Past Champions Ready to Race at the USATF 10 Mile Road Championships

USATF Release

WASHINGTON, DC – The stars of the sport will be out in force Sunday morning in Washington, DC, as the USATF 10 Mile Championships take place with such notable entries as Hillary Bor, Sara Hall, Abbabiya Simbassa, and Nell Rojas set to lead the charge.

The USATF 10 Mile Road Championships are the fourth stop on the 2023 USATF Running Circuit. The webcast for Sunday’s race will be streamed live on USATF.TV beginning at 7:10am ET, with the women’s race starting at 7:18am ET and the men’s race at 7:30am ET, available with a +PLUS subscription.

At the 2022 USATF 10 Mile Championships, which took place in Minneapolis, Bor ran away from the field late to win the men’s title by eight seconds over Sam Chelanga. The Olympian and World Championship finalist in the 3000m steeplechase returns to the roads Sunday morning eyeing a repeat performance. Most recently, Bor won the USATF 15 km Championship title, and as he readies to resume his track racing, Sunday’s contest will serve as a great indicator of his fitness.

While Bor enters as the defending champion, two other athletes to keep an eye on Sunday are Abbabiya Simbassa and Jacob Thomson. Simbassa, who won the USATF 10 Mile title in 2021 and placed second in 2019, is coming off a fourth place showing at the USATF Half Marathon Championships. Thomson won the USATF Half Marathon title earlier this year, while placing fifth at the USATF 15 km Championships. Both are in terrific shape and seem poised to challenge for the win.

For Emmanuel Bor, the veteran won the USATF Cross Country Championships in impressive fashion, leading to a 32ndplace finish – and second American – at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst. Bor followed up that performance with a 19th place showing at The TEN, where he ran 28:01.09.

Other notable entries on the men’s side are 2022 USATF 10 Mile Championships top ten finishers Matt McClintock, who placed sixth, and Colin Bennie, who placed 10th. John Dressel and Tyler Pennel are also entered, while having strong results to their names of late.

While none of the top three finishers from the 2022 USATF 10 Mile women’s race are entered in Sunday’s contest, fourth place finisher Rojas is ready to race for another USATF Running Circuit title. While Rojas just missed out on a top three finish last year, she won the USATF 10 Mile title in 2021. Rojas spent much of the first part of the year training in Kenya, returning to race the USATF Half Marathon Championships in late-February, where she placed third. 

While Rojas is the top returnee, she’ll be joined by fellow road race veteran Sara Hall at the front of Sunday’s race, as both prepare to run the Boston Marathon on April 17. Hall, a three-time USATF 10 Mile champion (2017-2019), finished fifth in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene last summer. More recently, Hall placed 11th at the highly competitive Lisbon Half Marathon in mid-March, where she ran 1:09:31. In top form, Hall should challenge from the start in Washington, DC.

Not to be overlooked, Flagstaff-based pro Jessa Hanson is having a terrific start to her 2023 campaign, where she currently sits atop of the USATF Running Circuit standings with 16 points. Hanson placed fifth at the USATF Half Marathon Championships, only to follow up that performance with a third place effort at the USATF 15 km Championships.

Hanson is joined by Molly Grabill, who finished one spot before Hanson at the USATF Half Marathon Championships earlier this year. Grabill is one of the top returnees entering Sunday’s race, having finished seventh last year.

Emma Grace Hurley enters Sunday’s event in similar fashion to Grabill. She placed 10th at last year’s USATF 10 Mile Championships, while finishing an inspiring second at the recent USATF 15 km Championships, where she beat Hanson by over a minute. Hurley continues to shine on the USATF Running Circuit.

Jeralyn Poe is another top contender looking for a top three finish on Sunday. Poe, 25, placed ninth at the United Airlines NYC Half earlier this year in a time of 1:12:46. She followed that up with a 12th place finish at the The TEN in early March, crossing the line in 32:39:10.

More top five challengers in Washington, DC include Susanna Sullivan, who recently placed ninth at The TEN in 31:55.80, Bria Wetsch, who placed eighth at the USATF 15 km Championships, and Olympian Diane Nukuri.

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 $25,000 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 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