Bix 7 Road Race
Annual road race held in Davenport, Iowa
The Bix 7 Road Race is held annually in Davenport, Iowa , as a commemoration to Davenport native and jazz musician Bix Beiderbecke . It is followed a week later by the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival .
Race
The 7 mile road race is annually held during late July, in the streets of downtown Davenport, Iowa . The race was founded in 1975 by John Hudetz, a resident of Bettendorf, Iowa . After competing in the 1974 Boston Marathon , Hudetz was inspired to bring the excitement to the Quad-Cities with a race of his own. The inaugural race had a field consisting of eighty-four runners.[ 1] Today the race is often run by 12,000 to 18,000 runners.[ 2] [ 3]
The United States’ boycott of the 1980 Olympics helped gain the Bix 7 exposure. Bill Rodgers , the world's top distance runner at the time, was unable to compete in Moscow, so he went to Davenport instead.[ 4] The leadership of Race Director Ed Froehlich, promotion by the Quad-City Times newspaper, and generosity from several corporate sponsorships, has helped the Bix 7 develop into the largest non-marathon race in the Midwest ,[ 5] The race consistently draws elite talent from all over the globe. Running legends Bill Rodgers and 1984 Olympic Marathon Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson also compete yearly.[ 6]
The run is primarily sponsored by the Quad City Times and is a separate entity from the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society and the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival , which is held the following weekend. The race has several other sponsors, at the Platinum, Gold Medal, and contributing level respectively.
Champions
Edition[ 7] [ 8]
Year
Entries
Purse
USATF Championship
Men's Winner
Country
Time
Women's Winner
Country
Time
1
1975
84
$0
Lucien Rosa
Sri Lanka
34:33.8
Kim Merritt
United States
41:04
2
1976
$0
Dan Copper
United States
36:47
41:33
3
1977
350
$0
Kevin Mcdonald
Lynn Schmidt
4
1978
500
$0
John Lodwick
United States
34:56
Kathy Loper
United States
45:38
5
1979
800
$0
Gregg Newell
United States
35:40
Ilene Kimsey
United States
46:25
6
1980
1,500
$0
Bill Rodgers
United States
33:58
Peggy Schott
43:59
7
1981
2,500
$0
33:26
Beverly Roland-Miller
United States
41:26
8
1982
$0
Robert de Castella
Australia
32:45*
Ellen Hart
38:24
9
1983
5,620
$0
Joseph Nzau
Kenya
33:10
Joan Benoit Samuelson
United States
37:26
10
1984
6,750
$0
Ashley Johnson
South Africa
33:06
Kellie Cathey
United States
38:04
11
1985
7,174
$0
Mark Curp
United States
32:56
Joan Benoit Samuelson
United States
37:38
12
1986
9,325
$0
Geoff Smith
United Kingdom
33:16
37:56
13
1987
12,372
$0
Joseph Nzau
Kenya
33:24
Francie Larrieu Smith
United States
38:10
14
1988
12,425
$0
Mark Curp
United States
33:22
Joan Benoit Samuelson
United States
37:59
Prize money offered
15
1989
15,639
$39,500
Mark Nenow
United States
32:17
Erin Baker
New Zealand
36:35
16
1990
16,521
$39,250
Steve Kogo
Kenya
32:47
María Trujillo
Mexico
37:58
17
1991
18,124
$39,250
Ken Martin
United States
32:21
Uta Pippig
Germany
37:04
18
1992
18,246
$60,000
Alejandro Cruz
Mexico
32:21
Olga Markova
Unified Team
36:48
19
1993
$39,000
Thomas Osano
Kenya
32:10
Uta Pippig
Germany
36:27
20
1994
20,097
$40,000
Benson Masya
Kenya
31:56
Tegla Loroupe
Kenya
36:02
21
1995
18,354
$39,750
Phillimon Hanneck
Zimbabwe
32:08
Anne Hare
New Zealand
37:33
22
1996
18,108
$39,250
Peter Githuka
Kenya
32:05
Hellen Kimaiyo
Kenya
36:18
23
1997
$80,000
Khalid Khannouchi
Morocco
32:54
Colleen De Reuck
South Africa
37:34
Junior Bix Introduced
24
1998
22,143
$50,000
John Korir
Kenya
31:51.99
Colleen De Reuck
South Africa
36:38
25
1999
20,117
$48,200
32:59
Catherine Ndereba
Kenya
37:30
26
2000
15,011
$49,800
Mark Yatich
Kenya
32:31
Colleen De Reuck
South Africa
36:42
Brady Street Sprint Introduced
27
2001
18,958
$45,000
John Korir
Kenya
32:24
Catherine Ndereba
Kenya
37:05
28
2002
19,658
$45,000
Yes
Meb Keflezighi
United States
32:36
Colleen De Reuck
United States
37:44
29
2003
$45,000
John Korir
Kenya
32:34
Catherine Ndereba
Kenya
37:12
30
2004
16,627
$45,000
32:36
Susan Chepkemei
Kenya
35:24
31
2005
20,211
$45,000
Gilbert Okari
Kenya
32:24
Nuța Olaru
Romania
36:53
32
2006
$45,000
Lawrence Kiprotich
Kenya
32:13
Susan Chepkemei
Kenya
37:35
33
2007
$45,000
Duncan Kibet
Kenya
32:15
Wude Ayalew
Ethiopia
36:57
34
2008
13,711
$45,000
Edward Muge
Kenya
32:16
Edith Masai
Kenya
37:20
35
2009
18,335
$50,000
Yes
Meb Keflezighi
United States
32:25
Molly Huddle
United States
37:39
36
2010
17,598
$50,000
Yes
Ryan Hall
United States
32:55
Lisa Uhl
United States
37:52
37
2011
18,057
$50,000
Silas Kipruto
Kenya
32:36
Caroline Rotich
Kenya
36:42
38
2012
18,138
$50,000
32:31
Margaret Muriuki
Kenya
36:17
39
2013
$50,000
Leonard Korir
Kenya
32:15
Sule Utura
Ethiopia
36:34
40
2014
$50,000
Yes
Sean Quigley
United States
33:28
Molly Huddle
United States
36:14
41
2015
17,293
$50,000
Leonard Korir
Kenya
33:06
Cynthia Limo
Kenya
36:57
42
2016
$50,000
Silas Kipruto
Kenya
33:03
Mary Keitany
Kenya
35:18
43
2017
$50,000
Yes
Sam Chelanga
United States
32:52
Aliphine Tuliamuk
United States
36:30
44
2018
Belay Tilahun
Ethiopia
32:37
Margaret Muriuki
Kenya
35:57
45
2019
Leonard Barsoton
Kenya
32:34
Joyciline Jepkosgei
Kenya
36:04
2020
In person race cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic . Held as a virtual event.[ 9]
46
2021
Yes
Leonard Korir
United States
32:48
Edna Kiplagat
Kenya
37:16
47[ 10]
2022
6,086[ 11]
$30,800[ 12]
No
Patrick Tiernan
Australia
32:32
Fiona O'Keeffe
United States
35:58
48[ 13]
2023
~10,000
$50,000
Yes
Abbabiya Simbassa
United States
32:34
Kellyn Taylor
United States
36:32
Notes
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