with course experience," LeFriec said.

LeFriec predicts a first-time winner as a first-time participant in the women.

Kenyan Betty Chepkowny is heavily favored. She's a two-time champion in the Rome Marathon. The longer races are her specialty.

"She's a world-accomplished athlete," LeFriec said.

LeFriec expects Emily Durgin to chase Chepkowny.

Durgin is a former standout runner from the University of Connecticut who now resides in Boulder, Colorado.

Both the elite fields lack internationals this year, LeFriec said.

"There are two reasons for that," LeFriec said. "One, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi is very, very strict on work visas right now. We write invitation letters and work with Athletics Kenya to try to get them a visa. But the vast majority had their visas denied."