by: Steve Nearman

The chilly morning temperatures may have you fooled, but spring is here - which means the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run is near.

The popular annual event, just seven days away on the Washington Monument grounds, quickly sold out its announced 12,000 slots in December. If you didn't get into this year's race, there is an alternative.

This year's Cherry Blossom has its usual flock of elite front-runners, local athletes and faithful cabooses - as well as a group of kids from Los Angeles coming for an unusual spring break.

"I think the field this year is shaping up as the best in recent years," longtime event director Phil Stewart said. "Should be a great race."

Stewart said two Olympic silver medalists are confirmed, as are some top U.S. athletes vying for a piece of the $40,000 purse.

Olympic marathon silver medalists Catherine Ndereba of Kenya (2004 and 2008) and Lidia Simon of Romania (2000) plan again to race. On the men's side, three of the five winners in the past eight years are back, too: Ridouane Harroufi of Morocco (2008), Tadesse Tola of Ethiopia (2007) and John Korir of Kenya (2001, 2003, 2005).

The American husband-and-wife team of Jason Lehmkuhle (fifth in the 2008 Olympic trials marathon) and Kristen Nicolini Lehmkuhle (2004 Olympic trials qualifier at 5,000 meters) plan to compete at the Cherry Blossom for the first time.

Other Americans include Jason Hartmann (10th in the 2008 Olympic trials marathon), Ryan Kirkpatrick (seventh in the 2008 U.S. half marathon championship), Kate O'Neil (2004 U.S. Olympian at 10,000 meters and 2008 US Half Marathon champion) and Zoila Gomez (fourth-place finisher at the 2008 Olympic trials marathon).....