Kurgat, Bor Impress with Victories at the USATF Cross Country Championships

USATF Release

RICHMOND, Va. – With Team USATF roster spots on the line for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia next month, the competition was fierce Saturday in Richmond at the USATF Cross Country Championships, as U.S. Army standout Ednah Kurgat and Emmanuel Bor won the open women’s and open men’s titles.

The USATF Cross Country Championships are the first stop on the 2023 USATF Running Circuit. Fans can relive the excitement of Saturday’s races on USATF.TV with a USATF.TV +PLUS subscription.

As the open women’s 10 km race got underway, a pack of 12 women immediately jumped to the lead, with pre-race favorites Weini Kelati and Emily Durgin heading the charge.  The lead pack shrank ever so slightly as the leaders came through the first 2k loop, with ten runners working to power along the course.

Carrying on over the next 2 km loop, Kelati and Durgin continued to push the pace, with Makena Morley, Kurgat, and Susanna Sullivan right behind.

As the lead pack ran through the half way point in the race, passing through 5 km in 16:12, the group had dwindled to six runners, as Kelati and Durgin continued to lead, with Kurgat, Morley, Emily Lipari, and Katie Izzo right behind.

Durgin started to push the pace over the next kilometer, but then at 6 km Kelati put in a hard surge that the entire pack was able to cover, with Durgin jumping back to the lead shortly after and continued to control the pace. 

With 3 km to go, the lead pack of six had a 20 second lead over the rest of the field, each athlete knowing if they worked together to the finish Team USATF roster spots would be claimed by all six of them.

With 2 km to go, Kurgat quickened her pace substantially, spacing out the pack and immediately putting a five second gap on the field over the next minute. By 9 km, Kurgat owned a 12 second lead and continued to put space on the field. Kurgat charged around corners, opened her stride down small declines, and it was only a matter of time before the finish came into view.

Kurgat’s surge proved decisive, as she crossed the finish line victoriously in 32:07, well clear of her competition. Kurgat, who runs for the U.S. Army, claimed her first ever USATF title.

Behind Kurgat, Morley ran a strong final mile of the race to cross the finish second in 32:24, just ahead of Durgin, who finished three seconds back in third in 32:27. Lipari also finished very well to claim fourth overall in 32:32, while Kelati and Izzo took home fifth and sixth in 32:39 and 32:40.

Behind the lead six, Allie Buchalski claimed seventh in 33:02, pulling well ahead of the rest of the chase group over the final 3 km of the race. Susanna Sullivan earned herself another top ten finish on the USATF Running Circuit with her eighth place performance in 33:14, just ahead of Laura Thweatt, who took home ninth in 33:17. Carrie Verdon rounded out the top ten, crossing the line in 33:33.

From the start in the open men’s race, a massive pack of 25+ men  merged, running shoulder to shoulder, and came through 2 km packed up. Shortly after it was brothers Hillary Bor and Emmanuel Bor  pushing the pace, with Reid Buchanan, Leonard Korir and a host of others, stringing the field out.

Just before the half way point, Emmanuel Bor surged ahead of the field, coming through 5 km in 14:23, a couple seconds ahead of the chase pack, that shrank down to 12 men and led by Sam Chelanga, Buchanan, Korir, and Hillary Bor.

One kilometer later, Bor had a five second lead over the field, with a group of 10 packed up and moving around the next 2 km loop. Bor continued to grow his lead over the next kilometer, passing through 7 km 11 seconds ahead of the chase, then 12 seconds ahead of the chase as he came through the 8 km split.

While Bor’s victory seemed nearly in hand, his lead started to slip. The chase pack cut the lead down to nine seconds with 1000m to go, with a pack of eight working together to reel in Bor. 

Bor would not relent, however, pushing the pace over the final half mile to make sure his lead was safe. As the finish line moved closer, Bor pumped his fists and raised his hands, savoring his first USATF title as he crossed the line victoriously in 28:44.

Behind Bor, it was a mad dash to the finish, with six men racing for the five remaining spots on Team USATF. With the finish in sight, Andrew Colley pulled away to finish second in 28:48. He was followed by Anthony Rotich, Korir, and Chelanga, who all finished in 28:49 for third, fourth, and fifth. 

The battle for sixth came down to the final stride of the race, as Brooks Beast pro Dillon Maggard held off Buchanan for sixth, both clocking a finish time of 28:49.

Behind the chase pack, Hillary Bor claimed eighth in 28:57, finishing five seconds up on Abbabiya Simbassa, who earned ninth in 29:02. Zachery Panning rounded out the top ten with a time of 29:06.

The next step on the USATF Running Circuit are the USATF Half Marathon Championships, which take place February 26 in Fort Worth, Texas.

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 2023 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