Korir, Kurgat Seek to Extend USATF Running Circuit Leads at the USATF 10 km Championships

USATF Release

NORTHPORT, New York – USATF Running Circuit standings leaders Leonard Korir and Ednah Kurgat will both be eyeing victories Saturday morning at the USATF 10 km Championships, but even more so they’ll look to cement themselves at the top of the circuit standings with only two races left on this season’s calendar. 

The USATF 10 km Championships, hosted by the Great Cow Harbor 10K in Northport, New York are the eleventh stop on the 2023 USATF Running Circuit.

Korir’s lead in the USATF Running Circuit overall standings has been a constant nearly all season. The four-time Running Circuit overall champion currently sits atop of the standings with 63 points, 19 points ahead of second place Jacob Thomson and 21 points ahead of third place Clayton Young. 

The veteran Korir seeks to improve one spot off his 2022 finish, where he placed second. He brings championship-earned experience to the race as well, having won in 2017. Korir won the USATF 25 km Championship title this season, placed second at the USATF Half Marathon and USATF 15 km Championships, while placing sixth earlier this month at the USATF 20 km Championships.

Korir most notable challenger Saturday is Young. As mentioned, Young sits third in the overall USATF Running Circuit standings. In the past three USATF Running Circuit events, Young has won both the USATF 8 km and USATF 20 km Championships, while placing second at the USATF 7 Mile Championships. He also brings a third place finish from the 2021 USATF 10 km Championships and will most certainly be eyeing the win in Northport.

Emmanuel Bor is another USATF Running Circuit veteran to keep an eye on. Bor, who currently sits seventh in the USATF Running Circuit standings, won the USATF Cross Country Championships at the start of the year. More recently, he placed fourth at the USATF 8 km Championships after a strong showing at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene. 

Two other notable contenders Saturday are Daniel Mesfum and Nick Randazzo. Mesfum led for much of the way at the USATF 20 km Championships earlier this month, ultimately placing fourth. Meanwhile, Randazzo has earned three top ten finishes on the USATF Running Circuit this season, including a fourth place finish at the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships.

In the women’s race, Kurgat will seek to both win and extend her lead in the USATF Running Circuit standings. Kurgat ranks first with 52 points, well ahead of Nell Rojas in second (40 points) and Emily Sisson in third (30 points). Both Rojas and Sisson won’t be racing in Northport as they ready for fall marathons.

Kurgat placed fourth at last year’s USATF 10 km Championships, but is having arguably her strongest season as a pro to date. Kurgat won the USATF Cross Country title to start the season, won the USATF 6 km Championship crown after a stellar sixth place performance at the USATF Outdoor Championships in the 10,000m, placing third at the USATF 7 Mile Championships, then earlier this month placed second at the USATF 20 km Championships.

While Kurgat enters as the pre-race favorite, she’ll have plenty of competition from a deep women’s field. Weini Kelati brings the strongest 2023 resume into Saturday’s race after Kurgat, having placed fourth in the 10,000m and eighth in the 5000m at the USATF Outdoor Championships. Last weekend, Kelati placed eighth in the 5000m at the Nike Prefontaine Classic and enters Saturday’s contest in strong racing shape. 

Kurgat’s closest rival from the USATF Running Circuit is Emma Hurley, who currently sits fourth in the standings with 29 points. A top two finish would move her up to second place overall in the standings. Hurley placed second at the USATF 15 km Championships earlier this season, following that up with a third place finish at the USATF 10 Mile Championships. She also claimed a fourth place finish at the USATF 6 km Championships.

The Hansons-Brooks program will be well represented in Northport, as well. Anne-Marie Blaney, Jessie Cardin, and Kassie Parker are all entered and full capable of top three finishes. Blaney owns two top seven finishes on the Running Circuit this year, having placed sixth at the USATF 7 Mile Championships and seventh at the USATF 6 km Championships. Cardin placed one spot better, in fifth, at the USATF 7 Mile Championships, while Parker took home eighth place finishes at both the USATF 6 km and USATF 7 Mile Championships. 

One more athlete to keep an eye on is high school junior Zariel Macchia. The New York native is one of the top ranked distance runners in the country this fall and easily won her only cross country meet of the season. 

On demand race videos, results, and post-race interviews will be available shortly after the race in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com. Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #USARC.

About the USATF Running Circuit

The USATF Running Circuit is a USATF road series featuring USATF championships from one mile through the marathon and consistently attracts the best American distance runners with more than $500,000 to be awarded in total prize money. A total of $41,000 in prize money will be awarded at the USATF 10 km Championships.

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USATF Running Circuit race. For the USATF 10 km Championships, scoring is set as 15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7 ,6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1, with those earning the most points receiving prize money at the end of the series.

The mission of the USATF Running Circuit is to showcase, support and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USATF Running Circuit and its races have provided over $7 million to U.S. distance runners.

Contributed by Scott Bush