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(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission.   NEW YORK (26-Sep) -- Fifty-two years after the world's first-ever all-women's road race was held in this city, the first all-women's professional athletics meeting was held at Icahn Stadium tonight.  Athlos NYC, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Label meeting, featured 35 athletes running six races over a two-hour period, and a whopping $663,000 prize money purse.  The meet concluded with a concert by rapper Megan Thee Stallion. "I love what they're doing here," said New Zealander Zoe Hobbs who finished fifth in the 100m and earned $5,000.  "It's good for track and field, bringing some hype and energy.  It's the atmosphere we need."   The atmosphere was certainly to the liking of Kenya's Faith Kipyegon, the three-time Olympic 1500m champion.  She started her international season late, in July at the Paris Diamond League, and said she was still feeling fresh for tonight's race.  After pacemaker Emily Richards stepped off the track after 800 meters, Kipyegon took the lead and ran 65.5 seconds for the penultimate lap.  She was shadowed closely by Ethiopian stars Diribe Welteji and Gudaf Tsegay, and Kenya's Susan Ejore-Sanders.  Kipyegon saved her legs for the final circuit, blasting away in the last 150 meters to close in 58.45 seconds.  Her time of 4:04.79 was by far her slowest 1500 of the season, but tonight's race was her most lucrative.  She earned $60,000. "To say the truth I was not tired," Kipyegon told a group of reporters while wearing the silver Tiffany & Co. crown which was presented to each winner.  "It was nice to enjoy what was happening today.  It was really a unique race with some amazing ladies."  She continued: "It was my plan to finish the season in a nice way." Welteji finished second in 4:05.58, and Ejore-Sanders got third in 4:06.25.  Ejore-Sanders, who ran for the University of Oregon during her NCAA career, also finished third at the New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile here on September 8. "It was just like all-out the last 150 meters," said the smiling Ejore-Sanders, who won $10,000.  "It's incredible. I'm so happy with my performance today." The 800m was a much faster race, despite the absence of a pacemaker.  Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma, the reigning world 800m indoor champion, took the race out hard in 58.13 for the first 400 meters.  Kenya's Mary Moraa, Jamaica's Natoya Goule-Toppin, and the USA's Addy Wiley stayed close.  Duguma still led at 600 meters, and held the inside lane out of the final bend.  Moraa, the 2023 world champion, tried to catch Duguma in the homestretch, but fell short.  Duguma got the win in a stadium record 1:57.43.  Moraa was second (1:58.05), Goule-Toppin third (1:58.63), and Wiley fourth (1:58.93). "It's great; I'm very happy," Duguma told reporters with the help of a translator.  She was particularly jazzed by the $60,000 paycheck.  "It is unexpected," she said.  She continued: "It's a lot of money for me, for my family, and the sport.  I can use it." In the four sprint events, Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camach-Quinn won the 110m hurdles (12.36), Côte d'Ivoire's Marie-Josee Ta Lou won the 100m (10.98), Dominican Republic's Marileidy Paulino won the 400m (49.59), and Brittany Brown won the 200m (22.18).  Brown was the only athlete who doubled tonight, and pocketed total prize money of $85,000: $60,000 for winning the 200m and $25,000 for taking second in the 100m. Across the board athletes heaped praise on the meeting organizers, who were led by technology entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian who bankrolled the meet. "It's amazing," said Britain's Katie Snowden who finished sixth in the 1500m.  "I mean, the way they put it all together, the coming out with the music and the introductions it was really fun.  Especially the end of the season, it was really a great way to finish." PHOTO: Faith Kipyegon wins the 1500m at Athlos NYC at Icahn Stadium (photo courtesy of Athlos NYC)  

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. NORTHPORT, N.Y. (21-Sep) -- "Finally!" That's what Jessica McClain shouted as she broke the tape at the Great Cow Harbor 10K here this morning where she won her first-ever national title.  The 32 year-old from Phoenix, who finished fourth at the 2024 USA Olympic Team Trials Women's Marathon last February, stopped the clock at 31:40, a new course record by 13 seconds. She'll leave this picturesque seaside town on Long Island with total race winnings of $10,500: $8,000 for first place and $2,500 for setting a new course record.  Her time was also a championships record, bettering Marla Runyan's 2002 mark of 31:46 set in Boston. "It was so fun," an elated McClain told Race Results Weekly just after finishing.  "I was literally out here just to race and have a good time before New York (City Marathon), and the motivation now is just head-down training, staying in Phoenix the next six weeks." McClain was part of a strong lead pack in the first mile which included Natosha Rogers, Erika Kemp, Emma Grace Hurley, and Amanda Vestri.  Keira D'Amato, Annie Rodenfels, and Katie Izzo ran together about six seconds back.  The quintet ascended the steep James Street Hill in the second mile, then ran together towards the 5K mark, unable to appreciate the breathtaking views of Northport Harbor to their left.  Rogers got the $500 5K prime, but McClain held back.  She was thinking instead about the overall title. "I knew some of the women would be motivated by the 5K bonus," McClain explained.  "So I was like, just tune-out and stay in the mix until then, and then just feel it out.  When I felt comfortable enough, make a move and make it definitive." Her legs full of strength from marathon training, McClain pulled away in the fourth mile. She ran the mostly downhill second half of the race in a snappy 15:42, much faster than the second-place Rogers (16:03).  Spurred on by the hundreds of spectators who lined both sides of the course, the Brooks-sponsored athlete sailed to the finish line on Main Street alone.  She was particularly pleased with her tactics today. "I've been really bad about getting out and making half-assed moves," McClain admitted with a chuckle.  "I was really trying to get to a point where I was antsy and just go." Despite suffering from a badly upset stomach in the final mile, Rogers was a clear second in 32:00.  Hurley, the overall leader in the USATF Running Circuit points race, took third in 32:05 and Kemp, who won here in 2021, got fourth in 32:10.  D'Amato, who will run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in three weeks, completed the top-5 in 32:13. "I wasn't sure how this was going to pan out two miles in," said Rogers, who took the lead at 5K.  She continued: "Jess went with me, and then I just kept telling myself, 'just hold on; it's not easier being in no-man's land.'  I tried to hold on to her as hard as I could, but she just has a lot more strength on me." The men's competition quickly became a two-man race when Simbassa --the 2022 champion here and the course record holder-- pulled away with two-time Olympic steeplechaser Hillary Bor after Anthony Rotich surged for the halfway prime (14:19).  In the downhill, fourth mile Bor drafted Simbassa and the pair quickly developed an 11-second lead over their nearest chasers, Sam Chelanga and Kirubel Erassa.  Simbassa used his knowledge of the hilly course to his advantage. "This course can be tricky," Simbassa told Race Results Weekly.  "If you take a lead, make sure you don't go back because there is no place you can take a break." Bor stayed in his taller rival's draft trying to conserve energy.  He wasn't feeling his best. "Today I didn't run the way I expected to," Bor told reporters.  "I felt like I was in shape to run sub-28:00, but for some reason I woke up today and I was feeling tired.  My legs were just flat." The pair were still together through five miles (22:48), but in the final mile Bor had to let Simbassa go.  Although his finish time of 28:18 fell short of his own course record of 28:13, Simbassa was happy.  Today's win represented his second USATF 10K title in three years.  He had to skip last year's race because he competed in the World Athletics Road Running Championships, instead. "It feels good," said Simbassa, who won $8,000 in prize money.  "It's been a while (since) I won (a national) title.  You know, every year I set a goal at the end of the year, I want to win one national championship.  So, today's comeback and win here is just a blessing."   Bor, who later admitted that he knew he wasn't going to win in the first mile, got second in 28:34.  Chelanga won the battle for third over Erassa, 28:34 to 28:50.  Rotich, who won the halfway prime, rounded out the top-5 in 28:59. Today's race was held in near-perfect, late summer weather (fall officially begins tomorrow).  Many residents came out of their homes to cheer, some holding front-porch parties.  Organizers sold out at 5,000 entries four weeks ago, the earliest in race history. ** The 2024 USATF Running Circuit concludes at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5-K in New York City on Saturday, November 2, where the overall series champions will be crowned. PHOTO: Biya Simbassa and Jessica McClain celebrate after winning the USATF 10-K title at the Great Cow Harbor 10-K in Northport, N.Y. (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. NORTHPORT, N.Y. (18-Sep) -- Saturday's 44th Great Cow Harbor 10K boasts a sold-out general field and will host the USATF 10K Championships for the third consecutive year.  A total purse of $47,000 is on the line including $8,000 for the winning man and woman and $2,500 for new course records. "We have great fields and I fully expect two course records as weather is looking good for fast times," said Will Fodor who recruits and organizes the elite athletes for the race.  "If we give out two bonuses we will be awarding $47,000 in USA-only prize money." Those course records are tough, however: 28:12.4 for men (Biya Simbassa, Under Armour, 2022), and 31:53.0 for women (Stephanie Bruce, HOKA Northern Arizona Elite, 2022). Although the USATF-certified course is net-downhill by about 41 meters (135 feet), it has a steep climb in the second mile on James Street which usually separates the contenders from the rest of the field.  Later, the final mile is nearly all downhill, conducive to fast sprint finishes. The women's field is very strong, despite the absence of 2023 champion Weini Kelati.  Erika Kemp (Brooks), who won the race in 2021 in a solid 32:18 will be back, and should face stiff challenges from former USA marathon record holder Keira D'Amato (Nike), 2023 national 5000m and 10,000m team member Natosha Rogers (Puma Elite Running), 2024 USA Olympic Marathon Trials fourth-placer Jess McClain (Brooks), 2023 USATF 5K road running champion Annie Rodenfels (adidas/BAA High Performance), the top American at the 2024 Mastercard Mini 10-K Amanda Vestri (Brooks/ZAP Endurance), and the second place athlete in the 2024 USATF Running Circuit Emma Grace Hurley (Asics/Heartland Track Club). Rachel Smith (Hoka), the USATF Running Circuit points leader, had planned to run but has scratched. Biya Simbassa, the 2022 men's champion and course record holder, leads the men's field.  He is currently second in the USATF Running Circuit points to Olympic steeplechaser Hillary Bor (Hoka) who will also be competing here on Saturday.  At the Faxon Law New Haven Road Race on Labor Day (the USATF 20K Championships), Bor handily beat Simbassa (who was third) which moved the two-time Olympian to the top of the USATF Running Circuit points table. Veterans Willy Fink (Under Armour), Sam Chelanga (Unattached), Anthony Rotich (U.S. Army), and Diego Estrada (Unattached) should also factor into the fight for the podium. The race prize money goes 10-deep: $8000-4500-2750-1500-1200-750-600-500-400-300.  There is also a $500 prime for the leaders at halfway.  Kelati, who won the women's race last year wire-to-wire, collected the 2023 women's prime, while Tai Dinger got the halfway prize on the men's side (he would finish seventh. The race reached its entry limit of 5,000 runners a full four weeks before race day.  That took organizers by surprise. "Our earliest, ever," said Fodor, whose son, Thomas,   "We did create a wait list to allow runners in the event if any valid scratches occurred enabling us to back-fill the available bibs.  To our astonishment we ended up with over 500 on the wait list." While it's tempting to make the race larger, Fodor said that keeping the runner experience at a high level is what is most important.  The population of Northport is only about 7500 and Fodor and his team want to give runners a genuine small-town race experience.  The race uses a wave start to assure every runner the chance at a clear roadway. "Our goal is to put on a quality event and to keep the name 'Great' in our name," said Fodor.  "We need to ensure all of the runners' safety (adequate water and medical personnel on site), while also achieving the goal of great overall customer satisfaction which we can confidently do with 5,000 runners." After Saturday's race here, only one event remains in the USATF Running Circuit program for 2024: the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K in New York City on Saturday, November 2.  The overall series champions will be crowned that day, and each will receive $30,000 out of a $300,000 series purse. PHOTO: Biya Simbassa winning the 2022 Great Cow Harbor 10K and the USATF national 10K title in a course record 28:12.4 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)    

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. NEW YORK (07-Sep) -- Emily Mackay, who considered herself an "underdeveloped athlete" when she finished her collegiate running career at Binghamton University in Upstate New York two summers ago, took a massive leap forward this year winning a World Athletics Indoor Championships bronze medal at 1500m, lowering her 1500m personal best to 3:55.90 (third fastest ever by an American), and becoming an Olympic semi-finalist after taking second at the USA Olympic Trials.  The 26 year-old from Endicott, N.Y., who will run the New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile here tomorrow, can hardly believe it. "I had no idea what to expect, and it surpassed my expectations in every way," Mackay told an audience of runners gathered today at New York Road Runners' RunCenter on Manhattan's West Side.  "It was really, really special to have that dream come true.  Every professional runner's dream is to become an Olympian." Mackay, who pronounces her name "muh-KYE," credits both her college coach at Binghamton University, Annette Acuff, and her pro-level coach at New Balance Boston, Mark Coogan, for recognizing her talent and drive to succeed. "I feel very proud of the school that I come from, Binghamton University, part of the America East Conference," Mackay told Race Results Weekly in an interview.  "It's a smaller D-I school.  It's not as well known for the running program." But it was the right school for Mackay.  As a sophomore (after transferring from Oregon State), Mackay ran only modest times of 2:11.55 and 4:27.45 for 800m and 1500m, respectively.  But under Acuff's coaching and despite the pandemic disruption of 2020, she got her times down to 2:08.53 and 4:17.37 as a junior, and improved further to 2:03.49 and 4:11.10 as a senior.  She began to see a long trajectory upward despite not competing for a big-name program. "Annette Acuff is an amazing coach," said Mackay.  "Just to show that the America East Conference can produce Olympic athletes, I think that's really special.  I'm very proud of coming from a smaller conference and a smaller school, just showing what we're made of." After college Mackay joined the New Balance Boston training group, which included Olympians Elle St. Pierre and Heather MacLean, and finished a promising seventh at the 2022 USATF Championships in the 1500m.  Under Coogan's coaching, and with the support of state-of-the-art training facilities provided by New Balance, quickly Mackay went all-in. "We just have so many amazing resources that help us compete at this level," Mackay explained.  "Mark's obviously an amazing coach.  He's got a great résumé.  He's definitely known for developing underdeveloped athletes.  That's one of the reasons I chose the program." But despite all of the technical tools that New Balance makes available, Mackay said that Coogan's hands-on, stick-to-basics style of coaching works for her, including regular stints at altitude and 80-mile weeks.  His program first left her exhausted, but her body slowly adapted "He's definitely more old school in his training," she said of the 58 year-old Coogan, who was a 1996 Olympian and competed at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships seven times.  "He's not super-big on lactate testing and VO2 max testing or anything like that."  She added: "I think he saw an underdeveloped athlete and someone who had a lot of room to grow.  I think that he might have seen the fire in my eyes, that he knew how motivated and determined I was.  He knew how much I believed in myself." With her successful track season behind her, Mackay hopes that tomorrow's race on Fifth Avenue will provide a satisfying end to her season.  In her first Fifth Avenue appearance last year, Mackay finished a disappointing 16th in 4:31.8.  She hopes to improve on that performance and was open about her race plan, which she admitted was pretty loose. "I didn't have any specific tactics last year, and I'm not going to lie, don't again this year," she admitted.  "I'm literally going to run as fast as I can.  It's as simple as that.  I'm just going to send it from the gun." *** The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile will be televised live on WABC-TV, Channel 7 in the New York tri state area from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET and available for streaming across the rest of the nation on ESPN+. Coverage includes features, interviews, and uninterrupted coverage of the professional heats with commentary from Olympians Carrie Tollefson and Alysia Montaño, ABC New York Sports Anchors Ryan Field and Sam Ryan, and Ali on the Run Show Host Ali Feller. PHOTO: Emily Mackay and her coach Mark Coogan at the 2024 USA Olympic Track & Field Trials at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)