El Youssfi, Herbiet Win Warm Gate River Run 15K at First 2026 PRRO Circuit Race

March 12, 2026

Race champions also claim $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus automatic qualification at 29th PRRO Championship hosted by Quad-City Times Bix 7 on July 25; the American classic road race awarded $76,500 in Open prize money

BETHESDA, MD (March 12, 2026) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Under hot and humid conditions on Saturday, March 7 at the 49th Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville, FL, Mohammed El Youssfi of Morocco and Chloe Herbiet of Belgium kicked off the 2026 PRRO Circuit racing season with clear wins in 43 minutes, 26 seconds and 47:58, respectively.

In a tight men’s race, El Youssfi, 28, made his move on the ascent of the Hart Bridge aka “The Green Monster” to break away from an eight-man pack and ran unchallenged to the finish line. Mezgebu Sime of Ethiopia finished second in 43:35, with countryman Getinet Gedamu third in 43:51. Reid Buchanan was top American in 5th, running 43:55.

In the women’s race, Herbiet, 27, led most of the way, before pulling away with approximately 3 miles left to break 48 minutes and producing the 6th fastest women’s time in race history. Fiona O’Keeffe, a 2024 U.S. Olympian, finished second in 48:22, while Everlyn Kemboi took third (48:40).

The 2025 European half-marathon champion, like her male counterpart, took home $10,000 for the win plus the $5000 Equalizer Bonus as the first overall finisher (the elite women were given a 5-minute advance start on the men).

Overall, the Gate River Run 15K awarded $76,500 in Open prize money, including an “American Cup” $22,500 purse for the top five U.S. athletes who finished in the top ten. Along with their Open prize money ($5000 and $1000, respectively), O’Keeffe and Buchanan, as the first American finishers, also earned the top $5000 bonus each.

At the second stop on the 2025-26 PRRO Circuit, the Gate River Run champions also earned automatic eligibility to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 29th PRRO Championship hosted by the Quad-City Times Bix 7 on July 25, 2026 in Davenport, IA. In addition, the 2-10 Gate River Run finishers earned PRRO Circuit points, with the top 5 point scorers overall before the PRRO Championship also qualifying to compete for the Super Bonus at Bix.

For men, Wesley Kiptoo (KEN) & Mezgebu Sime (ETH), tie, and for women, Everlyn Kemboi (KEN) sit atop the PRRO Circuit points leaderboard with 10 and 17 points, respectively. Current point standings can be found HERE.

“Under challenging weather conditions, there was world class racing at the Gate River Run 15K, the 2026 PRRO Circuit opener. Congratulations to race winners, Mohammed El Youssfi and Chloe Herbiet, who became the second automatic qualifiers for the right to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the PRRO Championship hosted by Quad-City Times Bix 7 in July,” said Don Kardong, PRRO Circuit President.

The Gate River Run is Jacksonville’s largest participatory sporting event with more than 21,000 entrants, including 15,243 finishers in the largest U.S. 15K, the most since 2014, and 1,501 finishers in the 5K plus a combined 2,000 in the Junior River Run and the Brooks Challenge Mile. Complete race results HERE.

The next 2025-26 PRRO Circuit stop for athletes to either earn automatic PRRO Super Bonus berths or score PRRO points will be the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, DC on Sunday, April 12.

The PRRO Circuit showcases world class competition at six of America’s Classic Road Races™, the Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville, FL, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, DC, the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K in Spokane, WA, the Steamboat Classic 4 Mile in Peoria, IL, the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY and the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, IA. The 2025-26 PRRO Circuit offers more than $440,000 in guaranteed prize money overall with $148,100 for U.S. athletes. The PRRO Circuit, a nationwide series of premier non-marathon road racing events, is organized and promoted by the Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO), an alliance of race directors.

THE PRRO CIRCUIT 2025-26 SCHEDULE

Quad-City Times Bix 7, July 26, 2025, Davenport, IA

$50,000 in prize money

WINNERS: Alex Maier*, USA, 32:02 and Vibian Chepkirui*, Kenya, 36:41

Gate River Run 15K, March 7, 2026, Jacksonville, FL

$72,000 in prize money ($23,000 U.S. prize money) plus $5000 Equalizer gender race and World, U.S. & course record bonus money

WINNERS: Mohammed El Youssfi*, Morocco, 43:26 and Chloe Herbiet*, Belgium, 47:58

Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, April 12, 2026, Washington, DC

$80,600 in prize money ($48,600 U.S. prize money) plus performance bonuses

Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 3, 2026, Spokane, WA

$81,000 in prize money ($20,000 U.S. prize money)

Steamboat Classic 4 Mile, June 6, 2026, Peoria, IL

$43,200 in U.S. prize money

Boilermaker 15K, July 12, 2026, Utica, NY

$65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money)

THE 29th PRRO CHAMPIONSHIP

Quad-City Times Bix 7, July 25, 2026, Davenport, IA

$50,000 in prize money as well as:

• $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus to male or female Bix winners who are either defending PRRO Champions, have won any of the PRRO Circuit 2025-26 races or finished top 5 in the points system (Super Bonus split if both eligible male and female win)
• $2500 to male or female Championship winners who have not won any races on the 2025-26 Circuit
• $1500 to eligible PRRO event champions, males and females, finishing in places 2-10

*Qualified to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2026 PRRO Championship.

With their 2025 PRRO Championship titles at Boilermaker, John Korir and Veronica Loleo were the first two athletes eligible to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2026 PRRO Championship hosted by the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in July. In pursuit of the Super Bonus, the pair will join the winners of the 2025-26 Circuit events as well as the top 5 per gender in the PRRO Circuit points system (2-10 finishers score points at each current Circuit race; except, 2-5 finishers score at a U.S.-only Circuit race).

To-date, PRRO Circuit events have produced 18 world and 24 U.S. road records, awarded more than $8.9 million in prize money and seen more than 2.8 million runners cross their finish lines. In addition, since 1996, the PRRO Championship race has paid out more than $2.2 million including $218,500 in PRRO Championship bonus money.

PRRO Championship and Circuit Year

The PRRO Circuit, launched in 1995, starts and finishes the Circuit Year at the same event that will also host the season-ending PRRO Championship race. The reigning titlists of the PRRO Championship, the event winners on the current Circuit and the top 5 in the PRRO points system are eligible to compete for the PRRO Super Bonus at the PRRO Championship.

Visit PRRO.org for more information, including its history and past champions, as well as how to join the PRRO Circuit.