Running News Daily

Amanda Vestri earned her first national title in dominant fashion on Saturday morning in Canton, Ohio taking a wire-to-wire victory at the USATF 6 km Championships in Canton, Ohio. The event, part of the Women’s 6K Festival, drew some of the top distance talent in the country, but no one could match Vestri’s front-running strength on a challenging, technical course.

Vestri, who finished second at this race in 2023, wasted no time establishing control. Racing in humid conditions with temperatures nearing 80°F, she charged to the front from the gun, pulling a pack of seven through the first mile in 4:53. As the course shifted onto an uneven stretch of brick road, she surged again—clocking another 4:53 for the second mile—and began to break away from the field.

By the time the race reached its longest climb, Vestri’s lead had grown to three seconds over a chase pack that included Annie Frisbie, Fiona O’Keeffe, Molly Born, and Edna Kurgat. Cresting the hill with authority, she extended the gap to seven seconds by the 5K mark—a margin she maintained all the way to the finish line at Centennial Plaza.

“I just kind of wanted to take it from the gun,” said Vestri after the race. “In these shorter races, I’m not really keen to just sit and run 5:15, 5:20. So, I just wanted to take it out. That’s the best way I run.”

Her aggressive strategy paid off, earning her the national title, $6,000 in prize money, and a move into second place in the USATF Running Circuit standings.

Fierce Finish for Second

The battle for second place came down to the final meters. Annie Frisbie and Olympic 10,000m runner Fiona O’Keeffe ran shoulder-to-shoulder for nearly the entire race before Frisbie edged ahead over the last 400 meters, stopping the clock in 18:36. O’Keeffe finished just two seconds back in 18:38 to round out the podium.

What’s Next

Vestri now shifts her focus to the track, where she’s scheduled to compete in both the 5,000m and 10,000m at the upcoming USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon later this month.

The USATF Running Circuit continues with just two events remaining:

• USATF 20 km Championships in New Haven on September 1

• USATF Marathon Championships in Sacramento on December 7

With momentum clearly on her side, Amanda Vestri will be a name to watch—on the roads and the track—for the rest of 2025.