SMITH HOPING TO RETAIN B.A.A. 10-K TITLE, THOUGH FOCUS IS ON DISTANCE MEDLEY
By Chris Lotsbom
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - Used with permission.

DES MOINES, IOWA, USA (21-Jun) -- For New Zealand's three-time Olympian Kim Smith, this weekend's B.A.A. 10-K represents a stepping stone towards a possible $100,000 payday. Using her past experience on the roads of Boston, the 31 year-old will try and extend her lead in the second leg of the B.A.A. Distance Medley series, which awards $100,00 to the top male and female with the lowest cumulative time after the B.A.A. 5-K (April), B.A.A. 10-K (June), and B.A.A. Half-Marathon (October).

"Winning the Distance Medley is something I had on my plans all year, and to be back is something exciting," Smith told reporters Friday, speaking via conference call from the Boston Athletic Association offices. "My goal this year was to win the Distance Medley again so I plan to have a good one on Sunday. I definitely enjoyed it last year."

The reigning champion and course record holder, Smith knows just what it takes to master the flat, fast course through Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. In 2012, she went through 5 kilometers in 15:58 before pulling away from Ethiopia's Aheza Kiros and Kenya's Sharon Cherop, the 2012 Boston Marathon champion. Covering the second half in 15:38, Smith broke the tape in 31:36.

Recent track training is sure to come in handy as Smith joins 6,499 other entrants taking part in the race's third edition.

"All my preparation is on the 5000m and 10,000m [track] right now, so it's worked out well for this 10-K road race," she said. "I like the course. It's a fast, flat course that you can run pretty well on. It's a good course for people to get PR's on."

Recovered from an Achilles flare-up which forced her out of this month's Oakley New York Mini 10-K, Smith is confident in where her fitness is.

"Everything is going well right now. I've done a couple workouts that have gone well and I feel like I am ready for Sunday," she said.

Looking forward after Sunday's B.A.A. 10-K, Smith plans on returning to the marathon distance this fall. When she does race the marathon, it will be her first attempt at 42.195 kilometers since finishing sixth at the Yokohama Marathon last November in 2:27:35, her "replacement" race for the storm-cancelled ING New York City Marathon.

Smith also spoke of the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships here where her training partner Amy Hastings placed fourth last night's 10,000m. Although she did not watch last night's race, she did make sure to read up it this morning.

"It looked like a tough race out there," she said of the hot conditions. "The young girls [Jordan Hasay and Tara Erdmann] ran very well, and obviously Shalane [Flanagan] ran like she always does, very well."

Come Sunday, it will be all business on the race course, as Smith tries to retain her title and increase her seven-second B.A.A. Distance Medley lead over Lineth Chepkurui.

"I'm feeling pretty confident going in," said Smith. "It's going to be tough, though. It's three events and you have to be all-in for all three events at different times in the year. It's definitely a challenging series, but so far going well."


PHOTO: Kim Smith winning the 2013 B.A.A. 5-K (photo by David Monti for Race Results Weekly)


ENDS