Gum Tree 10k returns to Tupelo streets

May 8—TUPELO — David Bett was looking for a pleasant morning run on Saturday, and maybe a little something more.

"I was looking to win."

The 28-year-old Kenyan, who makes his home in Los Angeles, got what he was looking for after he quickly moved to the front of the pack at the 43rd Gum Tree 10k in downtown Tupelo.

Running for much of the first half of the race shoulder-to-shoulder with his friend, Dominic Korir, Bett found an extra gear down the stretch to win with ease.

"Those last three kilometers, they were just about perfect," said Bett, who finished in 29 minutes and 1 second. Korir, a 27-year-old Ugandan from Colorado Springs, was second in 29:13.

It was more than two more minutes before third-place Chase Buckelew of Homewood, Alabama — a former University of Alabama distance runner — came home in 31:31.

It was a return to form for Tupelo's annual 10k, which was canceled last season by the pandemic. With almost 650 runners registered for the 10k and associated 2k fun run, there were 427 official finishers in Saturday's 10k.

It was the first Gum Tree race for Bett, a gold medalist in the 5000 at the 2010 World Junior Championships.

"A nice day, a nice course," he said.

Iveen Chepkemoi, a Kenyan native who trains in Colorado Springs, was the top female runner in 32:53, finishing fifth overall

Female runner-up Erica Speegle, 40, was eighth overall in 33:49. She was the 2016 Gum Tree female winner.

The male and female winners each took home $1,000, while the runners-up got $500.

This was Chepkemoi's first visit to Tupelo, and she liked it so much she's already looking forward to next year.

"The course is good," the 23-year-old multi-distance runner said. "I really like the hills and the slopes and the flat areas. It has a little bit of everything. And everybody is so friendly. I definitely will be back for next year's race."

Chepkemoi was coming off of a record-setting win last weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska, finishing the 13.1-mile half-marathon in 1:11:41.

She began running at home in Kenya when she was 14. Her goal now is to make Kenya's Olympic team, she said.

"I started running because my mother was a runner," she added. "I should call her and tell her I won today. She'll be so happy."

Contributing: Cathy L.Wood