Running News Daily

Even in an Olympics year, elite fields are deep for Wharf to Wharf road race Sunday

The 52nd Wharf to Wharf race takes place Sunday, and 16,000 runners will make the annual 6-mile trek from Santa Cruz to Capitola. This time, they'll do so in an Olympic year.

Supportive fans who position themselves along the course route will not only be treated to an up-close view of a blazing quick elite field, and plenty of recreational runners, some of them costumed, they'll also get to take in the traditional array of musical groups that line the course.

Some of the world's best middle distance and distance runners are in Paris for the 2024 Summer Games, but Dayne Gradone, the Wharf to Wharf's elite athlete coordinator, believes the celebrated local race drew a heck of a field.

"On the whole, the fields are solid," said Gradone, of the elite entries for men and women. "There may be less pop at the front, but they're deep fields."

There are plenty of registered athletes whose résumés include 28-minute finishes in the 10K and 13:20 marks in the 5K.

One of the top runners in the field is Peter Njeru.  Earlier in the year he clocked a 27:52 10k.  He was just a 34 minute 10k runner before he joined the KATA (Kenyan  Athletics Training Academy in Thika) training camp in 2020.  Second photo is Peter having lunch with KATA's founder/director Bob Anderson going on his plans for the Race.  Bob recently opened his second KATA location in Portugal. 

As usual, runners will have plenty of incentive to finish in the top four. The top male and female finishers will each receive $4,000. Second pays $3,000, third garners $2,000, and fourth pays $1,000. The top American runner will also receive $1,000.

The women's field is headlined by Dom Scott and Atsede Baysa.

Scott is a two-time Olympian, five-time NCAA champion and two-time national champ. She has dual citizenship (South Africa and U.S.) and is eligible for the top American runner prize.

Ethiopia's Baysa has won three major marathons, claiming the Boston title in 2016, and Chicago title in 2010 and '12.

"The women's field is incredibly deep," Gradone said. "A lot of women have run in the low 15 minutes in the 5K. Those are some serious times."

Gradone is alluding to talents like Bahrain's Bontu Edao Rebitu, and Americans Kayley Delay, Katie Izzo, Grace Barnett, and Paige Wood. Australia's Clare O'Brien isn't far off, and Great Britain's Alice Wright could also be in the mix.

American Everlyn Kemboi, the 2023 NCAA champ in the 10K, was added to the field this week.

Top female locals include Santa Cruz's Amy Schnittger, an Aptos High and Chico State University alumna, and Mari Friedman, a Santa Cruz High and Oregon State University alumna.

Kenya's Shadrack Keter, the third place finisher at the Wharf to Wharf last year, is one of the favorites in the men's field, as are New Zealand's Matt Baxter, a two-time national champion, Kenya's Peter Mwaniki Njeru, Ethiopia's Ali Abdilmana, and Zimbabwe's Bradely Makuvire.

A strong American contingent includes Reid Buchanan, a silver medalist in the 10,000 at the 2019 Pan American Games, Noah Droddy, Sidney Gidabuday, Aidan Reed, Patrick Smyth, Zac Hine and Evert Silva.

Top local males include St. Francis High alum Julian Vargas, who took fifth at the 2024 3C2A State Championships in the 10,000 for Hartnell College, and Aptos native Jack Rose, who took 54th out of 26,469 runners at the 128th Boston Marathon in April.

Vargas (29:28) took ninth at the 2023 Wharf to Wharf and Rose (30:49) took 33rd.