Top 10,000s on tap Saturday at The TEN

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, California — Established as the world's top non-championship opportunity for fast 10,000-meter running over the first five years of its history, Sound Running's "The TEN" returns to JSerra High School Saturday for the sixth edition, and it promises to be better than ever. It is the first event on the 2026 USATF Tour, a 17-meet series that will showcase the nation's top track and field athletes across the spectrum of events.
 
Athletes from more than a dozen nations will take advantage of ideal conditions under the lights in coastal California in a celebration of elite racing. The American men's and women's records were set at this event, with Grant Fisher establishing the men's mark of 26:33.84 in 2022 and Alicia Monson claiming the women's record of 30:03.82 in 2023.
 
Five of the top 10 men's performances and five of the top 10 women's performances in U.S. history have been run at The TEN, and in 2024 Tsigie Gebreselama of Ethiopia became the first woman to run under 30:00 on American soil with a meet record of 29:48.34.
 
The focus in this year's women's race will be on Shelby Houlihan, who aspires to break Monson's American record and perhaps become the first U.S. woman to go sub-30:00. Houlihan will be making her debut at the 25-lap distance and brings in an impressive résumé that includes American records at 1500 (3:54.99 in 2019) and 5000 (14:23.92 in 2020).
 
Houlihan will face stern competition from Uganda's Joy Cheptoyek, who was the silver medalist in the 10K race at the World Cross Country Championships in January in Florida and placed seventh at last fall's World Athletics Championships on the track. Cheptoyek has a PB of 30:41.95 at altitude in Nairobi last year. American contenders include Jessica McClain, the eighth place finisher in the marathon at the 2025 World Championships who set her PB of 30:59.71 at The TEN last year.
 
Annie Rodenfels was third in the USATF Half Marathon Championships earlier this month and has an indoor PB of 15:00.64 in the 5000, and Chloe Scrimgeour is an emerging star who was fifth in the NCAA Championships for Georgetown in 2025 with a PB run of 31:41.68.
 
Two-time Olympian and 2023 champion Woody Kincaid is the fifth fastest American ever with a PB of 26:57.57 that he set in this event in 2024, and his top three times were all run here. His top challengers include Ahmed Muhumed, the No. 6 all-time U.S. performer who has a 27:03.19 PB set here in 2025, and India's Gulveer Singh. Singh is the top returnee from 2025 and set his nation's record of 27:00.22 to place sixth.
 
Wisconsin grad Bob Liking was fifth in the USATF Half Marathon Championships and has run 13:09.31 for 5000. Among the other top American entrants are Anthony Camerieri, who placed second in the B race last year and has a best of 27:45.82, and Brian Barraza, a former Olympic Trials finalist in the steeplechase who has run 27:37.54.
 
Germany's Mohamed Abdilaahi set his nation's record in the 5000 at Monaco last summer, clocking 12:53.63, and added a German road record of 27:22 in the 10K at Valencia in January. Ky Robinson of Australia won the NCAA 5000 and 10,000 titles for Stanford in 2023 and was the bronze medalist in the 3000 at the 2025 World Indoor Championships. He has a PB of 27:44.33 and has dipped under 13:00 in the 5000.
 
Oliver Hoare of Australia will be the featured runner in the men's 1500, boasting gold as part of Australia's winning Mixed Relay at the World Cross Country Championships in January and a PB of 3:29.41 from 2023. Hoare won the NCAA 1500 crown for Wisconsin in 2018 and is a two-time Olympian in the event. Lining up against him will be Mario Garcia of Spain, a 3:29.18 runner who won the NCAA indoor mile in 2022 and followed up with fourth- and sixth-place finishes in the 1500 at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships.
 
Of interest to American fans is Brandon Miller, better known as an Olympian at 800 with a 1:43.14 PB, but also sporting a 3:35.27 best at 1500. He and 3:33 man Waleed Suliman will likely offer the strongest domestic challenge to Hoare and Garcia.
 
In the women's metric mile, Gabbi Jennings drops down from the steeplechase to lead all entrants with a 4:04.43 from 2025. Jennings moved to No. 5 on the all-time U.S. performer list in the steeple last year with a 9:06.61 for sixth at the Pre Classic. Mia Barnett switched allegiance to Sweden last summer and competed for that country at the World Championships after a 4:05.39 for third at their national championships. Canada's Grace Fetherstonhaugh is another steeplechaser with good wheels over 1500, running a PB of 4:06.76 last June.
 
The TEN will be streamed on Flotrack and live results will be available here.