Bix 7 Road Race

Bix 7
Date Last Saturday of July
Location Davenport, Iowa
Event type Road
Distance 7 miles
Primary sponsor Quad-City Times
Established 1975
Course records Men: 31:51.99 (1998)
Mark Yatich
Women: 35:18 (2016)
Mary Jepkosgei Keitany
Official site Bix 7
Participants 18,000+

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. Today the race is often run by 12,000 to 18,000 runners.

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. 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, 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.

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 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.
46 2021 Yes Leonard Korir United States 32:48 Edna Kiplagat Kenya 37:16
47 2022 6,086 $30,800 No Patrick Tiernan Australia 32:32 Fiona O'Keefe United States 35:58
48 2023 ~10,000 $50,000 Yes Abbabiya Simbassa United States 32:34 Kellyn Taylor United States 36:32