Eritreans Mesel & Haileselassie See Honolulu Marathon As Stepping Stone To New Life
(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. HONOLULU (05-Dec) – When Amanuel Mesel and Yemane Haileselassie were teammates at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, they had no idea the unexpected journeys they would both go on, and how their lives would intersect years later. Today the two Eritrean runners are living in the United States, training together and pursuing the goal of American citizenship. On Sunday, December 8 they will line up at the Honolulu Marathon, where a win would bring not only prestige, but a hefty $25,000 paycheck that would go a long way towards easing their lives. Both men are two-time Olympians --Mesel ran the 5000 meters in 2012 and the marathon in 2016, while Haileselassie was a finalist in the 3000-meter steeplechase in 2016 and 2021-- but their lives were complicated by the political strife and repressive conditions in Eritrea. According to the non-governmental investigative organization Human Rights Watch, "Eritrea's government continued to severely repress its population, imposing restrictions on freedom of expression, opinion and faith, and restricting independent scrutiny by international monitors." In 2020, after finishing third at the Houston Marathon, Mesel sought (and was granted) asylum in the United States. Two years later, after finishing seventh in the steeplechase at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Haileselassie did the same. They admit that it was a difficult decision, complicated by the fact that it resulted in being separated from their families. Mesel's wife and two children are currently refugees in Uganda, while Haileselassie's wife and two children remain in Eritrea. They hope their families can eventually join them in the U.S. "Of course, it's not very easy," Mesel said in an interview here yesterday. "But when you decide to do that it's because you believe it's what is best for you, that you are finding something better. It was both a scary and optimistic decision at the same time." They are currently in the process of having their cases heard, but it is a slow process, and neither is sure when, or even if, their path towards U.S. citizenship may advance. "It's very difficult," Haileselassie admitted. "You are worrying about family and the situation there and how your asylum case is going. We are always thinking about our case." For now, they live in Flagstaff, Arizona, where they have been training since last year under the guidance of coach James McKirdy, who has built a bustling and diverse enclave of runners of various nationalities with his McKirdy Trained group. "I didn't expect a community like this," said McKirdy, who also coaches Lesotho's Tebello Ramakongoana, who placed fourth in the marathon at the 2023 World Championships and seventh at the Paris Olympics this past summer. "We have Americans, we have athletes from Mexico, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Lesotho. We have a group of people who are family." Despite their stressful situations, Mesel and Haileselassie have been thriving on the U.S. road-racing circuit. The 33-year-old Mesel, whose PR of 2:08:17 dates to 2013 in Valencia, finished fourth at Grandma's Marathon in Minnesota in June, clocking 2:12:46. After many years as one of the world's best steeplechasers (including a fifth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics and three world championships appearances), Haileselassie has committed full time to the roads at age 26. He made his marathon debut in Boston in April, finishing 16th in 2:14:44. That was part of a busy season highlighted by top-5 finishes at the NYC Half, Bolder Boulder 10K, Boston 1-K, Boilermaker 15K, Falmouth Road Race and Medtronic TC 10 Mile, where he finished second in 45:22 in his first time racing in carbon-plated shoes. Most recently, he notched a dominant win at the Boston Half Marathon on November 10, running 1:01:46 in frigid conditions and earning $15,000 in prize money. "The marathon is tough, but I like it so far," he said. "I've only competed one time and so it's all new for me. I've had good luck for the half-marathon and 10K, but I am waiting to see what I can do for the marathon." Though prize money from racing helps (and Haileselassie has an adidas sponsorship), both men work as ride-share drivers to support themselves and their loved ones back in Africa. "These men, they work hard, they don't just run. They work, day in and day out, to provide for their families," McKirdy said. "They support their community, they pay their taxes, they do everything that everyone expects us all to do. I'm hoping that their opportunity for citizenship comes sooner than later." Working full-time often complicates their training program, but they have been putting in the work at their high-altitude training base, logging 160 to 180 kilometers a week. They push each other, which they credit for their success this year. "Sometimes it feels like I've got wild horses and I'm trying to lasso them so they don't go too fast," McKirdy said with a laugh. "Because that competitive spirit does come alive in some of these easy runs and some of these long progression runs. One person gets half a step ahead and then the other person wants to get half a step. And all of sudden they're running 4:40 per mile at 7,000 feet." The Honolulu Marathon features a strong professional field this year, including defending champion Paul Lonyangata of Kenya, his countryman Barnabas Kiptum, who holds the fastest PR In the field (2:04:17 from Milan in 2017) and Suguru Osako, the former Japanese record holder (2:05:29). Given the expected warm and humid conditions, and a challenging and hilly course, Mesel and Haileselassie know this isn't likely to be a time trial. “I think every athlete here is going to be running for the win, not trying to run a fast time," Mesel said. "We are mentally prepared for this race. We know it's going to be humid, we know it is going to be hilly. But we know we are ready for whatever happens on Sunday." PHOTO: Yemane Haileselassie (left) and Amanuel Mesel in Honolulu on Tuesday (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
Merrie Mile Offers Bumped-Up Prize Money & New Record Bonuses
(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. HONOLULU (04-Dec) -- Already one of the most prestigious road mile races in the United States, the Kalakaua Merrie Mile is now the most lucrative. Race organizers announced Tuesday that the winner of the December 7 event will receive $7,500, the highest first-place prize for any American road mile. That caps a total prize pool of $18,000 --up from $10,000 in 2023-- for the unique mixed-sex pursuit race, which will showcase 11 Olympians. The professional women's field will have a 32-second head start over the men and prize money is awarded based on overall order of finish for the top 5. The runner-up receives $5,000, followed by $3,000 for third, 1,500 for fourth and $1,000 for fifth. (A woman has yet to win the event, but that could change with this year’s head start being the longest yet.) In addition to the overall prize money, the race is offering bonuses of $10,000 for a world record and $5,000 for a USA record. The current world records are 3:51.3 by Great Britain’' Elliot Giles, set this past September, and 4:20.98 by Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji while winning the 2023 World Athletics Road Running title. Yared Nuguse (3:51.9) and Nikki Hiltz (4:28.0) hold the U.S. records. "The increase in prize money in the Kalakaua Merrie Mile recognizes the incredible contributions that world class athletes have made to this incredible event," said Dr. Jim Barahal, president of the Honolulu Marathon Association, which puts on the race. "As we begin a new era of this event with a worldwide streaming broadcast, we want to reward and continue to work with the top athletes in the world for many years to come." The race was first held in 2016, in conjunction with the Honolulu Marathon, and has quickly become a popular event, attracting Olympians and international stars from around the world. Nine months after winning last year's race, Nuguse took the bronze medal in the Olympic 1500 meters in Paris. "I really love bringing athletes down to Honolulu for the KMM; it's the best way to end our year and celebrate a successful year," said coach and agent Stephen Haas, who represents five athletes racing this year. "The Honolulu Marathon team really has helped my athletes grow in the sport by providing them a great opportunity to race some of the best athletes in the world down here every year. We are really excited about this year's race and have been really looking forward to trying to put on a good show for everyone coming out to watch." The race features a World Athletics-certified out-and-back course along Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki. In addition to the professional field, about 2,500 citizen runners will participate. A live stream will begin at 7:30 a.m. local time Saturday (12:30 pm Eastern time) on the Honolulu Marathon's YouTube channel (12:30 p.m. EST). Hiltz --the reigning USA Track & Field indoor and outdoor champion in the 1500 meters-- will line up at this year's Merrie Mile after finishing fifth overall last year. The women's field also includes Susan Ejore-Sanders of Kenya, who placed sixth in the 1500m at the Paris Olympics (one spot ahead of Hiltz), as well as American Olympians Emily Mackay, Heather MacLean and Weini Kelati; Irish Olympian Sophie O'Sullivan, and Japanese Olympian Nozomi Tanaka. Rounding out the field is Sinclaire Johnson, the 2022 U.S. champion in the 1500, who finished fourth at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Chasing them in the men's field are several Olympians, including Americans Hobbs Kessler (the 2023 World Athletics road mile champion), Bryce Hoppel and Nico Young; Australian Oliver Hoare; and Neil Gourley of Great Britain, the 2022 Merrie Mile winner. Also in the mix will be Australia's Jack Anstey, Kenya's Festus Lagat and last year's runner-up, Vince Ciattei, who finished fourth in the U.S. Olympic Trials in June. "The Kalakaua Merrie Mile is one of my favorite events of the year. There is no better athlete experience anywhere," said Ciattei. "For the event organizers to increase the prize money on top of everything else they do for us on race week is an amazing investment in the sport. Last year I looked forward to my first chance at the Merrie Mile all fall, and to come back and compete for higher prize money this year is even more motivating." PHOTO: Vince Ciattei (right) finished second at the 2023 Kalakaua Merrie Mile in Honolulu; he and third place Hobbs Kessler (left) will both be competing in the 2024 edition of the event (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
Colley, Kelati Prevail at Cold and Wet Manchester Road Race
(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. MANCHESTER, CONN. (28-Nov) -– Weini Kelati won her fourth straight Manchester Road Race here this morning, three years after her first run on the 4.737-mile course. She is now the only woman to win New England's second largest road race four consecutive times. Kelati, 27, an Olympian who lives and trains in Flagstaff, Ariz., won today's 88th annual Thanksgiving Day race in 23:14, 19 seconds off her record she set in 2021. Andrew Colley from the ZAP Endurance team in Blowing Rock, N.C. won the men's race for the first time in 21:09 after finishing fourth in 2022 while running the fourth-fastest time in race history (21:07). There were over 12,000 entrants but quite a few no-shows due to the rainy and cold weather with temperatures in the high 30s at race start and the crowd watching the race was also down this year. Kelati led wire to wire, pacing off the men around her, as she has done in her three other victories. "It feels great," Kelati said. "This is my first race of the season. I took a break after the Olympics. I wasn't sure what to expect but I know I was in really good shape. "I was happy, with these conditions. I was hoping to run a little faster." Only Amy Rudolph, who won five times between 1995-2002, has more victories than Kelati at Manchester. Kelati is tied with Judi St. Hilaire, who won four times between 1985-92. Annie Rodenfels of Newton, Mass., finished second (24:05) and Florencia Borelli of Argentina third (24:16). Kelati had taken a break after the Olympics, where she finished eighth in the 10,000 meters, and went back to visit her family in Eritrea but her bags with her running gear never arrived so she took three extra weeks off.  It didn’t seem to bother her Thursday. "It doesn’t take me a long time to get fit so I wasn't worried about it," she said. The men's pack took the first mile out in 4:28 and the group thinned out a bit as they tackled the Highland Street hill. After Kenyan Olympian Edwin Kurgat and Evert Silva finished in a dead heat at the King of the Hill mark (Kurgat was deemed the winner and awarded the $1,000 bonus), Colley came into play. He took the lead down the Porter Street hill, citing his surfing background and how he wasn't afraid to fall – "I just let gravity take me," he said. But Colley had learned from his 2022 race not to take the lead too early because the finish line at Manchester is deceptively far away after he turned the corner from East Center Street to Main Street. When Kurgat surged back into the lead again at Mile 4, Colley remained patient. "I thought, 'This is a little early to be going,'" Colley said. "I did this two years ago and paid the consequences. I promised my coach I wouldn't do anything til Main Street." He continued: "I did it a little early but I could tell the others were fading and I wanted to capitalize and really take the wind out of their sails. I was slipping all over the place. The traction on my shoes isn't great. But I was having fun out there." Colley passed Kurgat after the final turn onto Main Street and held on, even lengthening the lead. With 100 meters to go, Eduardo Herrera of Mexico passed Kurgat, his Under Armour/Dark Sky Elite teammate, to finish second in 21:15. Kurgat finished third (21:19). Herrera said he came to the Thanksgiving Day race because Kelati, another Dark Sky teammate, had talked it up. "I didn't know what to fully expect," Herrera said. "I've only done road races in Boston. It was nice to come out to Manchester and get the full experience.  I didn't think the (Highland Street) hill was going to be that bad. But yeah, running full speed up the hill - it definitely got to me. It's pretty hard. I felt like I was revving the engine a lot going up the hill." But he still had enough in the tank to knock off his teammate at the end. "I talked to people about the race and they said the best way to break away from the group was to run the downhill," Herrera said. "I wasn't with the pack at the top of the hill. I made a comeback at the downhill. I caught up with the group. It was motivating to see Edwin with me as well. At the four mile mark, he did a surge I couldn’t cover." He added: "Once he made that surge, I was like, 'Oh, I got to have something for the finish.'  It's my first Thanksgiving race. It was such a good experience." PHOTO: Andrew Colley breaks away from Edwin Kurgat just before winning the 2024 Manchester Road Race (photo by Chris Barlow for Race Results Weekly)  
Olympians Flock To Hawaii for Honolulu Marathon & Kalakaua Merrie Mile
(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. HONOLULU (26-Nov) -- Backed by a record field of about 35,000 runners of all abilities, a combined total of fourteen Olympians are set to compete in the Honolulu Marathon and the Kalakaua Merrie Mile on the weekend of December 7th and 8th, race organizers announced today.  For the Olympic athletes --three in the marathon and 11 in the mile-- this will be no island vacation.  They must be prepared to run fast, and several significant records could be broken in the mile. "We have put together an incredible field of world-class athletes, including many Paris Olympians from the summer of 2024," said Honolulu Marathon Association president Dr. Jim Barahal.  "The Kalakaua Merrie Mile is rapidly emerging as one of the world's most prestigious road miles, and the unique format in which the men chase the women to the finish line promises to deliver another incredible finish. The first athlete across the finish line receives $5,000 and a solid gold plaque." The mile, which will be held on Saturday, kicks off with about 2,500 citizen runners who will run the flat, World Athletics-certified, out-and-back course on Kalakaua Avenue adjacent to Waikiki Beach.  After that the professional athletes will line up with athletes in the women's category getting a 32-second head start over the men.  Prize money is paid based on the combined finish order of men and women. Leading the charge in the women's division is reigning USATF 1500m champion and 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships 1500m silver medalist Nikki Hiltz.  The former Arkansas Razorback has competed in the Merrie Mile three previous times, and was fifth across the line last year behind the top four men.  Hiltz's time of 4:28.07 was just a fraction off of their national and all-comers record of 4:28.0 set at the Grand Blue Mile in Des Moines in 2023, a record that could easily fall this year in Honolulu.  Hiltz was passed by Morgan Beadlescomb just steps from the finish line; the finish photo had to be used to separate them. "I made a pretty hard move at 400 to go and nobody [in the women's division] went with me," Hiltz said after last year's race.  "So when I heard people [behind me] I assumed it was the men.  I just wanted to beat as many bodies as possible the last 50 meters." Hiltz will have a strong group of women to push them this year including American Olympians Emily Mackay, Heather MacLean, and Weini Kelati; Irish Olympian Sophie O'Sullivan, Japanese Olympian Nozomi Tanaka, and Kenyan Olympian Susan Ejore-Sanders.  Sinclaire Johnson, the 2022 USA 1500m champion who was fourth in the 2024 Olympic Trials, will also be competing. A formidable group of men will be trying to chase down the women, and three of them --Paris Olympians Oliver Hoare of Australia, Neil Gourley of Great Britain, and Hobbs Kessler of the USA-- have run sub-3:50 miles during their careers.  Two other Paris Olympians, Americans Bryce Hoppel and Nico Young, will also be competing along with Australia's Jack Anstey, the USA's Vince Ciattei, and Kenya's Festus Lagat. In addition to Hiltz's national record, athletes could challenge the USA all-comers records in Honolulu (3:56.58 for men and 4:28.0 for women), as well as the fastest time in the world by a woman this year (4:30.3), and the fastest times on U.S. soil this year (3:56.97 and 4:32.20).  There will be pacemakers for both the men's and women's fields. REIGNING CHAMPIONS RETURN FOR THE MARATHON Sunday's Honolulu Marathon will feature both of the race's 2023 champions, Cynthia Limo and Paul Lonyangata of Kenya.  In last year's race Limo, the 2016 World Athletics Half-Marathon Championships silver medalist, won by a wide margin in her marathon debut.  Her time of 2:33:01 was solid for Honolulu's hilly course, intermittent rain, warm temperatures, and high humidity.  She ran solo from 35 km to the finish. "When we got to 35 kilometers, I felt that I was still strong and I knew it was only seven kilometers that remained, so I had to do it by myself," said Limo. "I tried to push and push. I am so pleased." Limo's key rival this year will be compatriot Judith Jeptum Korir, the 2022 World Athletics Championships Marathon silver medalist, who will be making her Honolulu Marathon debut.  Also hoping for a podium spot will be Ethiopia's Fantu Shugi Gelasa. For Lonyangata, twice the Paris Marathon champion, this will be his third appearance in Honolulu.  He was second in 2014 before coming back to win last year, getting away about 35 km into the race. "When you prepare for everything you know you are ready," said Lonyangata after last year's race.  "And when you decide when to make the move, you have to go hard." Other contenders this year include Eritrean Olympians Yemane Haileselassie and Amanuel Mesel, both of whom live and train in Flagstaff, Ariz., where they are coached by James McKirdy of McKirdy Trained.  Haileselassie was fifth in the 2021 Olympic steeplechase, and Mesel competed in the heats of the 5000m at the 2012 London Olympics, and was 21st in the 2016 Olympic Marathon in Rio.  Two other Kenyans, Reuben Kerio and Barnabas Kiptum, are also in the race.  Kiptum is the fastest man in the field with a 2:04:17 personal best. "The 52nd Honolulu marathon has a deep field of top athletes, including both defending champions Paul Lonyangata and Cynthia Limo," said Dr. Barahal.  "They will be challenged by a top field of international athletes, all competing for the $25,000 first prize as well as a solid gold first place medal." The solid-gold first place medal is hand-crafted by race sponsor SGC of Japan.  The Honolulu Marathon is the only marathon in the world to present winners with a solid-gold medal in addition to their prize money. "Their dedication to excellence mirrors the spirit of our event," said Dr. Barahal of SGC. In addition to the mile and marathon races, the popular Start to Park 10-K will start contemporaneously with the marathon on Sunday.  That race has seen explosive growth, and organizers are expecting about 9,000 runners this year (there were 6961 finishers last year). The full elite fields for the Honolulu Marathon and Kalakaua Merrie Mile are below: Honolulu Marathon (athletes shown with personal best times): MEN - Paul Lonyangata, KEN, 2:06:10, Paris, 09-Apr-2017 Yemane Haileselassie, ERI, 2:14:44, Boston, 15-Apr-2024 Amanuel Mesel, ERI, 2:08:17, Valencia, 17-Nov-2013 Reuben Kerio, KEN, 2:07:00, Eindhoven, 13-Oct-2019 Barnabas Kiptum, KEN, 2:04:17, Milan, 16-May-2021 Suguru Osako, JPN, 2:05:29, Tokyo, 01-Mar-2020 Kensuke Horio, JPN, 2:08:25, Tokyo, 06-Mar-2022 Ryo Murata, JPN, N/A, N/A WOMEN - Cynthia Limo, KEN, 2:25:10, Hamburg, 28-Apr-2024 Judith Jeptum Korir, KEN, 2:18:20, Eugene, 18-Jul-2022 Fantu Shugi Gelasa, ETH, 2:29:20, Lisbon, 08-Oct-2023 Eri Suzuki, JPN, 2:41:42, Tokyo, 03-Mar-2024   Kalakaua Merrie Mile (athletes shown with 1500m and mile personal best times): MEN - Jack Anstey, AUS, 3:35.37, 3:51.51 Vince Ciattei, USA, 3:31.78, 3:50.56 Neil Gourley, GBR, 3:30.60, 3:47.74 Oliver Hoare, AUS, 3:29.41, 3:47.48 Bryce Hoppel, USA, 3:42.62, 4:00.7 road Hobbs Kessler, USA, 3:29.45, 3:48.66 Festus Lagat, KEN, 3:33.25, 3:52.63 Nico Young, USA, 3:34.56, 4:01.16 (Pacemaker will be Abe Alvarado, USA)   WOMEN - Susan Ejore-Sanders, KEN, 3:56.07, 4:20.61 Nikki Hiltz, USA, 3:55.33, 4:16.35 Sinclaire Johnson, USA, 3:56.75, 4:33.80 Weini Kelati, USA, 4:10.88, 4:30.16 road Emily Mackay, USA, 3:55.90, 4:23.79 Heather MacLean, USA, 3:58.31, 4:20.41 Sophie O'Sullivan, IRL, 4:00.23, 4:33.30 Nozomi Tanaka, JPN, 3:59.19, 4:28.94 (Pacemaker will be Amaris Tyynismaa, USA) PHOTO: Paul Lonyangata after winning the 2023 Honolulu Marathon (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
Member Feature: BibBoards
In a new Running USA member interview, Brian Goodell of BibBoards shares his unusual path to running industry entrepreneurship and why he believes that going bibless can change a race for the better. BibBoards has also just introduced a game-changing offer for event organizers: event bibs for only $0.01 each with the purchase of any custom bulk bibSNAPS order. This new initiative not only helps organizers save on essential race materials but also introduces exciting sponsorship possibilities by offering branding options directly on the bibs and bibSNAPS themselves.