MINNEAPOLIS -- As the USATF Running Circuit sprints toward the final few races of the season, Leonard Korir and Aliphine Tuliamuk seek to extend their overall standings leads at the USATF 10 Mile Championships Sunday in the Twin Cities, hosted by the Medtronic TC 10 Mile.

The USATF 10 Mile Championships are the ninth stop on the 2017 USATF Running Circuit. Fans can tune-up for the live broadcast beginning at 6:50am local time CT on USATF.TV with a +PLUS subscription. Race videos, results, post-race interviews and photos will be available shortly after the race in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com. Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #USARC.

For Korir, he holds a close 93-80 lead over second place Sam Chelanga, but Chelanga is not entered in Sunday’s contest, giving Korir a chance to open up a lead Chelanga will be hard pressed to cover. Korir was won four USATF Running Circuit titles this season, while placing second behind Galen Rupp at the USATF 20 km Championships in early September.

Korir finds his closest competition in the form of Team USA teammate Shadrack Kipchirchir. The two competed in the 10,000m at the IAAF World Championships earlier this summer. Kipchirchir currently sits fourth in the overall standings, only 3.5 points behind third place Christo Landry. Another top effort by Kipchirchir will push him into third place and another top three finish would give him his fourth of the season.

Tim Ritchie, Jonathan Grey, Stanley Kebenei and Kiya Dandena give the field four additional top ten ranked runners on the circuit. Ritchie owns three top five efforts on the season, including a fifth place finish at the USATF 20 km Championships. Grey placed sixth at the USATF 10 Mile Championships in 2016, while earning a fourth place finish at the USATF 7 Mile Championships earlier in the summer.

Kebenei, who competed at the IAAF World Championships in London, has shown talent on the roads this year, including a fourth place showing at the USATF 15 km Championships early on in the season. Add in Dandena, who runs for Team Run Flagstaff and earned a fourth place finish at the USATF Half Marathon Championships and the depth of the field up front should provide some thrilling finishes.

HOKA ONE ONE Northern Arizona Elite teammates Martin Hehir and Futsum Zienasellassie should each vie for top five finishes. Hehir is coming off a runner-up effort at the Philadelphia Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon earlier in the month, where he finished only behind Olympic medalist Galen Rupp. Zienasellassie placed fifth at the Great Cow Harbor 10K recently, finishing 20 seconds behind Ritchie.

Abbibiya Simbassa, who placed fourth at the USATF Outdoor Championships in the 10,000m, Samuel Kosgei, who took home sixth at the USATF 20 km Championships and Team USA Minnesota’s Jonathan Peterson round out the top group of competitors, showing the men’s field is loaded with talent from top to bottom.

On the women’s side, a strong finish by Tuliamuk would give her the USATF Running Circuit title for the second year in a row. Having dominated the 2017 season with four wins and a runner-up finish at the USATF 20 km Championships, Tuliamuk enters Sunday’s contest as the favorite. She holds a 103-55 point advantage over second place Jordan Hasay at the moment.

Natosha Rogers, who beat Tuliamuk at the USATF Half Marathon Championships, along with road race veteran Sara Hall, should provide the strongest challenge to Tuliamuk. Rogers, who won the half marathon title, is having a phenomenal 2017 season, while Hall placed fourth at the USATF 10 Mile Championships in 2016 and has recent third place finishes at the USATF 7 Mile and USATF 20 km Championships to her name.

The trio of Belainesh Gebre, Maddie Van Beek and Bethany Sachtleben adds more competition for a top five finish. Gebra, who finished fifth at the USATF Half Marathon Championships, is showing strength over the longer events on the circuit. For Van Beek, she earned a sixth place finish at the USATF 25 km Championships earlier in the season, while Sachtleben was a surprise fourth place finisher at the USATF Half Marathon Championships and cannot be overlooked in the Twin Cities.

Olympian Shalaya Kipp tests her talent on the roads again, while Liz Costello and young pros Emma Bates and Molly Grabill seemed poised to contend for top five finishes, as well. Long-time circuit veteran Lindsey Scherf and local favorites Meghan Peyton and Jamie Cheever add additional depth to the field.

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 $91,000 in prize money will be awarded at the USATF 10 Mile Championships.  

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USATF Running Circuit race. For the USATF 10 Mile Championships, scoring is set as 22.5 for first, 18 for second, 15 for third, 10.5, 9, 7.5, 6, 4.5, 3 and 2, 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