Distance Stars Back on the Roads at the USATF 15 km Championships presented by Toyota

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The USATF 15 km Championships were the last USATF Running Circuit championship event in 2020 before the global pandemic caused the road racing community to come to a halt. 
 
As the distance running community starts to get back to racing on the roads, the first USATF Running Circuit event of the season, the USATF 15 km Championships presented by Toyota, take place Saturday morning in Jacksonville, Florida, hosted by the Gate River Run.
 
The USATF 15 km Championships are the first stop on the 2021 USATF Running Circuit. The event will be streamed live on USATF.TV beginning at 7:45 a.m. ET with fans having access to both the live event and on demand races with a +PLUS subscription. Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #USATF.
 
This year’s men’s and women’s fields are loaded with talent, including defending 15 km champions, Olympians, rising stars, and establish veterans. 
 
Leading the charge in the women’s race, Emily Sisson seeks to build off a couple tremendous performances. Sisson won the Sound Running Invite 5000m race earlier this month in 14:55.82, which came off a U.S. #2 all-time half marathon performance in Valencia, Spain in December, where she ran 1:07:26.
 
While Sisson enters as the pre-race favorite, there are a handful of other exceptional entries who should challenge for the win. Sally Kipyego, who hasn’t raced since her third-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon last February is entered and ready to showcase her fitness. 
 
Kipyego is joined by Rachel Schneider, who is having a strong 2021 campaign already, having placed fourth in the 5000m at the Texas Qualifier in February, as well as winning the 3000m-mile double at the Camel City Invitational. Those performances come after a winning effort at The Track Meet in the 10,000m in December, where Schneider ran 31:09.79.
 
Laura Thweatt, Emma Bates, and Lindsay Flanagan are also entered. All three had strong showings at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon in Atlanta last year. Thweatt placed fifth overall, Bates took home seventh, while Flanagan finished 12^th. 
 
All three have raced sparingly since, but Bates did place fourth at The Marathon Project with a time of 2:25:40, while Flanagan owning the most notable performance with a 1:10:24 half marathon effort in January. Thweatt has USATF 15 km Championships experience, with a runner-up effort in 2015 and fourth place finish in 2017.
 
Veterans Sarah Pagano and Emily Durgin should both challenge for top three finishes, as well. Pagano and Durgin ran 1:09:41 and 1:09:47 respectively over the half marathon distance in Las Vegas in February, finishing less than 30 seconds behind Olympic qualifier Molly Seidel.
 
The top returnee is Erika Kemp, who placed fifth in 2020, which came off a winning effort at the 2019 USATF 15 km Championships. Paige Stoner is the second returnee having placed eighth in 2020. Stoner ran well at The Marathon Project late last year, placing eighth in 2:28:43.
 
Rounding out the women’s field, Makena Morley, who placed fifth in the 10,000m at the Texas Qualifier last month is entered. As is Maggie Montoya, who placed third at the USATF 15 km Championships. 
 
In the men’s race, defending champion Frank Lara is entered, as is 2019 champion Shadrack Kipchirchir. Lara set two personal bests over the past few months, setting his 5000m best at the Texas Qualifier last month, while running 27:44.65 over 10,000m at The Track Meet in December. In addition, Lara ran 1:02:17 to place second at the Michigan Pro Half Marathon in late-October. 
 
For Kipchirchir, Saturday’s contest will showcase what sort of race shape he is in. Kipchirchir has yet to race in 2021, while also racing sparingly in 2020. He did place third in Valencia, Spain this past October over 10,000m, running 27:28.97. The five-time individual race champion on the USATF Running Circuit also placed second at the USATF 15 km Championships in 2016 and 2017.
 
Joining Lara and Kipchirchir, Martin Hehir is another pre-race favorite. Hehir placed sixth at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon in 2020, while winning The Marathon Project in 2:08:59, becoming the seventh fastest American ever over the distance. Hehir placed fourth at the 2019 USATF 15 km Championships and third in 2018, so he brings experience over the course in Jacksonville.
 
Hehir’s former Syracuse University teammate Colin Bennie is also entered. Bennie has trailed slightly behind Hehir over their past few races together. Bennie placed ninth at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon in Atlanta, while placed third at The Marathon Project in 2:09:38, just missing out in breaking into the top ten Americans all-time. Bennie placed sixth at the USATF 15 km Championships.
 
Abbabiya Simbassa and Kirubel Erassa are two other runners fully capable of challenging for the victory Saturday. Erassa recently placed fifth in the 5000m at the Sound Running Invite in 13:12.71, one spot ahead of Simbassa, while placed sixth in 13:19.12. Simbassa was runner-up last year at the USATF 15 km Championships, while placing fifth in 2016, while Erassa was sixth in 2017.
 
Sydney Gidabuday is a runner that should not be overlooked. The former Adams State runner and seven-time DII champion placed eighth in his debut over the half marathon distance at the Michigan Pro Half Marathon in late-October in 1:02:32, finishing two seconds behind Bennie, 15 seconds behind Lara and only 17 seconds behind race winner Morgan Pearson.
 
Rounding out the field, 2016 Olympian Hassan Mead is entered and looking to get back to being one of America’s finest distance runners, while Sam Chelanga looks to build off his third place 10,000m performance at the Texas Qualifier last month. Sid Vaughn Jr. won his heat in the 10,000m at the Texas Qualifier and is showing strong form, while Dylan Marx, Paul Hogan, Nico Montanez and Jacob Thomson are others who could challenge for top ten finishes.
 
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. A total of $49,000 in prize money will be awarded at the USATF 15 km Championships
 
The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USATF Running Circuit race. For the USATF 15 km 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.