Veteran Fields Ready to Shine in Iowa at the USATF 7 Mile Championships

USATF Release

DAVENPORT, Iowa – USATF Running Circuit standings leaders Nell Rojas and Leonard Korir seek to extend their overall lead on Saturday at the USATF 7 Mile Championships, while USATF Women’s 6 km Championship and USATF Men’s 8 km Championship winners Ednah Kurgat and Clayton Young seek to build on the momentum gained with their victories two weeks ago in Davenport, Iowa.

The USATF 7 Mile Championships, hosted by the Quad Cities Times Bix 7, are the ninth stop on the 2023 USATF Running Circuit. 

Two weeks ago, Kurgat won the USATF Women’s 6km Championship title by two seconds over Rojas, building on the fitness she showed at the USATF Outdoor Championships two weeks prior where she placed well in both the 5000m and 10,000m events. Kurgat, having already won the 6 km and USATF Cross Country titles this season, seeks her third USATF Running Circuit title of the year. 

At the moment, Rojas sits 10 points ahead of Kurgat, 40-30, in the USATF Running Circuit standings. The road running veteran has yet to win a USATF Running Circuit event in 2023, but she owns three top three finishes on the year. The longer the race the better for Rojas, which could give her the edge in Davenport over Kurgat.

Teammates Aliphine Tuliamuk and Kellyn Taylor are also entered, using Saturday’s race as a way to gage their fitness heading into the fall marathon season. Tuliamuk, 34, has raced sparingly this year. She won the USATF Half Marathon Championships back in late-February in 1:09:37. She followed that up with an 11th place finish at the Boston Marathon in mid-April. Not to be overlooked, Tuliamuk also won the last USATF 7 Mile Championship title, which took place in 2017, beating the field by over a minute.

Taylor, 37, has raced only twice this season, as well. She placed ninth in the 5000m at the Portland Track Festival in early June, following that up a week later with a eighth place showing at the Mastercard New York Mini 10K. Both Tuliamuk and Taylor, both eyeing a chance to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in February at the USATF Olympic Trials – Marathon, are poised to challenge for top five in Davenport.

Jessa Hanson, who currently sits in a tie for third with Emma Hurley in the USATF Running Circuit standings with 29 points, is also entered. The Puma sponsored pro has placed third at both the USATF 15 km and 25 km Championships and seeks another top three finish on Saturday morning.

Anne-Marie Blaney, Olivia Pratt, and Molly Grabill, who placed seventh, ninth, and tenth at the USATF Women’s 6 km Championships are all entered and ready to showcase their fitness once again, while USATF Running Circuit veterans Annie Frisbie and Diane Nukuri are fully capable of challenging for top five finishes on the tough course Saturday.

In the men’s race, Young seeks to build off his impressive four second victory at the USATF Men’s 8 km Championships two weeks ago. Young, who had not raced much in 2023, came out to Kingsport, Tennessee and showed he’s in some of the best shape of his career, while winning big over a tough field.

Young outlasted the field over the final mile, but that wasn’te before he was challenged in a major way from Emmanuel Bor, Isai Rodriguez, Korir, and Sam Chelanga, who placed third, fourth, sixth, and seventh overall. For Bor, he currently sits fourth overall in the USATF Running Circuit with 27 points, but only six points behind Hillary Bor, who has 33 points. A strong showing by Bor in Davenport will no doubt move him up the rankings.

Korir is the current USATF Running Ciruit leader with 51 points, eight points in front of Jacob Thomson, who is not racing Satruday in Davenport. Korir is having another fantastic year on the circuit, with a victory at the USATF 25 km Championships and runner-up finishes at the USATF Half Marathon and 15 km Championships. 

For Rodriguez, who is coming off an All-American year at Oklahoma State University, he continues to look to make his mark against the veteran pros in the field. His third place showing in Kingsport proves he’s more than capable of challenging for the win in Davenport. 

Meanwhile, for Chelanga, he hasn’t raced as much this USATF Running Circuit season, only having two top ten finishes to his name. However, Chelanga has plenty of experience on the course in Iowa, having won the last USATF 7 Mile Championship title in 2017.

Two other USATF Running Circuit veterans fully capable of winning in Davenport are Abbabiya Simbassa and Futsum Zeinasellassie. Simbassa, who placed ninth at the Prague Marathon in May with a fantastic time of 2:10:34, owns two top four finishes at the USATF Half Marathon and 10 Mile Championships to his name this season. Whenever Simbassa races on the USATF Running Circuit, he’s always in prime shape to challenge for the win. 

Similarly, Zeinasellassie ran a marathon in Europe during the spring, taking home 11th at the NN Rotterdam Marathon in 2:09:40. In his build-up to the marathon, he placed one spot ahead of Simbassa at the USATF Half Marathon Championships. 

Another top contender is Reid Buchanan. Buchanan, 30, started his 2023 season placing seventh at the USATF Cross Country Championships. He followed up that performance less than a month later by placing 65th at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships. Then, three weeks later, he placed fourth at the USATF 15 km Championships. Since then, Buchanan has only raced three times, but he’s always a top five challenger when racing in USATF Running Circuit competition.

Aidan Reed, who placed an impressive fifth at the USATF Men’s 8 km Championships is entered and looks to build off his performance from two weeks ago, while Nick Randazzo and Brogan Austin are also entered, ready to race in Davenport after claiming eighth and tenth a the USATF Men’s 8 km Championships. Add in veteran Frank Lara and John Dressel and this race is filled with a fantastically deep roster of talent ready to challenge for top five.

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 $50,000 in prize money will be awarded at the USATF 7 Mile Championships.

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USATF Running Circuit race. For the USATF 7 Mile 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