Bor Eyes Repeat, Kelati Ready to Shine at the USATF Cross Country Championships

USATF Release

RICHMOND, Va. – Many of the top distance runners in the United States head to Richmond, Virginia on Saturday to compete at the USATF Cross Country Championships, kicking off their 2024 seasons, and eyeing spots on Team USA for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships on March 30 in Belgrade, Serbia.

The USATF Cross Country Championships are the first stop on the 2024 USATF Running Circuit. Fans can tune-in for the live broadcast beginning at 10:25am ET on USATF.TV with a +PLUS subscription. The women’s open race begins at 2:00pm ET, while the men’s open race gets underway at 2:50pm ET.

Leading the charge in the men’s race is defending champion Emmanuel Bor. Bor won the title at the 2023 USATF Cross Country Championships with a late race push, as he opened up a strong lead, and won by four seconds over runner-up Andrew Colley. Bor went on to place 32nd at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia.

For Bor, the USATF Cross Country Championships always seem to be highlighted on his racing calendar. In addition to his victory last year, Bor placed runner-up at both the 2020 and 2019 USATF Cross Country Championships. Bor is coming off a 2023 campaign which also saw him place fourth at the USATF 8 km Championships and earn terrific marks on the track.

Bor will find plenty of competition, but has a notable challenger in Anthony Rotich. Rotich took home third at the 2023 USATF Cross Country Championships, finishing five seconds behind Bor. Rotich placed 45th at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, then followed that up with a fifth place showing in the 3000m steeplechase final at the USATF Outdoor Championships. Rotich beat Bor for the win at the 2020 USATF Cross Country Championships.

HOKA Northern Arizona Elite standout Ahmed Muhumed is poised to challenge for victory, as well. Muhumed has a breakout 2023 campaign, placing second at the USATF 5 km Championships, eighth in the 5000m final at the USATF Outdoor Championships, and claiming fifth at The Cross Champs in late-November. 

Joining Muhumed as top challengers are Hillary Bor and Benard Keter. The two steeplechase standouts had strong 2023 campaigns. Bor, coming off a 2022 season in which he made the World Athletics Championship final in the 3000m steeplechase, won the 2023 USATF 15 km and 10 Mile titles. For Keter, he earned a spot on Team USA by placing second in the 3000m steeplechase at the USATF Outdoor Championships. Both men will make an impact on Saturday in Richmond.

Rounding out the top list of contenders, track standouts Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker will test their talent over hill and dale. Hocker placed third in the 1500m at the USATF Outdoor Championships, only to follow that up with a tremendous seventh place finish in the 1500m final in Budapest at the World Athletics Championships. Teare ran well all season long, claiming a fifth place finish in the 5000m at the USATF Outdoor Championships.

In the women’s race, Weini Kelati looks to build upon her eye-opening half marathon debut last weekend at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Kelati shocked the American distance running community with a 1:06:25 clocking, breaking the American record by 14 seconds (record pending). 

Kelati is coming off a 2023 season where she won the USATF 10 km Championship title, placed fourth in the 10,000m at the USATF Outdoor Championships, and ran to a 21st place finish at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships after placing fifth at the USATF Cross Country Championships. Kelati enters Saturday as the pre-race favorite.

Arguably Kelati’s top competition comes from Katie Izzo. Izzo finished one second behind Kelati at the 2023 USATF Cross Country Championships, earning a spot on Team USA, ultimately placing 31st at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships. Izzo continued her strong cross country running ways in late-November, when she placed second at The Cross Champs. 

Finishing two spots behind Izzo at The Cross Champs was Abby Nichols, who is also entered in Saturday’s race. Nichols looks to build upon the career year she had in 2023, when the HOKA Northern Arizona Elite runner showed time and time again that she’s one of the rising stars in the 1500m and mile events. Nichols will get a chance to showcase her strength in Richmond as she prepares for the year ahead.

Kicking off her USATF Running Circuit season on Saturday is Emma Hurley. Hurley, who placed second overall in the 2023 USATF Running Circuit standings, had a breakout year. Hurley placed second at the USATF 15 km Championships and third at the USATF 10 Mile and 10 km Championships. She’ll once again challenge for a top three finish in Richmond.

Amanda Vestri, Kassie Parker, and Emily Venters are three strength-based runners who should challenge for top three finishes Saturday. All three runners finished in the top ten in the 10,000m at the USATF Outdoor Championships, with Venters placing seventh in Eugene, Vestri placing eighth, and Parker placing ninth. Venters had a great 2023 season, earning runner-up in the 10,000m and third place in the 5000m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, while Vestri placed fourth at the USATF 10 km Championships

Rounding out the women’s top contenders list, Katie Camarena and Sam Nadel are two must-follow athletes. Camarena was 12th at the 2023 USATF Cross Country Championships, then took 14th in the 5000m at the USATF Outdoor Championships. She more recently placed sixth at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K in early November. For Nadel, the veteran placed 13th in the 10,000m at the USATF Outdoor Championships and should vie for top six in Richmond.

Race videos, results, post-race interviews will be available shortly after the race in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com.Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #USARC.

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 with more than $500,000 to be awarded in total prize money. A total of $26,200 in prize money will be awarded at the USATF Cross Country Championships

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USATF Running Circuit race. For the USATF Cross Country 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