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."History of Bix 7" 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 +EditionYearEntriesPurseUSATF ChampionshipMen's WinnerCountryTimeWomen's WinnerCountryTime1197584$0Lucien Rosa34:33.8Kim Merritt41:0421976114$0Dan Copper36:4741:3331977350$0Kevin Mcdonald36:50Lynn Schmidt42:4541978500$0John Lodwick34:56Kathy Loper45:3851979800$0Gregg Newell35:40Ilene Kimsey46:25619801,500$0Bill Rodgers33:58Peggy Schott43:59719812,500$033:26Beverly Roland-Miller41:26819823,500$0Robert de Castella32:45*Ellen Hart38:24919835,620$0Joseph Nzau33:10Joan Benoit Samuelson37:261019846,750$0Ashley Johnson33:06Kellie Cathey38:041119857,174$0Mark Curp32:56Joan Benoit Samuelson37:381219869,325$0Geoff Smith33:1637:5613198712,372$0Joseph Nzau33:24Francie Larrieu Smith38:1014198812,425$0Mark Curp33:22Joan Benoit Samuelson37:59Prize money offered15198915,639$39,500Mark Nenow32:17Erin Baker36:3516199016,521$39,250Steve Kogo32:47María Trujillo37:5817199118,124$39,250Ken Martin32:21Uta Pippig37:0418199218,246$60,000Alejandro Cruz32:21Olga Markova36:4819199316,859$39,000Thomas Osano32:10Uta Pippig36:2720199420,097$40,000Benson Masya31:56Tegla Loroupe36:0221199518,354$39,750Phillimon Hanneck32:08Anne Hare37:3322199618,108$39,250Peter Githuka32:05Hellen Kimaiyo36:1823199718,388$80,000Khalid Khannouchi32:54Colleen De Reuck37:34Junior Bix Introduced24199822,143$50,000John Korir31:51.99Colleen De Reuck36:3825199920,117$48,20032:59Catherine Ndereba37:3026200015,011$49,800Mark Yatich32:31Colleen De Reuck36:42Brady Street Sprint Introduced27200118,958$45,000John Korir32:24Catherine Ndereba37:0528200219,658$45,000YesMeb Keflezighi32:36Colleen De Reuck37:4429200319,854$45,000John Korir32:34Catherine Ndereba37:1230200416,627$45,00032:36Susan Chepkemei35:2431200520,211$45,000Gilbert Okari32:24Nuța Olaru36:5332200619,397$45,000Lawrence Kiprotich32:13Susan Chepkemei37:3533200718,499$45,000Duncan Kibet32:15Wude Ayalew36:5734200818,108$45,000Edward Muge32:16Edith Masai37:2035200918,335$50,000YesMeb Keflezighi32:25Molly Huddle37:3936201017,598$50,000YesRyan Hall32:55Lisa Uhl37:5237201118,057$50,000Silas Kipruto32:36Caroline Rotich36:4238201218,138$50,00032:31Margaret Muriuki36:1739201318,244$50,000Leonard Korir32:15Sule Utura36:3440201418,949$50,000YesSean Quigley33:28Molly Huddle36:1441201517,293$50,000Leonard Korir33:06Cynthia Limo36:5742201617,111$50,000Silas Kipruto33:03Mary Keitany35:1843201716,466$50,000YesSam Chelanga32:52Aliphine Tuliamuk36:3044201812,776$50,000Belay Tilahun32:37Margaret Muriuki35:5745201913,111$50,000Leonard Barsoton32:34Joyciline Jepkosgei36:042020In person race cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. Held as a virtual event.4620219,750$50,000YesLeonard Korir32:48Edna Kiplagat37:164720226,086$30,800NoPatrick Tiernan32:32Fiona O'Keeffe35:584820236,820$50,000YesAbbabiya Simbassa32:34Kellyn Taylor36:324920249,829$50,000NoWesley Kiptoo32:27Rachael Zena Chebet36:115020257,931$50,000NoAlex Maier32:02Vibian Chepkirui36:40
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External links Quad-City Times Bix 7 Facebook Page 7 starting line 2010 YouTube By: Scott C. Holgorsen : Videographer Quad-Cities USA