Hillary Bor Breaks Own American Record; Sarah Chelangat Sets a Female Course Record While Defending Her Title

April 7, 2024, Washington, DC: Beautiful weather paved the way for an exciting race in the men’s and women’s elite fields at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile (CUCB) as Sarah Chelangat from Uganda repeated as the women’s champion and Hillary Bor broke his own American 10 Mile record by 16 seconds, which he set at last year’s CUCB.

Bor’s record-breaking time of 45:57 earned him the title of 2024 USATF 10 Mile National Champion and $12,500 in prize money. Second place American Nathan Martin also broke Bor’s previous record, finishing in 46:00. Bor finished third overall behind Wesley Kiptoo from Kenya, whose winning time was 45:54.

Kiptoo broke away from the pack at the end with a final kick to beat fellow countryman Raymond Magut, who finished second in 45:55. Kiptoo and Magut received a time bonus for running sub-46 minutes.

In the women’s race – which started 12 minutes prior to the men’s start to avoid men pacing women and to ensure “women’s only” status for any records set – Chelangat pulled away from her competitors early in the race and maintained her commanding lead to win in a time of 51:14, besting her time from of 52:04 from 2023. Chelangat’s time is a new event record for women. American Emily Durgin was second in 51:26 and, like Bor, earned the title of 2024 USATF 10 Mile National Champion. Durgin was three seconds behind the current women’s American record. Chelangat and Durgin received time bonuses for running sub-52 minutes.

Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) prize money totaling $6,000 was awarded to the top three male and female RRCA RunPro Camp Alumni. Abbabiya Simbassa and Annie Frisbie each earned $1500 as the winners of this subset of elite athletes.

Here’s a compilation of times, prize money, and bonuses earned by the elite runners today, organized in order of top-10 overall, followed by the top Americans who also earned prize money:

Top Men:

• Wesley Kiptoo 45:54, Kenya – $6,000 for the overall victory, $1,000 time bonus. Total earnings: $7,000
• Raymond Magut 45:55, Kenya – $3,000 for second place overall, $750 time bonus. Total earnings: $3,750
• Hillary Bor 45:56, Colorado Springs, CO – $2,500 for third place overall, $10,000 for first American. Total earnings: $12,500.
• Nathan Martin 46:00 – $1,500 for fourth place overall, $5,000 for second American. Total earnings: $6,500
• Abbabiya Simbassa 46:17, Flagstaff, AZ – $1,000 for fifth place overall, $2,500 for placing third among Americans, and $1,500 for placing first among RRCA RunPro Camp Alumni. Total earnings: $5,000
• Teshome Mekonen 46:33, New York, NY – $600 for placing sixth overall, $1,000 for fourth American. Total earnings: $1,600
• Andrew Colley 46:38, Blowing Rock, NC – $500 for seventh place overall, $800 for fifth place among Americans, $1,000 for placing second among RRCA RunPro Camp Alumni for a total of $2,300
• Shadrack Kimining 47:46, Kenya – $400 for eighth overall
• Jacob Thomson 47:45, Flagstaff, AZ – $300 for ninth place overall and $600 for being sixth American, for a total payday of $900
• Shadrack Kipchirchir 47:45, Colorado Springs, CO – $200 for 10^th place overall and $500 for being seventh American. Total earnings: $700
• Sam Chelanga 47:49, Colorado Springs, CO – $400 for placing eighth among Americans
• Ben Kendall 47:54, Troy, MI – $300 for being ninth American
• Cody Baele 47:58, Des Moines, IA – $200 for being 10^th American
• Joseph Minor-Williams 48:57, Minneapolis, MN – $500 for placing third among RRCA RunPro Camp Alumni.

Top Women:

• Sarah Chelangat 51:14, Uganda – $6,000 for the overall victory, $1,000 time bonus. Total earnings: $7,000
• Emily Durgin 51:26, Flagstaff, AZ – $3,000 for second place overall, $10,000 for first American woman, and $750 time bonus. Total earnings: $13,750
• Kasanesh Ayenew 51:38, Ethiopia – $2,500 for third place overall.
• Rachel Smith 51:40, Flagstaff, AZ – $1,500 for fourth place overall and $5,000 for placing second among American women, for a total of $6,500.
• Annie Frisbee 52:01, Edina, MN – $1,000 for fifth place overall, $2,500 for third place among American women, $1,500 for placing first among RRCA RunPro Camp Alumni. Total earnings: $5,000.
• Esther Chebet 52:05, Ethiopia – $600 for sixth place overall
• Tegest Ymer 53:03, Ethiopia – $500 for seventh place overall
• Sarah Naibei 53:37, Kenya – $400 for eighth place overall
• Jacqueline Gaughan 54:02, Boston, MA – $300 for placing ninth overall, $1,000 for being the fourth American. Total earnings: $1,300
• Elena Hayday 54:18, Washington, DC – $200 for 10^th place overall and $800 for placing fifth among American women, for a total of $1,000
• Tristin Van Ord – $600 for placing sixth among American women and $1,000 for placing second among RRCA RunPro Camp Alumni, for a total payout of $1,600
• Molly Huddle 55:08, Lincoln, RI – $500 for being the seventh American.
• Sydney Bowman 55:54, Ferndale, MI – $400 for being the eighth American
• English Tomlinson 56:00, Ann Arbor, MI – $300 for placing ninth among American women.
• Carter Norbo 56:40, Charlottesville, VA – $200 for being 10^th American.
• Breanna Sieracki 57:04, Burnsville, MN – $500 for placing third among RRCA RunPro Camp Alumni

Christian Kerr won the non-binary race in 58:32.

1. Christian Kerr 58:32, Washington, DC
2. Aaryn Edge 58:46, Sliver Spring, MD
3. Emilio Leguizamo 1:02:45, Washington, DC

Saturday’s cool, breezy temperatures didn’t slow down runners in The Credit Union Cherry Blossom 5K presented by Asics, as last year’s female champion, Casey Greenwalt, defended her title. This marked the second year that the 5K was held at Freedom Plaza on Saturday before the 10 Mile. Lucite awards were given to the top five men and women, the top three non-binary runners and the top women’s pushrim wheelchair.

 Men’s 5K:

1. Jonathan Ladson 16:09, Woodbridge, VA
2. Sacha Salphati 16:21, Philadelphia, PA
3. Will Baxley 16:22, Arlington, VA
4. Jacob Jordan 16:24, Washington, DC
5. Liam Stappert 16:26, Baltimore, MD

Women’s 5K:

1. Casey Greenwalt 18:14, Washington, DC
2. Nilani Duarte 18:17, Fairfax, VA
3. Sita Lamartin 19:23, Alexandria, VA
4. Tavi Wallace 19:35, Louisville, KY
5. Meghan Tveit 19:36, Washington, DC

Non-binary 5K:

1. Irwin Ramirez 20:24, Alexandria, VA
2. Nick Montoni 20:56, Washington, DC
3. Luke Hollifield 22:56, Astoria, NY

Women’s Pushrim Wheelchair 5K:

1. Lauren Giles 30:43, College Park, MD

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom Kids Run presented by Warner Brothers Discovery followed the 5K. Kids ranging in age from 4 to 10 raced with Stumpy the mascot for a fun half mile course. This marked the first year that the Kids Run was held at Freedom Plaza, having previously been run at the National Building Museum.

Other notable runners in the 10 Mile today included: Ben Beach (2:01:26), the only person to have competed in and completed every Cherry Blossom 10 Mile; and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (1:59:18).

Throughout the National Cherry Blossom Festival (March 20 – April 14), of which CUCB is an official partner event, runners are able to participate in the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Virtual Run. Registration closes on April 7, and the last day to run is April 14^th. More information about the Virtual Run can be found here.

For the past 22 years, Credit Union Miracle Day has been the title sponsor of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile and 5K, adding the Kids Run to its portfolio when the ½-mile event debuted in 2016. Asics was the presenting sponsor of this year’s 5K, and Warner Bros. Discovery presented the Kids Run. Wegmans has been the presenting sponsor of the Health and Fitness expo for three years.

Over the 22 years of Credit Union Miracle Day title sponsorship, the partnership with CUCB organizers and charitable runners has generated over $11.1 million for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. This year’s fundraising effort totaled $550,000, which included $169,000 from runners.

Spurce: RUNNING USA