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Murage looks for three-peat at Sunday’s TC 10K; race starts 8 a.m.

Jane Murage, on her 28th birthday, seemed genuinely taken aback by the cupcake with candle presented her by organizers during the news conference Friday for the Times Colonist 10K.
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Jane Murage has been the first woman across the line in the last two Times Colonist 10Ks.

Jane Murage, on her 28th birthday, seemed genuinely taken aback by the cupcake with candle presented her by organizers during the news conference Friday for the Times Colonist 10K.

She hopes her real present comes Sunday in the form of the TC 10K women’s three-peat.

But the fleet Kenyan will be pushed by Lemlem Ogbasilassie, who was second to Murage last year, and American Lindsey Scherf, who was fourth last week in the massive Vancouver Sun Run to Murage’s third-place finish.

“I have a tactic for Sunday and it’s my secret,” said Murage.

What surprise move could the 2013 and 2014 defending champion be bringing to the streets of the capital this time?

“After the race, I will tell it,” said Murage, with a mischievous smile.

Scherf brings an intriguing element to the race. A standout during her collegiate running days at Harvard, she broke the U.S. U-20 record and was 18th overall and top American at the 2005 world junior cross-country championships.

Now 28, she has targeted the marathon for the U.S. Olympic trials next February for Rio 2016.

“That third [U.S.] spot [for Rio] looks wide open and I like to consider myself one of the candidates for it,” said Scherf, who also has the not-inconsiderable off-road accomplishment of a Harvard degree in psychology.

The native of Scarsdale, New York, remembers her first race in Grade 5 and out-running all the boys to win.

“I was hooked,” said Scherf.

Now she is living her dream.

“I enjoy running in and of itself . . . I can’t wait to get out there every morning,” added Scherf, six-time NCAA all-American while at Harvard.

“And if you can pursue your hobby, while also competing in it and making it pay the bills, why not?”

The Times Colonist 10K total $16,750 prize purse is distributed as $2,500 for first place in both women’s and men’s 10K races, $1,250 for second, $600 for third, $300 for fourth and $150 for fifth. The top Canadian female and male 10K placers will each receive $1,000. There is an added $1,000 bonus for breaking the women’s or men’s course records (Karolina Jarzynska, 32:56 in 2011; Simon Chemwoiyo, 28:47 in 1995).

Scherf said her favourite races are the Sun Run, Bloomsday Run in Spokane, Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, South Carolina, and Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta.

But she might have a new favourite race Sunday.

“The Sun Run in the past has been held on the same weekend as [the Times Colonist 10K], but this year it’s not and has allowed me the opportunity to do both,” said Scherf.

She knows what her goal is Sunday. “I was fourth in the Sun Run and got a preview of [Murage] 12 seconds ahead of me finishing third,” said Scherf, who will be looking to close that gap.

Another factor in the women’s race Sunday will be hometown runner Ogbasilassie, who has represented Canada at the IAAF world track and field championships, and has always been in the mix for the 800 metres during the Canadian Olympic trials.

Meanwhile, Kenya again flexes its formidable running pedigree in the Times Colonist 10K men’s race, with 2013 champion Paul Kimaiyo Kumugul gunning for a time of 29:50 on Sunday and Leonard Kipkoech, third last weekend in the Sun Run, targeting an even headier 29:00.

But the TC 10K men’s wildcard could be Benard Ngeno, who last weekend had just stepped off the plane from Kenya the night before and then went out the next morning and placed seventh in the 45,000-runner Sun Run.

“That was my first race outside Kenya and I was so tired. In Victoria, I want to do better because I no longer have the jet lag,” said Ngeno, the Kenyan college champion, who has dreams of doing one of the hardest things in running — making the Kenyan Olympic team.

But first things first.

“On Sunday, I want to be on the podium,” said Ngeno, of his goals for the Times Colonist 10K.

As of Friday afternoon, the total number of participants registered for the Times Colonist 10K was 10,127, of which 8,711 were for the 10K, 506 for the half-marathon and 910 for the Family Fun Run.

Registration is open today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Victoria Conference Centre.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com

TC10K map