INDIANAPOLIS — Outkicking the man who beat him at last year's Manchester Road Race to turn the tables and grab the win, Morgan Beadlescomb (Ann Arbor, Michigan/USATF Michigan) earned recognition as the 43rd USATF Athlete of the Week award winner for 2023. Beadlescomb finished second behind Conner Mantz by one second last year, but he used a strong kick on the final 200m hill to beat Mantz by three seconds as he crossed the line in 21:12 for the 4.748-mile course. The duo ran with a pack of seven through the first three miles before the torrid pace started to drop challengers over the fourth mile, leaving only Beadlescomb, Mantz and Pan American Games 10,000 gold medalist Isai Rodriguez to fight it out for gold in the final stretch. Running with improved speed after slicing his 5000 PB on the track to 13:08.82 this year, Beadlescomb had too much pace for Mantz, who leads the U.S. marathon list with a 2:07:47 that placed him sixth at Chicago. Mantz placed second in 21:15, one second in front of Rodriguez. Beadlescomb turned out to be a double winner on the day as he proposed to his girlfriend, Lexi Hager, minutes after his victory. She said yes. Other top performances from last week:
Now in its 22nd year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week when there are high-level competitions and features the athlete on USATF.org. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week. 2023 Winners: January 17, Emily Sisson; January 24, Ednah Kurgat; January 31, Woody Kincaid; February 7, Grant Holloway; February 14, Yared Nuguse; February 21, Anna Hall; February 28, Talitha Diggs; March 7, Alicia Monson; March 14, Jasmine Moore; March 21, Keyzelle Thomas; March 28, Camille Herron; April 4, Hillary Bor; April 11, Valarie Allman; April 18, Britton Wilson; April 25, Brooke Andersen; May 2, Gabby Thomas; May 9, Connor Burns; May 16, Britton Wilson; May 23, Brooke Andersen; May 30, Ryan Crouser; June 6, KC Lightfoot; June 13, Grayson Murphy; June 20, Yared Nuguse; July 17, Gabby Thomas & Christian Miller; July 20, Ednah Kurgat; July 27, Nikki Hiltz; August 3, Quenton Lanese; August 10, Shawnti Jackson; August 17, Michelle Atherley; August 30, Ryan Crouser, Noah Lyles, Sha'Carri Richardson & Laulauga Tausaga-Collins; September 6, Yared Nuguse; September 13, Jenny Hitchings; September 20, Yared Nuguse; September 27, Weini Kelati; October 3, Hobbs Kessler; October 10, Conner Mantz; October 17, Parker Valby; October 24, Biya Simbassa; October 31, Parker Valby; November 7, Isai Rodriguez; November 14, Katelyn Tuohy; November 21, Graham Blanks; November 28, Morgan Beadlescomb. We welcome your nominations! To nominate an athlete for USATF Athlete of the Week, please send a detailed email about their performance to communications@usatf.org. Join the conversation with USATF on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using the hashtag #USATF.