Kiptoo, Chelangat Win Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile at 4th PRRO Circuit Stop

April 12, 2024

At the 51st edition, race champions also earned final berths for the 27th PRRO Championship at the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K on May 5 in Spokane, WA; Chelangat repeats as champion and sets women’s course record; Hillary Bor shatters U.S. men’s record; $84,100 prize purse with $42,600 in USA Championship money awarded

WASHINGTON, DC /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – At the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, on a beautiful Sunday morning, April 7, in the nation’s capital, Wesley Kiptoo of Kenya won a close men’s race in 45 minutes, 54 seconds, beating countryman Raymond Magut by 1 second, while Sarah Chelangat of Uganda defended her women’s title in a dominant 51:14, setting a course record. At the first PRRO Circuit 2024 event, both champions also secured the final qualifying spots for the 27th PRRO Championship at Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K on Sunday, May 5 in Spokane, WA.

The event again served as the USATF Championship, and winning national titles were Hillary Bor and Emily Durgin, in 45:56 and 51:26, third and runner-up, respectively. Two-time defending U.S. champion Bor also shattered his American record of 46:11 set last year at Cherry Blossom and Durgin set a USA Championship record in earning her first U.S. title.

The 51st edition paid out a generous prize purse of $84,100 ($38,000 in the international division and $42,600 in the U.S. division) plus time bonus incentives ($1000 and $750 for the top two sub-46 men and top two sub-52 women).

“The 2024 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile produced spectacular racing with great international competition, fast times and another U.S. men’s record. In addition, each race winner qualified to compete at the upcoming PRRO Championship at the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K on May 5,” said PRRO President Don Kardong.

More than 17,800 finishers covered the 10 Mile course in the nation’s capital on a flat, fast course that passes by all the major DC monuments in the annual Runner’s Rite of Spring. In addition, on Saturday, April 6, nearly 7,000 finished the accompanying 5K, which was voted the Best 5K in the country by a 2023 USA Today poll. Both races were sold-out.

Complete race results HERE.

The PRRO Circuit showcases world class competition at four of America’s Classic Road Races™, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, DC, the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K in Spokane, WA, the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY and the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, IA. Current Circuit prize money totals more than $350,000 in guaranteed prize money overall, including $147,100 in U.S.-only money. 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 27th PRRO Championship presented by the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K will be contested on Sunday, May 5. The 48th edition of the Lilac Bloomsday Run will offer $81,000 in prize money with $20,000 U.S. prize money. At the PRRO Championship, 2023-24 PRRO Circuit event winners are eligible to compete for the $15,000 PRRO Super Bonus, which is awarded to the PRRO Championship winner (bonus split if an eligible male and female win the PRRO titles). Also, at Bloomsday 2024, if Circuit winners finish in places 2-10, they each would take home the $1500 PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus. NOTE: If the male or female winner of the PRRO Championship has not won any of the events on that year’s circuit, he or she will be awarded $2500 as the PRRO Circuit champion.

Schedule and PRRO Super Bonus event qualifiers below:

PRRO CIRCUIT EVENTS 2023-24

Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 7, 2023, Spokane, WA

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

WINNERS: Jemal Yimer*, Ethiopia, 33:58 and Yeshi Kalayu*, Ethiopia, 38:49

Boilermaker 15K, July 9, 2023, Utica, NY

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

WINNERS: Jemal Yimer*, Ethiopia, 42:06 and Jesca Chelangat*, Kenya, 47:33, course records

Quad-City Times Bix 7, July 29, 2023, Davenport, IA

$50,000 in USA Championship prize money

WINNERS: Biya Simbassa*, USA, 32:35 and Kellyn Taylor*, USA, 36:33

Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, April 7, 2024, Washington, DC

$80,600 in prize money ($42,600 USA Championship and RRCA prize money) plus performance bonuses

WINNERS: Wesley Kiptoo*, KEN, 45:54 and Sarah Chelangat*, UGA, 51:14, course record

THE 27th PRRO CHAMPIONSHIP

Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 5, 2024, Spokane, WA

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

*Qualified to compete for the $15,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2024 PRRO Championship.

To-date, PRRO Circuit events have produced 17 world and 19 U.S. road records, awarded more than $8.3 million in prize money and seen more than 2.6 million runners cross their finish lines. In addition, since 1996, the PRRO Championship race has paid out more than $2.1 million including $183,500 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 and the event winners on the current Circuit 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.

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