GRAND RAPIDS โ Betsy Saina will return to defend her women's title while Clayton Young will compete in her fifth USATF running race at this year's USATF 25km Championships hosted by Amway River Bank Run on Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Aiming to win the circuit men's title.
The USATF 25km Championship is the sixth stop on the 2024 USATF Running Circuit. Saturday's race begins with the women's race starting at 9:19 a.m. ET, followed by the men's race at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Saina made her USATF running circuit debut at last year's USATF 25km Championship, where she defeated Keira D'Amato in 1 hour, 24 minutes, 32 seconds to win the women's title.
Saina, a former NCAA champion at Iowa State University who represented Kenya in the Olympics, kicked off the 2024 season with the Tokyo Marathon on March 3, running a lifetime best time of 2:19:17. , placed 5th overall.
Dakota Lindwurm returns to the road after a historic race at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando on February 3rd.
The former NCAA Division III standout from Northern State University (SD) earned her ticket to the Paris Olympics by placing third behind Fiona O'Keefe and Emily Sisson in the U.S. Olympic Team Trial Marathon in 2:25:31. I got it.
Lindwurm finished fourth at last year's USATF 25km Championship with a lifetime best time of 1:25:58.
Emily Durgin and Annie Frisbee are among the top 10 finishers in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon, scheduled to race this Saturday.
Durgin and Frisby have also competed in two competitions on the USATF running circuit. Durgin placed second at the USATF 10 mile championship and third at the USATF 15 km championship. Frisbee took 4th place in the 15km championship and 5th in the 10 mile championship.
Allie Kiefer, who placed third at the 2022 USATF Half Marathon Championship, will compete in her second USATF running circuit race of the year after finishing sixth at the USATF 15km Championship.
Brittney Faber and Molly Buchmeier will return to the 25km Championship for the first time since 2022. Buchmeyer was sixth with a time of 1:28:42, and Faber was eighth with a time of 1:29:11.
In the men's division, there will be a new champion for the first time since 2021, as Leonard Korir will not be returning to win his third straight title.
U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon runner-up Clayton Young looks to add his fifth title on the USATF running circuit to his resume.
Young finished second in Orlando on February 3 with a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, 06 seconds behind training partner and former BYU teammate Connor Mantz.
Challenging Young will be Jacob Thomson, the top finisher of last year's 25km championship.
Thomson ran a time of 1 hour, 14 minutes, and 49 seconds in Grand Rapids last year, finishing second at the line by four seconds behind Collier.
Thomson raced twice in 2024 and had top-10 finishes in the USATF Championship 15k (6th overall) and 10 mile (9th overall).
Adam Walker is also a top-10 returner, finishing seventh in last year's championship division.
Past champions on the USATF running circuit also make up this year's field of competition, with 2024 15km champion Teshome Mekonnen taking center stage.
USATF Running Circuit Champions include 2023 20K Champion Daniel Mesfan, 2023 7 Mile Champion Villa Simbassa, and 2015 Half Marathon and 2014 5K Champion Diego Estrada.
Nathan Martin will compete in his third race in 2024 after finishing 4th at the 10 Mile Championship and 7th at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
Nico Montanez joined the ranks of top racers as a representative of the United States at the 23rd World Athletics Championships Budapest Marathon.
In partnership with Runnerspace.com, on-demand race video, results and post-race interviews will be available immediately after the race.
About the USATF Running Circuit
The USATF Running Circuit is a USATF Road Series that features USATF Championships from the mile to the marathon, and consistently attracts America's best distance runners with over $500,000 in prize money. The USATF 25km Championship will award a total prize money of $42,600.
The first 10 runners in the United States will earn points for each race on the USATF running circuit. Scoring for the USATF 10 Mile Championship is set at 1st place 15, 2nd place 12, 3rd place 10, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and the athlete with the most points finishes. sometimes win prizes. series.
The mission of the USATF Running Circuit is to showcase, support, and promote America's runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USATF Running Circuit and its races have provided more than $7 million to U.S. distance runners.
Contributed by Keenan Gray