This Day in Track & Field/X-Country, December 4, Bill Rodgers wins Fukuoka Marathon (1977), Kateyn Tuohy breaks AJR for 3,000m (2021), by Walt Murphy News & Services

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by Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission

Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service

This Day in Track & Field/X-Country-December 4

1977—Bill Rodgers (2:10:56) was a winner at the prestigious Fukuoka Marathon. Finishing 2^nd was the Soviet Union’s(and Russia’s) Leonid Moseyev (2:11:57), 4^th was Tom Fleming (2:14:27), and 5^th was Japan’s Toshihiko Seko (2:15:01), who would win the following year.

It was the 2^nd win of the year in Japan for Rodgers, who started his season in February with a 1^st-place finish in Kyoto. He not only won 5 marathons during the year, he also had wins at 9 other races at various distances. (He was a DNF at the Boston Marathon in April).

Past Winners: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuoka_Marathon

Rodgers and Frank Shorter on Fukuoka:

https://www.runblogrun.com/2022/01/frank-shorter-bill-rodgers-remember-the-fukuoka-marathon.html

Fukuoka Documentary(2 hours):

https://runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/canadian-releases-fukuoka-marathon-documentary/

Career Stats: https://more.arrs.run/runner/3748

1994—Mexican-born Olga Appell (18:15), who had become a U.S. citizen earlier in the year, was a convincing winner of the Women’s title at the U.S. X-Country Championships in Portland, Oregon, as Lynn Jennings (18:41), who finished 3rd behind Gwyn Coogan (18:37/6k), saw her 7-year winning streak come to an end.

Reuben Reina’s late sprint gave him a narrow win (30:00/10k) in the Men’s race over 8-time champion Pat Porter (30:01). Right behind in one of the closest mass finishes ever at the U.S. Championships were defending champion Todd Williams (30:02), Brad Barquist (30:03), and Keith Brantly (30:04).

Other notable finishers

Men:7.Bob Kempainen, 8.Matt Giusto,9. Bob Kennedy (1992 Champion), 11.John Trautmann, 22.Brad Schlapak (would win in 1995).

Women:4.Sinead Delahunty, 5.Cathy O’Brien, 6.Ceci St.Geme, 12.Fran ten Bensel, 15.Elva Dryer, 15.Cheri…