DAVENPORT, Iowa — Nine men turned together from Kirkwood Boulevard onto Brady Street to begin the final mile of the 52nd Quad City Times Bix 7. Never before had so many been in contention so late on the rolling seven-mile course.

Among the contenders were two former Bix champions who now train (separately) in Flagstaff, Arizona, 2023 winner Biya Simbassa — returning from an early year injury — and 2024 champion and 2025 runner-up Wesley Kiptoo.

It was Brady that decided it.

As the road tilted to its full 9 percent grade, Morocco’s Mohammed El Youssfi downshifted and pressed the accelerator. His move splintered the pack with only Dawit Searle of Eritrea trying to cover.

On his 29th birthday, El Youssfi blazed down Brady to Third Street and through the final three blocks to win in 32:08, tied for the seventh-fastest time in event history. He became the second Moroccan to take the Bix title, following Khalid Khannouchi in 1997.

Before the race, there were unpublished rumors that Mohammad had something beyond the victory in mind as there was a new bonus on the line in today’s race.

“I was hoping to go for the course record, “ he said afterward, “but the weather didn’t help me today. The humidity was really high.”

Eritrea’s Dawit Searle chased him to the line just three seconds back in 32:11, tied for eleventh-fastest time ever on the course. 2025 Falmouth Road Race champion Amon Kemboi was third in 32:15, with Simbassa fourth, 32:16, and Kiptoo fifth at 32:17 in a blanket finish.

Still new to the U.S. road running scene, the personable El Youssfi won the US Junior College championship at 5000 and 10,000m last year representing Odessa, Texas, and then struck hard on his first attempts on the US road circuit winning the prestigious Philadelphia Distance Run in September and then the Flanigan‘s Rockin Rib 10K in Miramar, Florida, in November.

On the women’s side, it was a story of redemption.

Everlyn Kemboi (no relation to Amon) of Kenya and Utah Valley State, fourth a year ago after being passed by two women in the final two blocks, returned and left no doubt, following her game plan to perfection.

“The weather was almost perfect,” Kemboi told the crowd at the award ceremony. “My plan was not to go for the record. I will get that someday. Today, it was just to win.”

After setting a strong pace from the gun up Brady Street, hitting the one mile in a sharp 5:06 — a mile which normally takes 5:35 to 5:40 — Everlyn eased off the throttle and ran with the pack for the next several miles.

“There were two girls who were my friends and I said I wanted to stay behind them,” Kemboi said of fellow Kenyans Veronica Loleo the 2025 PRRO Series winner and Priscah Cherono, the remarkable 46-year-old Asics Los Angeles Marathon champion

“The goal was to just stick with them. I always have a problem sticking to people, but I was like ‘I’m going to stick to them today.’

She did, and then put nearly 30 seconds on them in the final mile. Her 35:30 was the third-fastest women’s time in Bix history.

Loleo finished second in 36:57, with Cherono third another 14 seconds back, while establishing a new Bix master’s record (over 40y). The old record of 39:28 was set by Californian Laurie Binder in 1991, Priscah ran 36:11 today.

Delighted with her victory, Everlyn promised to return to defend her title in 2027.

The 2026 Bix 7 hosted the PRRO Circuit Championship for the second time in 29 years. With previous series victories at the Gate River 15K in Jacksonville in March and the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington, D.C. in April, El Youssfi earned the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus.

Kemboi earned the $2,500 PRRO Circuit top prize as the series points winner, though she was not eligible for the Super Bonus.

The Bix 7 capped another full race week along the Mississippi River that began with the Mercy One Genesis Brady Street Sprints on Thursday night, continued with the Arconic Junior Bix on Friday, and included the two-mile Quick Bix on Saturday morning, closing one of the signature weekends of summer in the Midwest.