After nearly half a century, the Steamboat Classic still has plenty of stories to tell

PEORIA — The finish line never disappoints at the annual Steamboat Classic, and the 48th edition stayed the course Saturday in Downtown Peoria.

A marketing research specialist won the men's 4-mile, followed closely on the women's side by a former Illinois high school state champion and eight-time NCAA all-American nicknamed "Purple."

The 15-kilometer brought a male winner without North Central College roots, and a female winner transplanted from New York.

And it delivered Peoria Notre Dame High School boys and girls cross country coach and boys track and field coach Dan Gray, who ran right into a place in the Steamboat Hall of Fame.

More: 48th Steamboat Classic results

"With prices increasing for everything — it might cost you $100 to drive up here from Springfield — I think that confined our race to people from closer nearby this year," longtime Steamboat race director Phil Lockwood said, standing at the finish line. "But there's always great runners here. And they all have a story to tell."

The man from Springfield

One of those stories crossed the finish line in the form of Tyler Owens, who won the 4-mile race in 20:17, just ahead of Bloomington's Drew Guimond (20:19) and Max Svienty (Arlington Heights) 20:20.

"I knew those guys were right on me," said Owens, 26. "They pushed me hard. I'm excited to win this race, I've tried it four times now.

"I was really surprised. Every other year there's five or six guys out ahead of me from the start. This time, it was me. So I kept pressing from the beginning. The course is just amazing here, so fast."

Owens is a marketing research specialist for Gerson Lehrman Group, an Austin, Texas based company.

"I live and work in Springfield, though," Owen said. "When I'm not working, I'm running. That's what I do. I ran at Springfield High School and then SIU-Edwardsville."

Asked if he'd won a lot of races in college, he grinned and said, "Mostly, I was injured."

Call her Purple Brown

Stephanie Brown Brokaw brought some running chops to the 4-mile course Saturday and was the first female to cross, in 22:32. She held off runner-up Molly Dalton, from Hoffman Estates, by eight seconds.

Brown Brokaw grew up in Downs, a four-time Illinois High School Association Class A state track and field champion for Tri-Valley High School in the 800-meter run from 2005-06 through 2008-09. She ran the 1600 all four years, too, finishing third once, second twice before winning it in her final season.

"I ran here in this Steamboat when I was in seventh grade," said Brown Brokaw, 31. "I went to the awards ceremony, and the presenter asked me if I was going to come back and win this race some day. I promised him back then that I would. Here I am."

More: How the Steamboat Classic took a chance, scaled back and came out running

She drove in for the race from Macomb with her husband, Western Illinois University men's track and field head coach Trey Brokaw.

Brown Brokaw ran for the University of Arkansas, where she was an eight-time NCAA All-American, an SEC champion and 10-time USTAF qualifier in cross country and track and field. As a senior she won an NCAA indoor title, leading off Arkansas' distance medley relay.

She had the top time in the 1500 in the NCAA in 2014.

She competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials, qualified for the finals and finished 10th in the 1,500 meters in 2016.

"It was fun today, just the right amount of competition," Brown Brokaw said. "Molly made me work for it. I'm going to take one more shot at the Olympic Trials, or perhaps the Worlds, and then one way or another I'm retiring in 2025."

And that nickname, Purple? Well when she was a freshman in college, she listed her middle name as "Purple" on a social media site, and later dyed her hair purple. The look didn't stay, but the name did, included as part of her name when introduced by race officials.

The challenging 15K

The 15K was run for the first time since 2019. The race had been a victim of the pandemic when Steamboat was cancelled in 2020. Race officials, trying to take on rebuilding Steamboat coming out of the pandemic in 2021, operated only the 4-mile.

So 2022 was the 15K triumphant return, and Tom Doyle won it in an even 53 minutes Saturday. The 23-year-old from Tinley Park ran in his college days at Illinois Institute of Technology. It's rare that a runner from North Central College doesn't win the Steamboat 15K. Doyle snapped a streak of 12 consecutive 15K wins by a runner from the iconic Naperville program.

On the women's side, Laura Gann crossed in 1:01.14. The Wheaton native recently relocated from New York, where she had been part of a running team.

This was her first Steamboat.

"It's a tough course," said Gann, who ran at Drake. "It was so much fun, though."

'I didn't know what to say'

Dan Gray has been a Steamboat race fixture, appearing in over half the races in its history and winning four times.

Until Saturday, he was the only four-time race winner not in the Steamboat Hall of Fame.

He crossed the finish line in the 15K in 1:07.04 to grab 21st place and head down the street to his induction ceremony.

"When Phil Lockwood called me a couple weeks ago, he said, 'I have good news and serious news,' " said Gray, 57. " 'The serious news is, our board has made a decision. The good news is, it decided to vote you into the Hall of Fame.'

"I didn't know what to say. It's pretty cool. I read those names in that Hall of Fame, people I grew up watching and respecting, legends in running and I feel like they lifted me on their shoulders."

More: Letting off some steam: Runners returns to streets of Peoria for 47th Steamboat Classic

Gray finished the race side-by-side with ShaZam Racing founder Adam White, another prominent member of the Peoria running community.

"He kind of threw a rope around me and pulled me across the finish line," Gray said, grinning. "I'm glad he was with me."

Said Lockwood: "Dan Gray has such a huge following, has done so much for Steamboat and for running. He's like the Pied Piper of central Illinois running."

Letting off steam

Dan Gray's Notre Dame boys track and field team was on hand, serving as volunteers on the course around upper Glen Oak. ... Race director Phil Lockwood said the race field included about 1,600 runners. ... The Manual High School girls basketball team was handing out medals to runners as they crossed the finish line. ... The Peoria High School football team was on hand as part of the volunteer force on the course. ... Gray won the Steamboat 15K in 1989, 1992, 1993 and 1996. ... Former Elmwood High School runners Cooper Hoffman and Luke Hoffman finished fifth and eighth, respectively, in the 4-mile race. ... Elmwood High School runner Thomas Harmon finished 19th in the 4-mile. ... Notre Dame High School runner Trey Socha finished 24th in the 4-mile. ... Pekin native Harland Shields, 84, ran the 4-mile in 1:11:38. ... Shaka Young, 10, of Louisville, Colo., turned in a 29:16 time in the 4-mile to win the 10-under division.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

Steamboat Classic

Men's 4-mile champions

2022 Tyler Owens, USA 20:17 

2021 Robert Murphy USA 20:19

2020 No race

2019 Jeffrey Eggleston USA 19:15

2018 Alec Olson USA 19:57

2017 Tommy Curtin USA 18:08

2016 Johnny Crain USA 18:25

2015 Moses Kipkosgei KEN 18:19

2014 Sean Quigly USA 18:08

2013 Shadrack Kosgei KEN 18:09

2012 Sahdrack Kosgei KEN 18:01

2011 Kevin Chelimo KEN 18:02

2010 Shadrack Kosgei KEN 17:36

2009 Riduoane Harroufi MOR 17:44

2008 Riduoane Harroufi MOR 18:17

2007 John Korir KEN 17:53

2006 John Korir KEN 18:16

2005 Shadrack Kosgei KEN 17:45

2004 Luke Kipkosgei KEN 17:36

2003 Shadrack Kosgei KEN 17:34

2002 Tim Broe USA 17:47

2001 Shadrack Hoff RSA 17:45

2000 Jon Brown ENG 18:16

1999 Khalid Khannouchi MOR 17:52

1998 Khalid Khannouchi MOR 17:30

1997 Khalid Khannouchi MOR 17:42

1996 Philemon Hanneck ZIM 17:41

1995 Josphat Machuka KEN 17:24 World Record

1994 Lameck Aguta KEN 17:43

1993 Martin Pitayo MEX 17:53

1992 Rodney DeHaven USA 17:59

1991 Mauricio Gonzalez MEX 18:07

1990 Rodney DeHaven USA 17:59

1989 Andrew Lloyd AUS 17:58

1988 Joseph Kipsang KEN 17:58

1987 Yobes Ondeki KEN 17:54

1986 Arturo Barrios MEX 17:34

1985 Phil Coppess USA 18:26

1984 Martyn Brewer USA 18:27

1983 John Wellerding USA 18:20

1982 Pete ffitch USA 18:51

1981 Glenn Herold USA 18:53

1980 Dave Irion USA 19:07

1979 Dave Hoover USA 19:40

1978 Dan Dwyer USA 19:22

1977 Paul Heck USA 19:40

1976 Paul Heck USA 19:31

1975 Michael Kelly USA 20:04

1974 Dave Hoover USA 20:48

Women's 4-mile champions

2022 Stephanie Brown Brokaw 22:32

2021 Ericka Waterman USA 22:29

2020 No race

2019 Jane Bareikis USA 22:25

2018 Jenelle Deatherage USA 20:43

2017 Diane Nukuri BUR 20:49

2016 Diane Nukuri BUR 20:29

2015 Sarah Boyle USA 20:51

2014 Cynthia Lemo KEN 20:00

2013 Risper Gezabwa KEN 20:42

2012 Risper Gezabwa KEN 20:26

2011 Diane Nukuri BUR 20:41

2010 Edna Kiplagat KEN 19:56

2009 Kim Smith NZL 19:38

2008 Kim Smith NZL 20:00

2007 Rehima Kedir ETH 20:26

2006 Lornah Kiplagat NED 19:43

2005 Constantina Tomescu-Dita ROM 20:47

2004 Yasuko Hashimoto JPN 20:40

2003 Constantina Tomescu-Dita ROM 20:15

2002 Colleen DeReuck USA 19:59

2001 Lornah Kiplagat KEN 19:33

2000 Colleen deReuck RSA 20:05

1999 Colleen deReuck RSA 20:10

1998 Colleen deReuck RSA 20:12

1997 Colleen deReuck RSA 19:55

1996 Joyce Chepchumba KEN 19:58

1995 Delillah Asiago KEN 19:28 World Record

1994 Jane Omoro KEN 20:31

1993 Carolyn Schuwalow AUS 20:21

1992 Olga Appell MEX 20:14

1991 Wanda Panfil POL 20:28

1990 Susan Lee CAN 20:10

1989 Chris Pfitzinger NZL 20:37

1988 Francie Larrieu USA 20:11

1987 Lorraine Moller NZL 20:16

1986 Lorraine Moller NZL 20:24

1985 Priscilla Welch ENG 21:14

1984 Suzanne Tuffy USA 21:31

1983 Wendy Van Mierlo CAN 21:04

1982 Chris Reid USA 21:31

1981 Beverly Enslow USA 22:12

1980 Janae Hunzicker USA 25:29

1979 Jan Ensrud USA 22:54

1978 Beverly Enslow USA 24:08

1977 Beverly Enslow USA 23:36

1976 Carol Cook USA 22:47

1975 Carol Cook USA 22:52

1974 Carol Cook USA 24:13

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 2022 Steamboat Classic: Winners of 48th race in Downtown Peoria