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(c) 2026 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. ATLANTA (01-Mar) -- It was both the best of times and the worst of times at this morning's USATF Half-Marathon Championships, part of the Publix Marathon Race Weekend organized by the Atlanta Track Club. Moments after a jubilant Wesley Kiptoo crossed the beautifully-dressed finish line in the Home Depot Backyard and celebrated his first USA title, the mood quickly turned to confusion, disbelief and then bitter disappointment.  Three women who were leading the race by a comfortable margin --Jess McClain (Brooks), Anna Grace Hurley (Asics), and Ednah Kurgat (U.S. Army)-- had run off-course at about the 12 mile (19.3 km) mark and ended up finishing ninth, twelfth, and thirteenth, respectively.  Molly Born, the reigning national marathon champion, crossed the finish line first in 1:09:43 and was declared the winner.  The Puma Elite Running athlete was shocked. "I don't know what I was thinking," a perplexed Born told Race Results Weekly.  "I crossed and I just thought they had the tape out for fun because I didn't know where I was.  I thought I was in fourth.  I was so far back that I didn't see them make the wrong turn." Minutes earlier at the 15-K mark (49:11), McClain, Hurley and Kurgat were battling for the win with Carrie Elwood (Asics) just five seconds back.  Hurley had done most of the leading, but Kurgat put in a surge just after 15-K which Hurley quickly covered.  McClain fell back to third, but battled back to the leaders.  McClain, the top American at last year's Boston Marathon, eventually took the lead and then opened a gap on her two rivals.  Hurley caught up, but McClain pulled away again, this time for good.  She had a commanding lead and looked as though she would capture her first national half-marathon title in just a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, the three leaders --who followed the lead vehicle and a motorcycle ferrying a TV camera operator-- had run off the course.  Ellwood, who was close behind, also went the wrong way but was quickly told by an official that she needed to turn back, saving her race. "I was in fourth place and the top three were well ahead of me, 150 meters maybe ahead of me," Ellwood explained.  "I started following them and I probably went 150 meters down, then a guy on a motorcycle came up behind me and was like, 'You're going the wrong way.'  I turned and looked at him and said, 'No I'm not.  All the leaders are in front of me.' He was like, 'No, you're going the wrong way.  I'm going to tell them to turn around.'" Ellwood got back on course and finished second in 1:09:47.  Annie Rodenfels, who followed Born and Ellwood, finished third in her half-marathon debut in 1:10:12.  She too was shocked. "When I crossed (the finish line) they said third!" Rodenfels recounted.  "I was like, no!" Because today's race was the team selection event for the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen in September, making a top-three finish was particularly important for the top athletes.  McClain, Hurley and Kurgat saw their team berths evaporate right before their eyes. "We were, minimum, 1000 meters off-course," Hurley told Race Results Weekly.  "We had at least a clear split at 15-K when the three of us were clear of the field.  Yeah, we ran quite a bit off-course.  We just followed the lead car." For McClain, today's result was particularly painful.  She had finished fourth at these championships last year (which also selected a national team even though the 2025 World Athletics Road Running Championships were cancelled), and had put a real focus on contending for the win this year. "It's frustrating because... you're just robbed of multiple things," said McClain, whose GPS watch said she ran a total of 13.6 miles/21.9 kilometers.  "What's getting you through the last two miles is that moment you cross the finish line." The affected athletes protested, but USATF officials decided that the results should stand.  In a statement, USATF officials wrote: "Following the completion of the USATF Half Marathon Championship in Atlanta, a protest was filed by athletes in the women's field who followed a lead vehicle off course. That protest was denied and an appeal was submitted. The jury of appeals found that 'the event did not meet USATF Rule 243 and that the course was not adequately marked at the point of misdirection. This violation contributed to the misdirection taken by the athletes within the top four at the time of misdirection. However, the jury of appeals finds no recourse within the USATF rulebook to alter the results order of finish. The results order of finish as posted is considered final.'" However, the official team selection for September's World Championships will not be made until May.  USATF officials said that they "will review the events from Atlanta carefully" before making a decision. Born, who has now won two national titles in a span of 85 days, had mixed emotions. "I shouldn't go to Copenhagen," said Born, who was still trying to process what had happened.  "I shouldn't.  I'm fine.  I'm not going to fight for my spot." But for Kiptoo, today was all sunshine (literally) and rainbows.  He and two-time Olympian Hillary Bor broke away from the field right from the gun and built a lead of 18 seconds by 5-K, and 42 seconds at 10-K.  By 15-K it was clear that --barring disaster-- either Bor or Kiptoo would get the win.  Just before the 20-K mark Kiptoo made his move.  The 2021 NCAA indoor 5000m champion for Iowa State surged away from Bor and ran to the finish line alone.  He clocked 1:01:15 to Bor's 1:01:30.  At Friday's press conference he had predicted that he would win. "If you know your training and you know how you're feeling you know what's coming," said Kiptoo with an American flag around his shoulders.  "It's not a surprise.  I've been putting in a lot of work and my team (Hoka Northern Arizona Elite) and my coach (Jack Mullaney) has been there for me.  I have been working so hard." Third place went to Ahmed Muhumed, Kiptoo's NAZ Elite teammate, who broke away with Charles Hicks from the chase pack just before the 15-K mark.  Muhumed ran 1:01:51 to Hicks's 1:02:10.  Like McClain, Muhumed had finished fourth last year. Today's race winners earned $20,000 in prize money, part of a $110,000 purse.  The next USATF road running championship will be at the 10-mile distance at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Miler in Washington, D.C. on April 12. PHOTO: Wesley Kiptoo winning the 2026 USATF Half-Marathon Championships, part of the Publix Marathon Weekend organized by the Atlanta Track Club (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2026 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. NEW YORK (01-Feb) -- While he already has national, Olympic and world titles to his name, until tonight Cole Hocker could not call himself a Millrose Games champion. But after a perfectly-executed race in the meet's loaded two-mile, the 24 year-old from Indianapolis is now an event winner in America's oldest indoor track meeting, founded in 1908.  He didn't set any records, but he demonstrated superb race-craft, not leading until the final 50 meters when it counted. "I just felt really good," Hocker told reporters after clocking 8:07.31.  "I knew this was such a stacked field.  It's a regular-season meet, but being here you wouldn't know that." He added: "These are moments in my career that I'm going to one hundred percent look back on in the future, and I just want to be fully present in these moments." The race began without double-Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher who withdrew just hours before with an illness.  Nonetheless, the competition was still stiff with world champions Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman of Great Britain and Geordie Beamish of New Zealand, plus national and NCAA champions Parker Wolfe, Ethan Strand, Graham Blanks, Drew Hunter --all Americans-- and Habtom Samuel of Eritrea. Hocker followed the pacemaker Ben Allen right from the gun.  A sub-8:00 finish time was still possible through half a mile (2:00.9 split), but the pace sagged in the second half-mile to 2:06.4 (4:07.3 at the mile).  That put Josh Kerr's 2024 world best of 8:00.67 out of reach, and the key protagonists turned to old-school racing. "Like last year (when he ran the 3000m here and finished second to Fisher), I was ready to go fast," Hocker said.  "Obviously, I was up there at the front and maybe people were expecting me to pull it along."  He continued: "It seemed like everyone here wanted to race, and I think that's what happens when you get together this kind of talent."   Samuel, who still competes collegiately for the University of New Mexico, spent the early laps at the back, but moved up and slotted in behind the pacemaker at one and one-quarter miles.  Hocker drifted back to third behind Australia's Ky Robinson, and Kerr was right behind Hocker.  Samuel relinquished the lead when Blanks surged and took over at the front with half a mile to go.  Blanks brought the tempo back down to around four-minute mile pace, and Hocker knew that the race was playing into his hands.   "I want to win really bad," Hocker recalled thinking.  "I want to win these first 14 laps today with my head then see what I have with my body for the last two."   Wolfe, the reigning national cross country champion who finished 12th at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships last month, made the biggest move of the race.  On the backstretch of the final lap Wolfe went to the lead with Kerr and Hocker close behind.  Kerr could not cover Wolfe's move, and the former University of North Carolina star rolled out of the final bend with the lead.  Hocker hit the gas one more time, sweeping around Wolfe at the top of the homestretch to get the win.  Wolfe was in lane two, and that gave Kerr a clear shot to the finish on the inside, and he also passed Wolfe to get second in 8:07.68 to Wolfe's 8:07.83. "Almost perfect," said Wolfe when asked if he employed the right tactics today.  "I probably just went a tad too early.  But, I almost held off a world champ, an Olympic champ.  So, I can't be too pissed about it." Kerr, who hadn't raced since last September's World Athletics Championships in Tokyo where he suffered a torn calf, was disappointed not to win, although he was pleased with the early-season fitness he showed. "It's a good season opener," said Kerr, who was the fastest man tonight through 3000m with a 7:37.34 en route time.  "But, I was hoping for a little bit more." Down the finish order, Robinson set an Australian indoor record of 8:08.40 in fourth place, and Beamish finished fifth in 8:08.58.  Blanks, who drove the pace in the third quarter of the race, was rewarded with a personal best 8:08.60. Also getting a dramatic victory tonight was Australian teenager Cam Myers.  The 19 year-old Australian defeated three-time defending champion Yared Nuguse in the men's Wanamaker Mile, running a world-leading 3:47.57.  Ironically, he ran slightly faster at last year's Millrose Games, but only finished third.  This year he took the lead just before the bell, and neither Nuguse nor Hobbs Kessler --who ran a world indoor record at 2000m last weekend in Boston-- could catch him.  Nuguse took second in 3:48.31 and Kessler third in 3:48.68. "I'm just pumped to have won it," said Myers, who won all three of his indoor races this year.  "As awesome as it would have been to run 3:46 I won the race and I beat very top athletes like Hobbs, Yared.  Just to win it feels awesome." Nikki Hiltz overpowered Olympic silver medalist Jess Hull in the women's Wanamaker Mile to take the win in an indoor personal best of 4:19.64, which was also a world leader.  The reigning national 1500m champion chose to run in the pack most of the race before zipping into the lead with about 300m to go.  Hiltz led at the bell with Hull close behind and that is how they finished.  Hull ran 4:20.11, and former Oregon Duck Klaudia Kazimierska of Poland ran a national record 4:21.36 in third place. "No matter what happens in my career my name's never going to go off of that trophy," an elated Hiltz told reporters.  "I think that's a really good feeling." There were two excellent collegiate records achieved tonight, and both athletes won their respective races.  University of Alabama junior Doris Lemngole, a Kenyan from West Pokot County, won the women's 3000m over a strong pro field in 8:31.39.  Her time took four seconds off of Katelyn Tuohy's collegiate record of 8:35.20 set at the 2023 Millrose Games.  Lemngole, the 2025 NCAA cross country champion, beat her Brigham Young University rival Jane Hedengren, who finished third in a personal best 8:34.98.  Sandwiched between the two collegians was Great Britain's Hannah Nuttall, who ran a career best 8:32.94. "I'm so much happy about it," Lemngole told reporters while her Alabama coach, Nick Stenuf, observed from a few feet away.  "My coach was like, 'just trust yourself.' Also setting a collegiate record was Northern Arizona University senior Colin Sahlman.  Sahlman, a versatile athlete who finished 16th in last November's NCAA cross country championships, pulled off an upset win this afternoon in the 800m.  Coming from third place at the bell, he ran down Spaniard Mohamed Attaoui in the final 50 meters to win in 1:44.70.  That broke the Paul Ereng's 1989 collegiate record of 1:44.84 which was set some 14 years before Sahlman was born. "I'm really happy to come away with the win against such a talented field," said Sahlman, who looked a little shocked.  He continued: "It's amazing.  There's so many great 800 meter runners in the NCAA for so long. To be the fastest now indoors is quite special.  I'm really loving this event." In the other distance events, Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma, the 2024 world indoor 800m champion, ran a facility record of 2:35.50 in the 1000m.  She narrowly beat Addy Wiley (2:35.77) and Maggie Congdon (2:35.91).  Seventeen year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus won the men's 600m in world-leading 1:14.15, a world indoor best for an U20 athlete.  That's also the fastest time ever by an American high schooler, although Lutkenhaus has already turned pro with Nike.  The high school miles were won by Jaelyn Williams of Chula Vista, Calif. (4:38.69), and Caleb Ten Pas of Urbandale, Iowa, (4:09.80). Today's Millrose Games was the 118th edition of the meet, and the 15th held at the Nike Track & Field Center at the Armory (the meet was originally held at Madison Square Garden).  The meet was the second stop among gold-level meetings of the World Athletics Indoor Tour for 2026.  The next stop is Ostrava on February 3 where the Czech Indoor Gala will be contested. PHOTO: Cole Hocker winning the two-mile at the 2026 Millrose Games (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2026 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. (21-Jan) -- Benson Kipruto, the 2024 Paris Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon, is --by at least one measure-- the most successful marathoner on American soil.  The 34 year-old Kenyan, who represents adidas, is the only man in history to have won all three American races of the Abbott World Marathon Majors AND and an Olympic Marathon medal.  He won the Boston Marathon in 2021, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2022, and the TCS New York City Marathon in 2025.  Uniquely, he's the only man to win the Boston Marathon in the month of October (the 2021 race was delayed from April until the fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The Boston Marathon, which will be held for the 130th time on Monday, April 20, has always had a special meaning for Kenyan athletes, especially Kipruto.  He's run the race four times.  He only finished tenth in his first appearance in 2019, then won in 2021 after reeling in a solo breakaway by American C.J. Albertson who, at 25-K, enjoyed a one minute and 41-second margin.  Kipruto caught him in the 21st mile. "I didn't know that somebody was ahead," Kipruto later admitted to reporters, looking a little embarrassed. He came back in 2022 and took third behind his training partner Evans Chebet and another Kenyan, Lawrence Cherono, who was later banned for seven years for doping.  In 2023 he took third for the second time, beaten again by Chebet and also Tanzania's Gabriel Geay.  He hasn't raced Boston since then, and is excited to come back this year.  He ran the Tokyo Marathon, held in early March, the last two years, instead. "Boston holds a special place in my heart," Kipruto said through a statement provided by the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.), the race founders and organizers.  "I won my first Major there in 2021 and have finished third twice.  I look forward to starting my 2026 season and racing a fast group of men in April." Kipruto's last comment was not hyperbole.  Even in the era of super shoes and inflated times, this year's Boston men's field is exceptionally fast.  Twenty-five men in the elite field have run sub-2:07 during their careers (ten of them have run sub-2:05), and Kipruto's fastest challenger, compatriot John Korir, is the race's defending champion who, after dropping out of the Chicago Marathon last October, rallied to win the Valencia Marathon last month in a personal best 2:02:24.  That was the #3 performance for 2025. "I think I have closed out my year with a personal best and I say, 'thank you to God' and all those people who have been behind it," Korir told Pulse Sports in Kenya last month. Among Kipruto's other key challengers are reigning world marathon champion Alphonce Simbu of Tanzania, who finished second to Korir at Boston last year then won the world title in Tokyo last September in a sprint finish by just 3/100ths of a second.  He was also the bronze medalist at the 2017 World Championships in London. "I made history today: the first Tanzanian gold medal at a world championships," Simbu said after his win in Tokyo.  "I remember in 2017, at the World Championships in London, I won bronze.  Then I ran many times but never got any medals, so finally it is here." In all, the B.A.A. managed to lure back eight of the race's top-10 men from last year.  Among them are Kenya's CyBrian Kotut (3rd in 2025), Utah's Conner Mantz (4th) and Clayton Young (7th), Canada's Rory Linkletter (6th), and Lesotho's Tebello Ramakongoana (8th).  Mantz broke Khalid Khannouchi's 23-year-old national marathon record at Chicago last October and will be running Boston for the third time. "Finishing fourth a year ago was very close to my goal of placing in the top three," Mantz said last month through a statement.  "I'm eager to return to Boston and race against the best of the best again. Boston's full of history and I'm working to give it my all every step towards Boylston Street." Other top men entered include Dutchman Abdi Nageeye, the 2021 Olympic Marathon silver medalist and the 2024 New York City Marathon champion; Ethiopian Lemi Berhanu, the 2016 Boston Marathon champion; Oregon's Galen Rupp, a two-time Olympic Medalist who will turn 40 in May; and Colorado's Zouhair Talbi, who just won the Chevron Houston Marathon in a personal best and course record 2:05:45.  Talbi, who ran for Morocco in the 2024 Olympics will be eligible to represent the United States at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. In the elite wheelchair division, all eyes will be on Switzerland's Marcel Hug, the world's most dominant wheelchair racer.  Hug, who turned 40 last week, won Boston for the eighth time last April.  His margin of victory over second place Daniel Romanchuk was more than five minutes.  Hug's victory last year came on the 50th anniversary of American Bob Hall becoming the race's first wheelchair finisher.  Hall attended the 2025 race as a special guest. "One of my first racing chairs was a Hall chair," said Hug.  "He opened the door for us to be able to participate here." The race winners in the professional men's and women's divisions will earn $150,000 in prize money, the highest first place prize among the seven Abbott World Marathon Majors events.  The professional wheelchair champions will earn $50,000, and setting a course record in either division is worth another $50,000. The complete elite men's field for the 2026 Boston Marathon is below with personal best times: PROFESSIONAL MEN'S DIVISION -  Benson Kipruto, KEN, 2:02:16 (Tokyo, 2024) John Korir, KEN, 2:02:44 (Chicago, 2024) CyBrian Kotut, KEN, 2:03:22 (Berlin 2024) Abdi Nageeye, NED, 2:04:20 (London, 2025) Lemi Berhanu, ETH, 2:04:33 (Dubai, 2016) Hailemaryam Kiros, ETH, 2:04:35 (Sydney, 2025) CR Alex Masai, KEN, 2:04:37 (Chicago, 2025) Alphonce Felix Simbu, TAN, 2:04:38 (Valencia, 2024) Mohamed Esa, ETH, 2:04:39 (Chicago, 2024) Conner Mantz, USA, 2:04:43 (Chicago, 2025) NR Yohanes Chiappinelli, ITA, 2:05:24 (Valencia, 2024) NR Benard Biwott, KEN, 2:05:25 (Paris, 2025) Kennedy Kimutai, KEN, 2:05:27 (Rotterdam, 2025) Zouhair Talbi, MAR/USA, 2:05:45 (Houston, 2026) Richard Ringer, GER, 2:05:46 (Valencia, 2024) Sondre Moen, NOR, 2:05:48 (Fukuoka, 2017) NR Galen Rupp, USA, 2:06:07 (Prague, 2018) Akira Akasaki, JPN, 2:06:15 (Berlin, 2025) Tebello Ramakongoana, LES, 2:06:18 (Xiamen) NR Andy Buchanan, AUS, 2:06:22 (Valencia, 2024) AR/NR Gemechu Dida, ETH, 2:06:45 (Valencia, 2025) Hendrik Pfeiffer, GER, 2:06:45 (Valencia, 2025) Rory Linkletter, CAN, 2:06:49 (Chicago, 2025) Biya Simbassa, USA, 2:06:53 (Valencia, 2024) Clayton Young, USA, 2:07:04 (Boston, 2025) Tsegay Weldlibanos, ERI, 2:07:35 (Sacramento, 2024) Patrick Tiernan, AUS, 2:07:45 (Houston, 2024) Ryan Ford, USA, 2:08:00 (Boston, 2025) C.J. Albertson, USA, 2:08:17 (Chicago, 2024) Yemane Haileselassie, ERI, 2:08:25 (Houston, 2025) Alex Maier, USA, 2:08:33 (Dusseldorf, 2025) Amaury Paquet, BEL, 2:08:44 (Valencia, 2023) Sam Chelanga (40+), USA, 2:08:50 (Chicago, 2023) Daniel Mesfun, USA, 2:08:51 (Dublin, 2025) Wesley Kiptoo, USA, 2:08:54 (Boston, 2025) Ben Preisner, CAN, 2:08:58 (Oita, 2024) Segundo Jami, ECU, 2:09:05 (Valencia, 2023) NR Turner Wiley, USA, 2:09:27 (Chandler, 2025) Colin Bennie, USA, 2:09:38 (Chandler, 2020) Christian Allen, USA, 2:09:58 (Sacramento, 2025) Charles Hicks, USA/GBR, 2:09:59 (NYC, 2025) Tiidrek Nurme, EST, 2:10:02 (Sevilla, 2020) Nick Hauger, USA, 2:10:18 (Chandler, 2025) Joe Klecker, USA, 2:10:37 (NYC, 2025) Chris Maxon, USA, 2:10:55 (Sacramento, 2025) Juan Luis Barrios (40+), MEX, 2:10:55 (Tokyo, 2018) Jacob Thomson, USA, 2:10:56 (Sacramento, 2025) Thijs Nijhuis, DEN, 2:10:57 (Seville, 2020) Barry Keane, IRL, 2:11:31 (Chandler, 2025) Jason Weitzel, USA, 2:11:45 (Sacramento, 2025) Murphy Smith, USA, 2:11:59 (Sacramento, 2025) Robert Miranda, USA, 2:12:07 (Sacramento, 2024) Riley Nedrow, USA, 2:12:47 (Tucson, 2024) Matias Silva, CHI, 2:12:48 (Seville, 2025) Ryan Johnson, USA, 2:12:58 (Sacramento, 2025) Martin Olesen, DEN, 2:13:17 (Valencia, 2025) Ben Olson, USA, 2:13:25 (Sacramento, 2025) Ryan Eiler, USA, 2:13:36 (NYC, 2024) Primoz Kobe (40+), SLO, 2:13:36 (Sienna, 2021) Jack Mastandrea, USA, 2:14:02 (Sacramento, 2025) Esteban Trujillo (40+), USA, 2:14:32 (Sacramento, 2025) Dominic Arce, USA, 2:14:32 (Vancouver, 2025) Kristoffer Mugrage, USA, 2:15:01 (Chandler, 2025) Edward Mulder, USA, 2:15:07 (Berlin, 2025) Michael Ottesen, USA, 2:15:21 (Sacramento, 2024) Garrett Corcoran, USA, 2:15:46 (Napa Valley, 2025 Charlie Lawrence, USA, 2:16:10 (Valley Cottage, 2023) Prescott Leach (40+), USA, 2:17:29 (Sacramento, 2023) Karabo L Koenaite Sr. (40+), RSA, 2:18:03 (Cape Gate Vaal) Meng-Tsung S Chu (40+), TPE, 2:19:36 (Berlin, 2024) Aaron Metler (40+), USA, 2:19:48 (St. George, 2025) Petter Engdahl, SWE, Debut   PROFESSIONAL WHEELCHAIR DIVISION - Marcel Hug, SUI, 1:15:33 (Boston, 2024) Josh Cassidy, CAN, 1:18:25 (Boston, 2012) Johnboy Smith, GBR, 1:20:05 (Grandma's, 2022) Daniel Romanchuk, USA, 1:20:37 (Boston, 2024) Kota Hokinoue, JPN, 1:22:01 (Oensingen, 2011) Rafael Botello Jimenez, ESP, 1:22:09 (Boston, 2017) David Weir, GBR, 1:22:12 (Boston, 2024) Patrick Monahan, IRL, 1:22:23 (Grandma's, 2019) Miguel Jimenez-Vergara, USA, 1:22:24 (Grandma's, 2024) Sho Watanabe, JPN, 1:24:00 (Oita, 2019) Hermin Garic, USA, 1:24:18 (Grandma's, 2022) Jeyna Senbeta, USA, 1:24:27 (Boston, 2017) Jetze Plat, NED, 1:24:28 (Dubai, 2023) Brian Siemann, USA, 1:26:46 (Boston, 2017) Evan Correll, USA, 1:27:19 (Grandma's, 2022) Jason Robinson, USA, 1:29:01 (Grandma's, 2022) Geert Schipper, NED, 1:30:33 (Berlin, 2024) Wyatt Willand, USA, 1:31:16 (Boston, 2024) Sean Frame, GBR, 1:31:18 (Berlin, 2023) Tiaan Bosch, RSA, 1:33:17 (Grandma’s, 2024) Dustin Stallberg, USA, 1:36:13 (Boston, 2024) Valera Jacob Allen, USA, 1:43:59 (Boston, 2023) PHOTO: Benson Kipruto of Kenya winning the 2021 Boston Marathon (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. HONOLULU (14-Dec) –- Tsegay Weldlibanos made a stunning comeback in the final miles to win the JAL Honolulu Marathon on a wet and extremely humid morning while Calli Hauger-Thackery pulled away late to take the women’s title. The 53rd running of the race --which featured 23,131 starters in the marathon and 8,903 in the companion Start to Park 10K-- began at 5:00 a.m. local time with light rain and high humidity. Predicted downpours held off, although the athletes still had to navigate occasional drizzle and deep puddles along portions of the course. Pacemaker John Raneri towed the men’s field through 5K in 15:36 and 10K in 31:22, with a tight pack that included Weldlibanos --who finished ninth at the TCS New York City Marathon just six weeks ago-- and his training partners, defending champion Yemane Haileselassie, Amanuel Mesel and Tesfu Tewelde (all four are natives of Eritrea and are currently living in the United States under political asylum), plus Kenyan Patrick Ketter Kiplagat. Raneri dropped back at that point but continued running and would eventually pace the elite women. Mesel and Tewelde soon fell off the lead group, though Tewelde never completely lost contact. The four other athletes took turns in the front and passed halfway together in 1:06:30. Tewelde was at one point 25 seconds back but patiently worked his way back and rejoined the pack by 25-K. In the 18th mile Haileselassie made a decisive move that quickly broke open the race. Only Weldlibanos --who had the fastest personal best in the field after running 2:07:35 to win the 2024 California International Marathon-- could match the pace of sub-5:00 miles over the hilly course, but he was unable to respond when Haileselassie surged again in the 21st mile. From there it appeared that Haileselassie, an Olympic finalist in the steeplechase in 2016 and 2021, might be cruising to another win. Cheered on by the mass participation runners who were heading out on the course in the opposite direction, he put a gap of 21 seconds on Weldlibanos at 35K. Alas, the race was not over. By 40K the tenacious Weldlibanos had cut the deficit to just 4 seconds, and about 400 meters later he took the lead. “Tsegay has a lot of experience, and I know from training that he’s very, very fit,” said James McKirdy, who coaches both athletes in Flagstaff, Arizona. “I had a lot of confidence that he had the strength in his breathing and measurement of effort and if he still had the legs with a mile and a half to go he could still get it. I could tell that Yemane was suffering a lot more than Tsegay.” Weldlibanos closed hard over the final mile and ran solo to the finish line in Kapiolani Park in Waikiki, clocking 2:13:38. “At 40K my body was feeling good.  I just had to push it,” said the winner, who supplements his racing income with a part-time job as a ride-share driver. “I recovered well from New York and when I caught Yemane I was feeling good.” Haileselassie (2:14:29) took second, followed by Kiplagat (2:14:56), Tewelde (2:15:40) and Mesel (2:20:06). In the women’s race, five women ran together through 5K (18:12), 10K (35:46) and halfway (1:16:24): Hauger-Thackery, of Great Britain, two-time defending champion Cynthia Limo of Kenya, Eunice Chumba of Bahrain (who finished in the top 10 at the past two Olympic Games), Sintayehu Tilahun of Ethiopia and Vibian Chepkurui of Kenya. As the second half began, Raneri, the men’s rabbit, was now pacing this group. Tilahun was the first to lose contact (she would eventually drop out) and by 30K Chepkurui had fallen behind. At the elite fluid station near 30K, Hauger-Thackery’s bottle had been placed at the wrong table, causing a moment of confusion. She had to double back to grab her bottle, briefly losing ground on the pack. “It was just a mishap, it happens everywhere,” she said. “But to be honest I think it was a blessing in disguise because I was starting to move to the front and it was a bit early for that, so it made me chill. I just reeled them back in and told myself not to panic.” Shortly before the 2-hour mark, Chumba drifted back and it was down to a two-woman race between Hauger-Thackery and Limo. “It was so empowering. Cynthia is an incredible racer. I knew we were both hurting, but [I told myself] I’ve just got to fake it,” Hauger-Thackery said with a laugh. Just before 23 miles she started to open a gap, slowly extending her margin over the final miles. “I was hurting, but I told myself, ‘You can do anything for three miles,’” she said. She crossed the finish line in 2:30:43 and moments later dropped to her knees and threw up, admitting that was as much an emotional response as a physical one. “I put a lot on myself this year,” said Hauger-Thackery, who has a personal best of 2:21:24 from the 2024 Berlin Marathon. “So many A-goal races, like Boston Marathon [where she finished 6th], world champs at 10,000 meters [11th place]. Going back and forth between track and road running, and then DNF-ing in Chicago was gut-wrenching.” She was grateful for the opportunity to close out 2025 with this redemption run. “My only aim for today was to fall back in love with the marathon, finish this race … and get my confidence back,” she admitted. “To do that and win it, I can finish the year happy now.” Limo was the runner-up in 2:31:33, not far off her winning time from last year (2:31:14). Chumba (2:35:37), Chepkurui (2:40:49) and Japan’s Eri Suzuki (2:50:59) rounded out the top five. The winners each earned $25,000 in prize mone plus a unique solid gold winner's medal crafted by Japanese goldsmiths SGC, a race partner. In the companion Start to Park 10K Edwin Kurgat of Kenya (29:31) and Annika Reiss (34:19) were the winners (the course distance is not certified). “The warm-up was a downpour, so we got drenched, immediately,” Reiss told Race Results Weekly. “But you know, we got our shower in before the race and then we got to race and it was perfect conditions during the race.” Newly crowned World Marathon Majors series champion Susannah Scaroni won the women's wheelchair division in a course record 1:48:37.  It was her first time ever in Hawaii. "I loved the energy," said Scaroni.  "I loved that you could tell that you were by the ocean and lots of happy crowds, even though they were getting soaked." Yukina Ota of Japan successfully defended his title in the men's wheelchair division, clocking a course record 1:28:25. PHOTO: Susannah Scaroni after winning the 2025 JAL Honolulu Marathon in a course record 1:48:37 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. HONOLULU (13-Dec) -– Sinclaire Johnson smashed the American record in the road mile to score a convincing win at the Kalakaua Merrie Mile on a warm and windy morning here in Waikiki. The race, held in conjunction with Sunday's JAL Honolulu Marathon, featured a unique mixed-sex pursuit format. The women's elite field was given a 31-second head start over the men, with prize money awarded based on overall order of finish. For the second year in a row a runner from the women's division took first place. Johnson went out hard at the start, following pacemaker Aurora Rynda and quickly opening a gap of more than 10 meters on the women's pack. When Rynda stepped aside two minutes into the race, Johnson was essentially running a time trial to the finish. The flat out-and-back course on Kalakaua Avenue features a hairpin turn just past the halfway point, which gave her a chance to see how much of a lead she had built. "I was kinda shocked that nobody went with me," Johnson said. "It's really hard to tell in a road mile where you are. The turnaround is actually kind of nice because of that." Meanwhile, the men's field, led by pacer Abe Alvarado, was slowly chipping into the 31-second gap. Too slowly, in fact, as it appeared Johnson's tactics --inspired by talk the previous day of an ambitious early pace for the men-- were paying off. When Alvarado dropped out at about three-quarters of a mile, Josh Hoey, this year's world indoor champion in the 800 meters, and Hobbs Kessler, the top men's finisher at last year's Merrie Mile, were leading the charge in a tightly bunched men's pack but running out of room to get the win. Up ahead, Johnson ran unchallenged to the finish, clocking 4:21.66 to break the U.S. record of 4:23.98 set by Krissy Gear in April at the Grand Blue Mile in Des Moines. That time also moves her to No. 2 on the all-time world list for the road mile, behind Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji, who set the world record of 4:20.98 in 2023.  It was also the fastest time ever on U.S. soil. "I was pleasantly surprised with what I ran," said Johnson, who also set the American record in the track mile this season, clocking 4:16.32 at the London Diamond League meet in July. "Part of my goal this year is really trying to be fearless in races. And there's no better place to practice that than in a low-key road mile. So today I was fearless and it paid off." And it wasn't until she turned around after the finish line that she realized how convincing her victory was. "The last 200 the fans [lining the course] got really loud and I wasn't sure if someone was coming up on me or if they were just cheering for me," said Johnson, who is coached by her fiancé, Craig Nowak, in Portland, Oregon. "That last stretch I was trying to dig deep and give it everything I had." Nikki Hiltz, who was the overall Merrie Mile winner last year (off a 32-second head start) and won their third straight USATF title in the 1500 meters this summer, emerged from the women's pack to grab second overall in 4:24.50. Hoey closed fastest among the men and took third place in 3:54.77, passing Kenya's Susan Ejore-Sanders (4:26.47) shortly before the line, followed by Kessler (3:56.21). "This [pursuit] format makes it much more intense," said Hoey, who arrived in Hawaii on the heels of a world indoor best in the 600 meters (1:12.84) in Boston one week earlier. "I do mostly distance training, so the 600 was kind of a fun experiment and I was happy with how that went. But really I'm a miler, so I prefer this distance. I would definitely come back and do this race again." For the overall win, Johnson earned $10,000 (an increase from last year's $7,500 top prize). Hiltz takes home a $5,000 check as the runner-up, while Hoey scored $3,000 for third, plus a $2,500 bonus as the top male finisher (because a woman was the overall winner). Ejore-Sanders ($1,500) and Kessler ($1,000) also won prize money. Olympic bronze medalist Yared Nuguse (3:57.25), who was the overall Merrie Mile winner in 2022, finished third among the men, ahead of Kenya's Festus Lagat (3:57.80) and New Zealand's Geordie Beamish (3:58.17), this year's world champion in the steeplechase. Weini Kelati (4:29.83), the runner-up here last year, took fourth among the women just one week after winning the U.S. cross country title over 10-K. Japan's Nozomi Tanaka (4:30.04) placed fifth. Earlier in the morning, the citizens' race featured 2,854 finishers, up from 2,315 in 2024. Ka'eo Kruse, a Kalaheo, Hawaii, native who now lives in Boulder Colorado, was the men's winner, in 4:17.21. "Just being able to represent Hawaii and winning a home race felt great," said Kruse, who competed collegiately at Harvard and the University of Virginia and was an elite triathlete. "These guys are good, they were pushing it, so I just bided my time and waited for the right spot to make my move. I'm pretty confident in my kick." Great Britain's Hollie Parker, who finished seventh in the 1500 at this year's U.K. championships, won the women's division in 4:46.25 after only deciding to hop into the race one day earlier. "Better than a Friday workout," she said with a laugh. "It felt like a sprint. On the road, a mile is really hard to feel so I was just sprinting the whole way." PHOTO: Sinclaire Johnson winning the 2025 Kalakaua Merrie Mile in 4:21.66 setting a new American record (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)