Kurgat's cross country victory earns her USATF Athlete of the Week honors

INDIANAPOLIS — Winning the women's 10km race at the USATF Cross Country Championships, Ednah Kurgat (Colorado Springs, Colorado/USATF Colorado) earned recognition as the second USATF Athlete of the Week award winner for 2023.
 
Kurgat, representing the U.S. Army, was always in the lead pack through the five 2km loops at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Virginia, running just behind leader Weini Kelati through the 3km mark in 9:41, and she was fourth at the halfway point in 16:12. Over the final half of the race, Kurgat maintained her steady pace before surging to the front between 7km and 8km.
 
The 2017 NCAA Division I Cross Country champion for New Mexico, Kurgat showed a good turn of speed over the last 2km, going 3:05.7 and 3:02.7 for those splits to cross the finish line in 32:07, 17 seconds ahead of the runner-up. It was Kurgat's first USATF national title and earned her a berth on Team USATF for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, scheduled for February 18 in Bathurst, Australia.
 
Other top performances from last week:

• Emmanuel Bor was the men's champion at the USATF Cross Country Championships, running 28:44 for 10km.
• Irene Riggs was the women's U20 champion at the USATF Cross Country Championships, covering the 6km distance in 19:45.
• Leo Young won the U20 men's title at the USATF Cross Country Championships by seven seconds in 23:47 for 8km.
• Kathryn Martin, 71, had the top age-graded performance in the masters women's race at the USATF Cross Country Championships with a 94.7% grade, running 27:15 for 6km in her return to the event after a five-year absence.
• Nat Larson, 60, was the top age-graded man in the masters division of the USATF Cross Country Championships, scoring a 90.4% grade for his 28:33 8km effort.
• Masai Russell of Kentucky set a collegiate record in the women's 60m hurdles with a 7.75 at Texas Tech.
• Janeah Stewart tied the world best and American record* in the women's 20-pound weight throw with a 25.60m/84-0 at Vanderbilt.

*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.

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.

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