Running News Daily

Legese and Chepngetich lead Chicago Marathon fields

Ruth Chepngetich heads to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on the hunt for a hat trick, while Birhanu Legese is the fastest in the men’s field for the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on Sunday (13).

The women’s race features a clash between Chepngetich, her Kenyan compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei and Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede – three sub-2:17 runners who form part of a field that includes another six women to have dipped under 2:20.

Chepngetich, the 2019 world marathon champion, won in Chicago in 2021 and 2022, and followed that with a runner-up finish to Sifan Hassan last year. She clocked 2:14:18 on that occasion, while her PB of 2:14:18 set in Chicago in 2022 makes her the fourth fastest women’s marathon runner in history.

She ran 2:24:36 for her most recent marathon, in London in April, and placed ninth, but then clocked 1:05:58 to win the 21k Buenos Aires half marathon in August.

Jepkosgei, who won the London Marathon in 2021 and New York City Marathon in 2019, finished fourth in Chicago last year in 2:17:23. 

She improved by one place when returning to marathon action in London in April, setting a PB of 2:16:24.

It’s Kebede who leads this season’s top list, thanks to the PB of 2:15:55 she set to win the Tokyo Marathon in March. That puts her at No.8 all time and she will be hoping to make the most of the fast course in Chicago.

“After seeing what my teammate Kelvin Kiptum did last year, I want to come to Chicago to do something great,” said Kebede, who finished 15th in last year’s race.

Kiptum, who was part of Kebede’s training group, died in a road traffic accident in February, just four months after he set his world marathon record of 2:00:35 in Chicago. This year, the event will honour Kiptum’s legacy with a moment of silence at the start line.

Joining Chepngetich, Jepkosgei and Kebede on that start line will be three more women with PBs under 2:18 – Ethiopia’s Degitu Azimeraw, Ashete Bekere and Hiwot Gebrekidan – plus Kenya’s Irine Cheptai, who ran 2:18:22 in Hamburg in April.

The field also features the second and third fastest ever US women’s marathon runners, Keira D’Amato and Betsy Saina, who have also dipped under 2:20. They are joined in this competitive field by their compatriots Sara Hall and Emma Bates.

Ethiopia’s Legese leads the men’s field with the PB of 2:02:48 he ran in Berlin in 2019. That performance puts him sixth on the men’s world marathon all-time list but since then his highest marathon finish has been a third place, achieved in Rotterdam with a 2:05:16 run in April.

The two-time Tokyo Marathon champion will want to return to winning ways when he heads back to Chicago, where he placed 10th when making his World Marathon Majors debut in 2018, but he faces tough opposition.

Six other men in the field have PBs faster than 2:06, including Kenya’s Amos Kipruto, Vincent Ngetich and John Korir, and Ethiopia’s Dawit Wolde, Amedework Walelegn and Mohamed Esa.

Kipruto, the 2019 world bronze medallist, and Ngetich have matching PBs of 2:03:13. Kipruto won the London Marathon in 2022 and trains with Benson Kipruto, who won that year’s Chicago Marathon, while Ngetich was second in the Berlin Marathon last year, five places ahead of Kipruto. He was also third at this year’s Tokyo Marathon.

Korir ran his PB of 2:05:01 when finishing third in Chicago in 2022, while Wolde ran 2:03:48 in Valencia last year, Esa has a best of 2:05:05 from Amsterdam in 2022 and Walelegn clocked 2:04:50 in Rotterdam in April, finishing runner-up – one place ahead of Legese.

Looking to join them at the front of the field will be Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo, the world 10,000m and half marathon silver medallist who makes his marathon debut. The 29-year-old ran a 59:30 half marathon in Berlin in April, 26 seconds off his PB set in Manama in 2022.

Ethiopia’s Jemal Yimer Mekonnen, who finished fourth in the half marathon at last year’s World Road Running Championships behind runner-up Ebenyo, is back in marathon action after his win in Seoul in March.

Among the athletes racing on home soil are USA’s Zach Panning, CJ Albertson and Brian Shrader.

Elite fields

 

WomenRuth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:14:18Sutume Kebede (ETH) 2:15:55Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:16:24Degitu Azimeraw (ETH) 2:17:58Ashete Bekere (ETH) 2:17:58Hiwot Gebrekidan (ETH) 2:17:59Irine Cheptai (KEN) 2:18:22Keira D'Amato (USA) 2:19:12Betsy Saina (USA) 2:19:17Sara Hall (USA) 2:20:32Emma Bates (USA) 2:22:10Buze Diriba (ETH) 2:23:11Sara Vaughn (USA) 2:23:24Susanna Sullivan (USA) 2:24:27Gabi Rooker (USA) 2:24:35Lindsay Flanagan (USA) 2:24:43Stacey Ndiwa (KEN) 2:25:29  Lauren Hagans (USA) 2:25:56Annie Frisbie (USA) 2:26:18Jackie Gaughan (USA) 2:27:08Dominique Scott (RSA) 2:27:31Diane Nukuri (USA) 2:27:50Makena Morley (USA) 2:30:25Anne Marie Blaney (USA) 2:30:43Amy Davis-Green (USA) 2:33:09Aubrey Frentheway (USA) debut

 

MenBirhanu Legese (ETH) 2:02:48Amos Kipruto (KEN) 2:03:13Vincent Ngetich (KEN) 2:03:13Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:03:48Amedework Walelegn (ETH) 2:04:50John Korir (KEN) 2:05:01Mohamed Esa (ETH) 2:05:05Jemal Yimer (ETH) 2:06:08Kyohei Hosoya (JPN) 2:06:35Toshiki Sadakata (JPN) 2:07:05Tatsuya Maruyama (JPN) 2:07:50Yuichi Yasui (JPN) 2:08:48Jorge Castelblanco (PAN) 2:09:24Zach Panning (USA) 2:09:28Brian Shrader (USA) 2:09:46CJ Albertson (USA) 2:09:53Tomoki Yoshioka (JPN) 2:10:03Reed Fischer (USA) 2:10:34Nathan Martin (USA) 2:10:45Colin Mickow (USA) 2:11:22Kevin Salvano (USA) 2:11:26Jacob Thomson (USA) 2:11:40Turner Wiley (USA) 2:11:59Shadrack Kipchirchir (USA) 2:13:02JP Flavin (USA) 2:13:27Charlie Sweeney (USA) 2:13:41Ben Kendell (USA) 2:15:49Phil Parrot-Migas (CAN) 2:15:53Aaron Gruen (USA) 2:15:56Daniel Ebenyo (KEN) debutPeter Lynch (IRL) debutAlex Maier (USA) debutAlex Masai (USA) debut

(10/11/2024) Views: 205 ⚡AMP
by World athletics

Six American runners to watch in the 2024 Chicago Marathon

Excitement is building for this year’s Chicago Marathon that takes place on Sunday 13 October. Once again, a stellar field has been assembled including some of the best American runners operating today. Read on to find out which US athletes will compete in the 2024 Chicago Marathon. 

It’s been seven years since the last American was victorious in the Chicago Marathon, with Galen Rupp crowned winner of the men’s race in 2017. In the women’s race, you need to go back almost 20 years to find the last US winner, when Deena Kastor became the first female American to claim victory on the streets of Chicago in almost a decade.

But with this year’s Chicago Marathon just days away, a strong group of elite American runners will take on the challenge of the 42.195km race, bringing with them experience, pedigree and the hopes of a nation as they battle for glory on home soil.

Read on to discover the top American athletes competing in the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

Top Americans in the 2024 Chicago Marathon women’s race

Keira D’Amato

Keira D'Amato, the former fastest female American runner of all time, has an exceptional track record in long-distance events. The 39-year-old still holds the fastest US women’s time in the half marathon at 1:06:39, set in the Gold Coast, Australia in 2023, while her best in the 42.195km race is an impressive 2:19:12, which she achieved in Houston in 2022.

This year, D’Amato will have speedy support by her side, as she revealed her pacer for the Chicago Marathon will be none other than Rio 2016 Olympic 1500m gold medallist Matthew Centrowitz. Can the addition to her race-day crew catapult D’Amato to glory in the Windy City? All will be revealed on Sunday.

Betsy Saina

Born in Kenya, Betsy Saina has since received her US citizenship and will be one of the favourites to hold the title of fastest American in this year’s Chicago Marathon women’s race. Saina became a mother in 2021 but has gone from strength to strength since then, becoming the fastest female American marathoner in 2023. While her dreams of making the Olympic team for Paris 2024 were not realised, she comes into this year’s Chicago Marathon showpiece with one of the fastest times among all US runners with a personal best of 2:19:17 set at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon.

Sara Hall

A fan favourite and former American marathon record holder, Sara Hall has vast experience in elite marathon running, which includes a third-place finish in the 2021 Chicago Marathon.

Perhaps her most memorable performance was in the 2021 London Marathon where she produced a stunning all-out sprint finish to claim second-place in Britain’s capital.

At 41 years old, Hall will be among the older members of the elite field but she is showing few signs of slowing down. She finished fifth in the 2024 Olympic marathon trials and in April this year ended the Boston Marathon as the second-fastest American finisher in a time of 2:27:58.

Top Americans in the 2024 Chicago Marathon men’s race

Zach Panning

During the US marathon trials for the last Olympics, Zach Panning sent the crowd into a frenzy with a courageous run where he led from the front for almost three-quarters of the race. Panning eventually fell off the pace to finish the trials in sixth place, with only the top three nominated for the team.

However, the fearlessness of the 29-year-old, who holds a personal best of 2:09:28, makes him one of the most exciting runners in the field.

Brian Shrader

Following his 10th-place finish in the 2024 London Marathon, Brian Shrader is back on home soil hoping to impress on the streets of Chicago, where he finished 11th last year in a personal best time of 2:09:46.

While a DNF in the Olympic trials shattered Shrader’s dreams of going to Paris 2024 he enters this race with real aspirations of finishing as the top American and perhaps challenging the front-runners in the elite men’s race.

CJ Albertson

Perhaps best known for his exploits over distances that trickle into the category of ultrarunning, CJ Albertson’s pace over the legendary 42.195km distance makes him one of the top three American men in the Chicago Marathon field.

The former world record holder over 50km enters Sunday’s race with a best marathon time of 2:09:53 set at the 2024 Boston Marathon, where he finished seventh.

Albertson finished fifth in the 2024 Olympic trials but his recent form shows just why he is one of the most talked-about US athletes operating in the marathon today.

 

(10/09/2024) Views: 192 ⚡AMP
by Athletics

Alexander Munyao Wins Men’s Race at the 2024 London Marathon

The 27-year-old broke away from Kenenisa Bekele, who finished second in a new masters world record.

For the second time in the past week, the men’s winner at a World Marathon Majors crossed the line in survival mode. Six days ago, it was Sisay Lemma holding on to win Boston. This morning, it was Alexander Munyao in London. The Kenyan survived a strong move in the 18th mile to win in 2:04:01.

Kenenisa Bekele, arguably the greatest male distance runner in history, placed second in 2:04:15, four seconds faster than the masters world record he set in Valencia last December. The 41-year-old Ethiopian superstar was, surprisingly, largely responsible for the 4:35 18th mile that broke up what had been a nine-man pack.

By 35K (21.7 miles), the race was down to Munyao and Bekele. The two shared the lead more because of doing the best job of recovering after the earlier push than because they were speeding up. Munyao then got half a step on Bekele early in the 22nd mile, and broke him for good over the next mile.

Once they were dropped by Munyao and Bekele, the other earlier members of the lead pack that hit halfway in 61:29 suffered significantly. Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia, the 2022 world champion who broke the New York City course record last November, had looked eager to take over after the final pacer exited the course a little before 30K. Instead, Tola lost more than 20 seconds to the leaders before 35K, and dropped out before 40K.

The severe disintegration of the lead pack led to third and fourth place going to British runners who had been paced more moderately early on. Emile Cairess finished third in a personal best of 2:06:16 after being in 13th place at halfway (62:50). Mahamed Mahamed placed fourth in 2:07:05, also a personal best. Both men are now likely to be named to the British team for the Olympic Marathon, which will be held on August 10.

Munyao and Bekele were also running in part to secure spots on their Olympic teams. Munyao’s win, combined with his 2:03:13 PR and runner-up finish in Valencia in December, makes a good case. Bekele’s bid is even stronger. With Tola’s poor showing and Bekele’s second strong marathon in a row, will Ethiopian selectors recognize that a three-time Olympic and 19-time world champion deserves to toe the line in Paris?

Brian Shrader, the lone U.S. elite entrant, placed tenth in 2:10:50.

(04/21/2024) Views: 488 ⚡AMP

SAINA VICTORIOUS and KORIR REPEATS AT THE USATF 25 KM CHAMPIONSHIPS

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — It was a thrilling morning of racing in Grand Rapids on Saturday, as both the women’s and men’s races came down to the final mile, with Betsy Saina earning her first USATF title and Leonard Korir repeating as champion at the USATF 25 km Championships.

The USATF 25 km championships was hosted by the Amway River Bank and is the sixth stop on the USATF Running Circuit.

The women started first Saturday morning in Grand Rapids, and as the gun sounded it was USATF Running Circuit veteran Dakotah Lindwurm jumping to the early lead and setting a pace that immediately strung out the field. Lindwurm, along with other top competitors, would eventually pack up and run much of the front half of the race together.

 As the lead pack passed the 10 km split, Lindwurm continued to drive the pace, while the remaining athletes in the group, Saina, Keira D’Amato, Jessa Hanson, Jeralyn Poe, and Nell Rojas all seemed content letting Lindwurm pace the way up front. 

By 15 km, the trio of Lindwurm, Saina, and D’Amato were the remaining three runners up front, with Hanson and Poe running together a few seconds back. Eventually, D’Amato put in a surge to jump to the lead, as Lindwurm dropped off pace and connected with Hanson and Poe.

The move put D’Amato and Saina up front, claiming valuable seconds between themselves and the chase group as the final stages of the race were now upon them. D'Amato and Saina started to work together, and while Lindwurm and Hanson worked to try to maintain contact, their effort eventually couldn’t match that of the front running duo. 

With just under a mile and a half to go, Saina put in a surge that D’Amato simply couldn’t match. Saina charged forward, never looking pack, working hard to create crucial space between her and D’Amato. As the finish came into view, Saina nearly missed the final turn, allowing D’Amato to regain a few seconds on her rival, but ultimately Saina held off D’Amato, claiming her first USATF title as she crossed the line in 1:24:32. 

D’Amato claimed the runner-up spot at the USATF 25 km Championships for the second year running, this time crossing the finish in 1:24:39, adding another strong result to her young 2023 campaign. Behind the leading duo, Hanson held off Lindwurm for third, crossing the finish in 1:25:33, while Lindwurm held on over the final miles to claim fourth overall in 1:25:58. Rojas and Poe stayed close to the chase, as well, taking home fifth and sixth place in 1:26:19 and 1:26:32. With their third and fifth place finishes, Hanson and Rojas leapt Emma Hurley in the USATF Running Circuit overall standings, as the duo are now tied for first with 29 points.

Hurley now sits third with 22 points, having not raced Saturday in Grand Rapids. Breanna Sieracki took home seventh in 1:28:43, Mackenzie Caldwell claimed eighth in 1:29:19, Katrina Spratford-Sterling earned ninth in 1:30:13, and Joanna Stephens finished tenth for the second consecutive year with a 1:30:49 finish. 

As the men’s race got underway, reigning champion Korir and Thomson jumped to the lead immediately, pushing the early pace and dropping the majority of the field within the first 5 km, leaving a small group of only eight men in the lead pack. 

Over the next 5 km, Korir and Thomson would continue to lead, with USATF Running Circuit veterans Brian Shrader and Joel Reichow, along with Connor Winter, making a top group of five runners. Rolling along, the lead pack passed through 15 km, with Reichow dropping off the group, leaving four men to race the final 10 km in Grand Rapids. Winter would eventually fall off pace, making it a three-man race to the finish with less than 5 km to go. 

With a mile to go, Korir started to push the pace, one that both Shrader and Thomson couldn’t match. Korir used his experience in Grand Rapids, picking it up around the curves of the final stages of the race, putting enough space on his competition to hold on to victory, repeating as USATF 25 km champion in 1:14:45. 

Thomson was able to hold off Shrader over the final quarter mile of the race, taking second place in 1:14:49 to Shrader’s third place effort of 1:14:53. Korir’s finish pushed him into the top spot in the USATF Running Circuit overall rankings with 46 points. Thomson’s runner-up effort kept him in second, but moving ahead of Hillary Bor in points, totaling 43 points through six races on this year’s circuit. Shrader’s third place effort moved him up to fourth, five points behind Bor’s 31-point total with 26 points. 

Winter held on to fourth place, running a magnificent race from start to finish, crossing the line in 1:15:30. John Dressel and Reichow finished fifth and sixth overall in 1:16:06 and 1:17:12 respectively. Rounding out the top ten, Jarrod Ottman ran to seventh in 1:18:58. Adam Walker and Will Norris both ran under 1:20:00, with 1:19:06 and 1:19:21 eighth and ninth place finishes. Brendan Gregg took home tenth in 1:22:27, outlasting two-time USATF 25 km champion Fernando Cabada, who took eleventh with the same time. The seventh and eighth stop on the 2023 USATF Running Circuit are the USATF Women’s 6 km Championships in Canton, Ohio, and the USATF Men’s 8 km Championships in Kingport, Tennessee, both events taking place on July 15.

(05/14/2023) Views: 469 ⚡AMP

U.S. Champion Erika Kemp is set for Boston Marathon debut

Erika Kemp has lived in Boston since 2018, training with the Boston Athletic Association’s pro team. But she has never trained on the Boston Marathon course. Why would she? Most of her training was for track and road 5Ks and 10Ks and the occasional longer distance, like the U.S. 20K championships, which she won in 2021.

Now that Kemp’s making her marathon debut—at Boston—she and her new coach, Kurt Benninger, who is based in Providence, Rhode Island, figured it was time to put some long runs in on the road she’ll be racing in April. The plan on February 26 was for her to run 20 miles, the longest run she’s ever gone, starting at mile 3 of the course and getting through the Newton hills. It’s a straight shot—at least for most people.

But Kemp, 28, who admits she gets lost easily, was running on the right side of the road through the town of Wellesley when she inadvertently got off course. She ran onto Route 9, an unappealing stretch of road with office parks, car dealerships, and a 50-mile-per-hour speed limit. She didn’t realize she was on the wrong road until 6 miles later. By the time she got back to her home in Boston’s Allston neighborhood, she had exceeded 23 miles—and she never did see those Newton hills.

She put in a call to Benninger.

“I didn’t quite know how to tell him,” Kemp said. “It’s still a relatively new coaching relationship. How do I tell him I ran an extra 20 minutes and didn’t see the second half of the course I was supposed to see?”

Benninger, though, thought it was funny. So did Kemp. “He was super chill about it,” she said, and he told her, “Well, you got some extra volume. We’ll definitely go over directions more carefully next time.”

New beginnings

Early 2023 has brought many new roads for Kemp—some figurative, some literal. She decided not to re-sign with the B.A.A.’s High Performance Team at the end of last year. Now, in addition to the new race distance she’s trying, she has a new sponsorship deal with Brooks and a new training situation.

After Boston, she’ll move to Providence to be in person with Benninger’s group, which includes pros Marielle Hall, Helen Schlactenhaufen, and Brian Shrader (though the latter two train mainly in Boston). In addition, Benninger’s wife, Molly Huddle, who is coached by Ray Treacy, comes to a lot of their practices. Occasionally Emily Sisson, another Treacy athlete, will be in town. Kemp expects she’ll match up with Hall for most of her workouts.

It’s a big change from what she’s been doing, but Kemp felt like she needed it. She was a six-time All-American at North Carolina State University, and she improved on her college times at the B.A.A., running 15:10 for 5,000 meters on the track and 31:35 for 10,000. But she felt like she came up short at the biggest moments.

“I have yet to feel like I really have had that breakthrough race,” she said, “where all of my training and improvements have been reflected in a singular performance. I have had a lot of races the last couple of years where I got to the start line kind of fatigued. I don’t feel like it’s 100 percent reflective of how much I’ve improved.”

When she decided to leave the B.A.A., she didn’t have a training situation lined up for herself yet, and she was still talking to sponsors. So she got herself through the early days of marathon training by consulting with friends and a network of experienced marathoners, building up her mileage to 90 per week from the high 70s or low 80s she had been doing. It was a big jump for her, but she handled it well.

The only downside to marathon training is the constant hunger. Kemp is usually a sound sleeper, but she found herself waking up at 3 a.m. several nights in a row. Finally she realized she was hungry and started scarfing down a bowl of cereal. Then she’d go right back to sleep.

“You’re literally eating a bowl of cereal in the dark, and thinking, ‘What is my life right now?’” she said.

Whatever she was running—and eating—worked: In January, she finished seventh at the Houston Half Marathon in a PR of 1:10:14, averaging 5:22 per mile. With the performance, Kemp qualified for the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, which she intends to run.

She said that Brooks felt like a natural fit as a sponsor, and the company didn’t mind if she wanted to stay on the East Coast instead of joining one of its two established training groups in Michigan or Seattle.

(03/03/2023) Views: 975 ⚡AMP
by Sarah Lorge

Thomson and Tuliamuk came out on top at USATF Half marathon championships

FORT WORTH, TX — The racing strategies were different, but the end result was the same for Jacob Thomson and Aliphine Tuliamuk Sunday morning in Fort Worth, Texas, as both runners claimed victory at the USATF Half Marathon Championships. 

On-demand race videos and coverage of the USATF Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Cowtown Marathon, the second stop on the 2023 USATF Running Circuit.  

A conservative early pace in the men’s race kept together the entire starting field, as Olympian Jared Ward jumping to the lead and taking on the pacing duties. He was joined up front by fellow Saucony pro Brian Shrader, as the 18-man lead pack passed through 5 km in 15:23. Just past the 5 km split, Thomson decided to push the pace, jumping to the lead and opening up a nearly five second gap. Thomson would continue to string the field out, running 30 seconds faster for the next 5 km split, as the Under Armour pro came through 10 km in 30:16. 

As Thomson came through 10 km, defending champion Leonard Korir, 2022 runner-up Futsum Zienasellassie, Shrader, and Abbabiya Simbassa led the pack, bridging the divide and catching up to Thomson. The quickening of pace diminished the lead group, leaving a pack of 10 with half the race to go. 

As mile 10 came about, Shrader jumped to the lead and started to push the pace. The pack of 10 strung out again, with only Thomson, Korir, Zienasellassie, and Simbassa able to maintain contact. For the next three miles, the five-man pack ran stride for stride, each feeling out when the right time to make a push to the finish would be. With one final turn before the finish, Thomson made the decisive move, surging ahead, using the momentum from the final turn to propel himself into the lead.

Thomson locked his eyes on the finish, pumping his arms wildly, and in the end was able to fend off the field to claim his first USATF title in 1:02:38. A stride behind Thomson, Korir and Zienasellassie battled to the finish for the second year in a row, with Korir able to withstand the kick of Zienasellassie, placing second in 1:02:39.

Zienasellassie carried his momentum from his USATF Marathon Championships victory in December to earn another top three USATF Running Circuit finish, finishing with the same time of Korir in 1:02:39. Simbassa came home fourth overall in 1:02:41, placing just ahead of Shrader, who hung on to take fifth in 1:02:43. Of note, Thomson, Korir, and Shrader will meet again next Saturday on the streets of Jacksonville, Florida, as all three are entered in the USATF 15 km Championships. Scott Fauble finished sixth in 1:02:49, while Tyler McCandless also broke the 63-minute barrier with his seventh-place finish of 1:02:52. Colin Bennie finished eighth in 1:03:08, Colin Mickow took home ninth place in 1:03:22, and Matt McDonald claimed tenth in 1:03:43, all earning points towards the USATF Running Circuit overall standings. 

Unlike the conservative pace of the men’s early miles, the women’s field got off the start line and immediately hit an honest pace. HOKA Northern Arizona elite teammates Lauren Paquette and Tuliamuk jumped to the front, with Paquette in particular pushing the pace. 

As Paquette led the way through the first 5 km, passing through the split in 16:31, she and Tuliamuk built an early ten second lead over the rest of the field. That lead would grow to 50 seconds over the next 5 km, as the duo came through 10 km in 32:45. Paquette did much of the pace setting over the next 5 km, with Tuliamuk just off her shoulder, both coming through 15 km in 49:16, now over a minute and a half clear of the chase pack.  

At this point in the race, Tuliamuk took over the lead, and while for a moment it looked as if the two would continue to run stride for stride, Tuliamuk’s move to the front pushed the pace just enough to where Paquette started to fall off the pace and Tuliamuk built a few second lead over her teammate over the next mile. 

Tuliamuk continued to push, building her lead to 12 seconds with one mile to go. As Tuliamuk came down the final straightaway, she glanced over her shoulder, then charged ahead to cross the finish line with a smile on her face, claiming her seventh USATF title in 1:09:36. Behind Tuliamuk, Paquette held on and finished a fantastic race in second place in 1:09:51.

The two teammates embraced at the finish line and then watched the rest of the top women race to the finish.  Veteran Nell Rojas pulled away from the chase pack of four women over the final two miles of the race, separating herself to easily cross the finish in third place, clocking 1:11:08. Molly Grabill earned a fourth-place finish in 1:11:16, while Jessa Hanson took fifth in 1:11:26. Tuliamuk’s and Paquette’s other teammate in the race, Paige Wood, finished sixth overall in 1:11:32. Rounding out the top ten finishers, Katja Goldring scored a seventh-place finish in 1:12:36. Olympian Molly Seidel finished eighth in 1:13:07, while Bridget Belyeu and Lindsey Bradley finished ninth and tenth in 1:15:05 and 1:15:12. 

The USATF Running Circuit resumes next Saturday, March 4, as the USATF 15 km Championships take place in Jacksonville, Florida, with the Gate River Run hosting the third stop on the circuit

(02/26/2023) Views: 771 ⚡AMP

World Record Holders, Olympians, National Champions set to Race B.A.A. 5K

The B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile will make a triumphant return to Patriots’ Day weekend, with professional fields featuring world record holders, Olympians, Paralympians, national champions, and local standouts. Held on Saturday, April 16, the B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile will kick-off festivities leading up to the 126th Boston Marathon on April 18.

“The B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile are two events entrenched in the fabric of Boston Marathon weekend, and each features a field which will lead to fast competition,” said Tom Grilk, President and Chief Executive Officer of the B.A.A. “With three years having passed since our last in-person edition of these races, we’re eager to return to the roads to crown champions.”

In the B.A.A. 5K, Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi will make her Boston road racing debut. A two-time Olympian and two-time World Athletics Championships silver medalist, Teferi holds the women’s-only 5K world record of 14:29. She’ll be up against recently crowned American marathon record holder Keira D’Amato, 2021 U.S. Olympians Emily Sisson and Rachel Schneider, reigning U.S. 5K national champion Weini Kelati, and B.A.A. High Performance Team member Erika Kemp. The B.A.A. 5K course and American record of 14:50 –set by Molly Huddle in 2015—could very well be in jeopardy.

On the men’s side, 2019 B.A.A. 10K champion David Bett and 17-time NCAA champion Edward Cheserek, both of Kenya, will square off against New Zealand 5,000m indoor national record holder Geordie Beamish and 2021 U.S. Olympians Mason Ferlic and Joe Klecker. Stanley Kebenei, a World Athletics Championships finalist in the 3000m steeplechase, will also be part of the strong American charge. The B.A.A. 5K course and American record is 13:20, established by Ben True in 2017.

Boston Marathon wheelchair division champions Marcel Hug, Daniel Romanchuk, and Joshua Cassidy will all compete in the B.A.A. 5K less than 48 hours in advance of racing the 126th Boston Marathon. Vanessa de Souza, Shelly Oxley-Woods, and Jenna Fesemyer are top women’s wheelchair entrants.

Following the B.A.A. 5K, the B.A.A. Invitational Mile will take center stage on Boylston Street. U.S. Olympian, Bostonian, and reigning indoor 1,500m national champion Heather MacLean will race for the first time on the three-lap course that finishes at the Boston Marathon finish line. Among her competitors are B.A.A. High Performance Team member Annie Rodenfels, 2019 runner-up Emily Lipari, and Great Britain Olympian Katie Snowden. MacLean and Rodenfels won’t be the only Massachusetts residents toeing the line, as Belmont High School standout Ellie Shea will race among the professionals. Shea ran 9:08.54 for 3,000m during the indoor season, a time that stands as No. 5 on the all-time high school list and is a Massachusetts state record.

Shane Streich, fresh off an indoor American record at 1,000m, will lead the American men in the B.A.A. Invitational Mile along with 3:54 miler Colby Alexander. Neil Gourley of Great Britain is entered, as are Canadian William Paulson, the 2019 Pan-Am 1500m bronze medalist, B.A.A. racing team member Kevin Kelly of Ireland, and local standout James Randon of Rhode Island.

A complete professional field list for the B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile can be found below. Preceding the professional divisions of the B.A.A. Invitational Mile will be a scholastic mile and middle school 1K featuring student-athletes from the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon route. Entries for the high school and middle school events will be available on race weekend.

 

2022 B.A.A. 5K WOMEN’S FIELD (NAME, COUNTRY, ROAD 5K PB, TRACK 5000M PB)

Carmela Cardama-Baez, Spain, N/A, 15:25.41 (NR)

Kim Conley, USA, 15:29, 15:05.20

Keira D’Amato, USA, 15:08, 16:09.86

Emily Durgin, USA, 16:05, 15:24.19

Annie Frisbie, USA, 16:35, 16:05.78

Sammy George, USA, 15:53, 15:19.66

Tori Gerlach, USA, 15:56, 15:44.13

Marielle Hall, USA, 15:08, 15:02.27

Elly Henes, USA, N/A, 15:03.27i

Emma Grace Hurley, USA, 16:13, 15:57.23

Katie Izzo, USA, 16:00, 15:41.33

Weini Kelati, USA, 15:18, 14:58.24

Erika Kemp, USA, 15:45, 15:10.10

Melissa Lodge, USA, N/A, 15:53.81i

Sharon Lokedi, Kenya, 15:48, 15:13.04i

Betty Sigei, Kenya, N/A, 15:37.80

Emily Sisson, USA, 15:38, 14:53.84

Rachel Smith (Schneider), USA, N/A, 14:52.04

Emma Spencer, USA, 16:41, 16:04.95

Susanna Sullivan, USA, 16:35, 15:42.59i

Senbere Teferi, Ethiopia, 14:29 (WR), 14:15.29

Abbey Wheeler, USA, N/A, 15:40.67i

 

2022 B.A.A. 5K MEN’S FIELD (NAME, COUNTRY, ROAD 5K PB, TRACK 5000M PB)

Eric Avila, USA, 13:55, 13:18.68

Geordie Beamish, New Zealand, N/A, 13:12.53i (NR)

David Bett, Kenya, 13:54, 13:06.06

Ben Blankenship, USA, 13:56, 13:33.07

Robert Brandt, USA, N/A, 13:19.11

Sam Chelanga, USA, 13:43, 13:09.67

Edward Cheserek, Kenya, 13:29, 13:04.44

Adam Clarke, Great Britain, 13:42, 13:39.21

Graham Crawford, USA, 13:54, 13:22.68i

Aaron Dinzeo, USA, 14:25, 13:58.37

Brandon Doughty, USA, N/A, 13:39.06

Mason Ferlic, USA, 13:52, 13:24.94

Sydney Gidabuday, USA, 13:53, 13:22.66

Eric Hamer, USA, 14:43, 13:29.60

Brian Harvey, USA, 14:01, 14:13.93

Stanley Kebenei, USA, 13:53, 13:45.87

Joe Klecker, USA, N/A, 13:06.67

Kasey Knevelbaard, USA, 13:56, 13:24.98i

Lawi Lalang, USA, 13:30, 13:00.95

Matt McClintock, USA, 13:49, 13:47.68

Tim McGowan, USA, 14:11, 13:54.20

Reuben Mosip, Kenya, 13:34, 13:50.80a

Charles Philbert-Thiboutot, Canada, 14:04, 13:22.44

Brian Shrader, USA, 13:57, 13:29.13

Zouhair Talbi, Morocco, N/A, 13:18.17i

Aaron Templeton, USA, 13:48, 13:39.39

Josef Tessema, USA, 14:05, 13:22.28.

(03/30/2022) Views: 1,722 ⚡AMP
by Running USA

Rupp and Tuliamuk will be running the marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Galen Rupp and Aliphine Tuliamuk booked their spots to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after churning out impressive victories at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in Atlanta on Saturday (29).

Contested in chilly and windy conditions on a challenging undulating course, the goal was straightforward: finish in the top-three and an Olympic berth would be yours.

Rupp, who won the 2016 trials race in his debut over the distance and then went on to take Olympic bronze in Rio, used that experience to his advantage.

The Portland, Oregon, native broke from early leader Brian Shrader in the 16th mile, with Augustus Maiyo, Atlanta Track Club member Matt McDonald and Abdi Abdirahman in tow. That leader's group remained intact until mile 20 where Rupp put in a surge that created a three second cushion on Maiyo and McDonald, with Abdirahman another four seconds back.

Soon thereafter, the battle for the win was over as Rupp surged away, first to a 17 second lead after 21 miles, a lead he extended to 29 a mile later. He was a solitary figure when he crossed the line in 2:09:20, forced to wait nearly a minute to see who'd be joining him in Tokyo.

Jacob Riley, running sixth and 11 seconds behind the chase group at mile 23, fought his way into contention over the next two miles to eventually finish second in 2:10:02. Abdirahman held off Leonard Korir to finish third in 2:10:03 and punch his ticket for a fifth Olympic appearance at age 43.

"It's incredible. I feel relief almost more than anything," said Rupp, who has raced just twice since his fifth place finish at the Chicago Marathon in October 2018. Sidelined by a major foot injury, he returned to action in Chicago last October but didn't finish. "It's been a long year and a half.

Tuliamuk wins the waiting game. In contrast, 11 women were in contention for win when they reached the half in 1:14:38 before the pack began to string out by mile 16. There, Kellyn Taylor, debutante Molly Seidel and Tuliamuk formed the leading triumvirate, with Laura Thweatt, Des Linden and Sally Kipyego running another second back.

That pack remained until the 21st mile when Tuliamuk and Seidel decided to take command. Running together, they built a seven second lead over Kipyego a mile later, and extended it to 22 seconds by mile 23. Tuliamuk then broke away in the 25th mile to finish unchallenged in 2:27:23, seven seconds ahead of Seidel.

Kipyego, who won Olympic 10,000m silver for her native Kenya in 2012 and becames a US citizen last year, took the third spot in 2:28:52, 11 seconds ahead of one of the pre-race favourites, Des Linden.

"It was amazing," said Tuliamuk, a native of Kenya, who became a US citizen in 2016. "When we broke away, I kept saying 'Molly, let's go'. I knew it wouldn't happen by itself."

Seidel, who qualified for the trials by virtue of a 1:10:27 win at the Rock ’n’ Roll San Antonio Half Marathon in December, suffered from eating disorders and injury during and since her successful college career at Notre Dame where she took NCAA titles in cross country and indoors and outdoors on the track. She wasn't an unknown in Atlanta but was considered a long shot.

"I didn't think I was going to be here," she said. "I'm still in shock right now."

(02/29/2020) Views: 1,849 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics

John Hancock 2019 Boston Marathon US Elite Open Team

Featured video: 2019 Boston Marathon John Hancock U.S. Elite Open Team for Monday April 15.

Abdi Abdirahman, a four-time Olympian, placed sixth at the 2017 Boston Marathon. He is a multiple national champion in the 10,000m, 10K, 10-mile and half marathon. 

Shadrack Biwott finished third this year in Boston. Last year, he was second American and fourth overall. Biwott placed fifth at the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon in a personal best time of 2:12:01.

Aaron Braun, 13th at the 2018 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, is a versatile road runner. Braun is a national champion in the 12K and was top American at the 2015 Houston Marathon.

Sarah Crouch has finished top-ten three times at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, including this year where she was top American and ninth overall. She is a past champion of the Tallahassee Marathon and finished 11th at the 2016 Boston Marathon.

Jeffrey Eggleston has raced on three IAAF World Championships Marathon teams, placing as high as 13th in 2018. He has won the Pittsburgh, Woodlands, Lima and San Diego Marathons and has been runner-up in Brisbane, Pittsburgh and at Twin Cities.

Scott Fauble was the second American and seventh overall at the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon. Fauble placed fourth in the 10,000m at the 2016 Olympic Trials and represented the United States at the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.  

Lindsay Flanagan, the 2015 Pan American silver medalist in the marathon, finished 11th at the 2017 Boston Marathon and set her personal best of 2:29:25 at the Frankfurt Marathon this year.  

Sara Hall is the tenth fastest U.S. women’s marathoner of all time having set her 2:26:20 mark at the 2018 Ottawa Marathon. Hall has earned national titles in the marathon, 20K, 10-mile, mile and cross country. She is married to Ryan Hall, who is a John Hancock Elite Athlete Ambassador and holds the American course record of 2:04:58 at the Boston Marathon. 

Jordan Hasay set an American debut record of 2:23:00 with her third-place finish in Boston in 2017. She then ran the second fastest marathon of all time by a U.S. woman at the 2018 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, where she placed third in 2:20:57. Hasay is an 18-time All American and a national champion at 15K and 20K.  

Elkanah Kibet, a member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, has had two top-ten finishes at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. At the 2017 IAAF World Championships Marathon, Kibet finished top American and 16th overall. He was 8th in Boston in 2018.

Desiree Linden, a two-time Olympian, returns to Boston as defending champion. A top-five finisher in eight Abbott World Marathon Majors, additional accomplishments include placing seventh at the 2016 Olympic Games Marathon, tenth at the 2009 IAAF World Championships Marathon, second at the 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and second in the 10,000m at the 2015 Pan American Games. In addition to her 2018 win in Boston, she placed second in 2011.

Timothy Ritchie, the 2017 U.S. National Marathon champion, ran for the U.S. at the 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships where he placed 23th. Ritchie is the head men’s cross country coach at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Dathan Ritzenhein is the fourth fastest U.S. marathoner of all time with a 2:07:47 personal best. Career highlights for the three-time Olympian include finishing ninth at the 2008 Olympic Marathon, winning the bronze medal at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and finishing 13th at the 2012 Olympic Games 10,000m. 

Sarah Sellers ran through freezing rain and torrential wind this year to finish second behind Des Linden. In her 2017 marathon debut, Sellers won the Huntsville Marathon. In New York this year she finished 18th.

Brian Shrader is a versatile runner on the track and roads. He made his half marathon debut in Boston this year at the B.A.A. Half Marathon, running 1:05:26. He also made his marathon debut in 2018, running 2:13:31 at the USA Championships in Sacramento.  

Becky Wade, a champion of the California International Marathon, finished 11th at the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon and tenth at the 2017 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. 

Jared Ward placed third at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and followed with a sixth-place finish at the Olympic Marathon in Rio de Janeiro, less than a minute and a half out of medal contention. In 2017 Ward was tenth at the Boston Marathon and this year, he finished top American and sixth overall at the TCS New York City Marathon. 

(04/10/2019) Views: 2,431 ⚡AMP