Claire Pifer, 10, Bettendorf
Claire Pifer
How many times have you run the Bix?
It's her first time in the Quick Bix, but she’s run in the Junior Bix before.
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
“It’s fun and I feel like it’s just a way so everybody’s getting out of their house and doing different things.”
How did you do this year?
“Pretty good.”
What was your biggest challenge?
“Probably just going up hills and how steep they were.”
What are you going to do after the race?
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She said she was going to have more snacks.
Santiago Martinez, 49, Bettendorf
Santiago Martinez
How many times have you run the Bix?
“25.”
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
“It’s a great event. It brings the community together and it’s just a fun time.”
How did you do this year?
“I did OK. I’m a little injured, so I just did the Quick Bix. It’s always a great option to have if you can’t run the full.”
What was your biggest challenge?
“Probably the injury and then the rain. You know, this is the first time it’s rained in a long time.”
What are you going to do after the race?
“I’m just going to hang out here as a long as I can and then just go home and take a nap.”
Joe Langridge, 22, Rock Island
Joe Langridge
How many times have you run the Bix?
"This is my fourth year. I started when I was a freshman at Augustana."
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
"It's a pretty great event. I don't run many road races, but the crowd is pretty electric, even on a crappy day, like today. So, it's always really fun, even ... regardless of whether you race it or just jog it for fun, it's always really good."
How did you do this year?
"I got a record by about 30 seconds, so I'm happy with that, despite the conditions, even though it was really hard."
What was your biggest challenge?
"The second half is always really hard because it's mostly uphill until the last mile. And when you go out a little too hot, it hurts a lot. And with the slick roads, that doesn't help."
What are you going to do after the race?
"I'm probably gonna take a nap. and then I got to go to work at five until like midnight, so, okay, that's gonna suck."
Luke Knepp, 20, Bettendorf
Luke Knepp
How many times have you run the Bix?
"I started doing it when I was really young, I know I did it going into kindergarten one time, and then I did it for probably six years straight and took a couple years off and did it again 14 through now."
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
"It’s a really good time. The fans are good, runners are good, vibes are high. And then the after-party is always a fun time."
How did you do this year?
"36:49, probably about 50th or 40th."
What was your biggest challenge?
"The hills. Definitely, I’m not a good hill runner, so just getting up those and then trying to make up some ground was the goal."
What are you going to do after the race?
Get some good food, go home and relax. I don’t know, like poker. Something like that with friends.
Kelsey Allbaugh, 34, Bettendorf
Kelsey Allbaugh
How many times have you run the Bix?
"My first year I did the Bix was 2021 so four."
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
"Our race team, we meet up every single Wednesday at Raccoon Motel, and we actually even have a route that we call reverse Bix, that we do quite often. And so Bix is something they absolutely love. And so we love the event, just in general. We love the fact that there's the team race."
How did you do this year?
"I had about 46 something."
What was your biggest challenge?
"I'm training for a marathon in October, and so right now my mileage is pretty elevated, and to try to be able to race for that long, so I'd have to say that my body's just really tired right now, especially because it's been so humid, so it's hard to recover."
What are you going to do after the race?
"My husband is the operating manager of Running Wild, and so Bix is something that ever since we moved back to the Quad-Cities, has been a big thing for our family, but also the store. So it's something we like to do every single year that we can."
Cuyler Jones, 16, Plainfield
Cuyler Jones
How many times have you run the Bix?
"This is actually my first time out with my team."
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
"Going in, my coach kind of told us about the course, because my coach has done this race many times. So going in, I was excited but nervous at the same time, because I didn't really know what to expect. I mean, Bix is one of the biggest races in the Midwest, so, it's kind of amazing to be here. But I was definitely nervous but excited at the same time."
How did you do this year?
"My time was around the 46-minute range. It wasn't necessarily what I wanted. but it was my first time today, so I'm happy with how I finished."
What was your biggest challenge?
"Coming back up the hills. It was unexpected. You saw the hill, but when you got up to it, it was definitely big. But as my coach always tells us, we just power up the hills and we maintain our effort."
What are you going to do after the race?
"After this, we're going right back to training. Actually, tomorrow we have recovery day, and then we'll be going right back into our summer running getting ready for our championship cross country season."
Steve Monks, 65, Florida
Steve Monks
How many times have you run the Bix?
"This is my fifth year."
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
"It's a fantastic race. It's probably the hardest course that I do. And it's fan support, crowd support, is fantastic. People are having a blast along the course, even in the rain, you know. So it's really cool experience."
How did you do this year?
"I came in first in my age group at 44:32 and I believe that's a course record today for the age group."
What was your biggest challenge?
"I always find the hill going into mile five to be the most difficult, because then ... you think you're about with the last hill, but when you come over the fifth five mile hill, you still got another half mile of slight incline makes it really difficult. That's probably the most difficult part of the race is the return trip home."
What are you going to do after the race?
"We are having a club party, and there's gonna be family and friends there, it's going to be fantastic. It's an annual event. They have a pool there, so people jump in the pool. I don't know if it'd be a good day for today, but that's the plan."
Natalie Lietz, 16, Dubuque
Natalie Lietz
How many times have you run the Bix?
"This is my second year doing the seven mile, but I did the two miles, probably three, four years before that."
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
"It's fun to run with this many people doing seven miles. It kind of sucks because it's pretty far, but it's fun overall."
How did you do this year?
"My time was probably close to like 56, 57."
What was your biggest challenge?
"Getting around people, especially in the first mile, but then also the hills at the halfway point when you turn around."
What are you going to do after the race?
"I'll run cross country when I get back where my school and I run track, too."
Laura Hanna-Bergen, 48, Cedar Rapids
Laura Hanna-Bergen
How many times have you run the Bix?
"It's my fourth."
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
"I love it because it's such a great race for really good city support and good energy. And it's a fun course, a little hilly out and back, so you get to see people when you're going out and back."
How did you do this year?
"It was like 54 minutes and 40 some seconds."
What was your biggest challenge?
"There was a lot of puddles, of course, some rain, but actually it felt pretty good, because usually this is a really hot race, and I prefer being a little damp with rain rather than sweat."
What are you going to do after the race?
"We are going to get breakfast."
Cynthia Dean, 62, Rock Island
Cynthia Dean
How many times have you run the Bix?
“This is my 10th year.”
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
“I love the Bix. It’s very exciting. I think I like it because there is so much of the community out and around, you know, supporting the runners.”
How did you do this year?
“I think I did pretty good. I did the Quick Bix for the first time ever because I was leary about doing the full 7 miles. I’m scared of the rain.”
What was your biggest challenge?
“Coming down the hill, thinking I was going to slide a little (because of the rain.)”
What are you going to do after the race?
“I’m going to drink a cold beer.”
David Poeschel, 66, Eagan, Minnesota
David Poeschel
How many times have you run the Bix?
“This is my fifth.”
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
“I love it. There’s four of us that come down here every year to do this.”
How did you do this year?
“A little worse than last year because the rain slowed me down just a little bit.”
What was your biggest challenge?
“The downhills. Those are a little tough for me.”
What are you going to do after the race?
“We’ll find some place to hang out and get a good meal.”
Jonah Whitson, 16, Bettendorf
Jonah Whitson
How many times have you run the Bix?
“This is my fourth year.”
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
“It’s my favorite time of the year. It’s a really good event. Environment’s crazy. Live music. Just everyone kind of cheering your name. Big adrenaline boost.”
How did you do this year?
“Good. It’s the best time I’ve run on this course. Just want to give all the glory to God.”
What was your biggest challenge?
“Mile six because you’re so close to the downhill but it just feels like it takes forever.”
What are you going to do after the race?
“I’m going to work. Come to Fleet Feet. Come buy shoes from me.”
Artur Mueller, 41, Davenport
Artur Mueller
How many times have you run the Bix?
“This is my third time.”
What do you think of the Bix as an event?
“It’s an awesome race and a great experience with all the runners coming in, it’s very exciting.”
How did you do this year?
“I did OK. A little slower than last year. It was a good race.”
What was your biggest challenge?
“Just the second to last mile or the fifth mile or so, coming up the hill.”
What are you going to do after the race?
“I’m going to jog. Run some more.”
Editor's note: Some answers were edited for clarity or concision.
Photos: 24 images of the Quad-City Times Bix 7 on Kirkwood Boulevard
Runners and walkers moved through a rainy Kirkwood Boulevard during the 51st running of the Quad-City Times Bix 7 on Saturday, July 26.
Alex Maier (7), the winner of the men's field for the Quad-City Time Bix 7, runs in a group along Kirkwood Boulevard during the race on Saturday, July 26.
