Kincaid's 5,000m record earns him USATF Athlete of the Week honors

INDIANAPOLIS — Bettering the men's American indoor record* in the 5,000m, Woody Kincaid (Portland, Oregon/USATF Oregon) earned recognition as the third USATF Athlete of the Week award winner for 2023.
 
Kincaid, an Olympic finalist in the 5,000m and 10,000m at Tokyo and the NACAC 5,000m champion last year, went through the first kilometer at the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University in 2:37.63 and then hit 2km in 5:13.90. Going past 3km in 7:48.34, Kincaid was just off the shoulder of Joe Klecker and they stayed in that order over the next kilometer, hitting 4km in 10:23.43. 
 
Kincaid turned up the pace in the final five laps of the 200m oval, dropping a 26.27 last lap to stop the clock at 12:51.61, more than two seconds under the AR of 12:53.73, set last year on the same track by Grant Fisher. His time put him at No. 4 on the all-time world indoor performer list.
 
Other top performances from last week:

• Yared Nuguse bettered the American indoor record in the 3,000m by almost two seconds with a 7:28.24 at Boston. His time was also superior to the existing American outdoor record and puts him at No. 9 on the all-time world indoor performer list.
• Georgia's Kyle Garland scored a world-leading 6,415 points to win the men's heptathlon at Texas Tech, putting him in a tie for No. 8 on the all-time world performer list and third on the U.S. all-time indoor performer list.
• Aleia Hobbs sprinted to a world-leading 6.98 win in the 60m at Arkansas, making her the third-fastest American woman at that distance. She is now tied for No. 9 on the world all-time performer list.
• Alicia Monson won the women's mile at the Dr. Sander Invitational in a world-leading 4:23.55, putting her at No. 8 on the all-time U.S. indoor performer list. Her 4:06.38 1,500m time en route is also a world-leading mark.

*Subject to verification by the USATF Records Committee.
 
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.

We welcome your nominations!

To nominate an athlete for USATF Athlete of the Week, please send a detailed email about his/her performance to communications@usatf.org.

Join the conversation with USATF on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using the hashtag #USATF.

Photo Credit: Kevin Morris.