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(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. NEW YORK (30-Oct) -- Last March in Atlanta, Amanda Vestri finished third at the USATF Half-Marathon Championships and earned a berth on Team USATF for the World Road Running Championships which were scheduled for September in San Diego.  The Brooks-sponsored athlete clocked 1:08:17 on a hilly course, and was thrilled to make her first national team after struggling late in the race. "By the grace of God," Vestri said, when asked how she maintained her composure in the final stages of the competition.  "That was the only thing I was holding on to towards the end.  I was like, God, just get me through this.  Miles eight to twelve I was suffering pretty bad." But only three days later, World Athletics said that those championships would be moved from San Diego to another venue, and a few weeks later cancelled them altogether.  Vestri's fall plans had to be changed, and she felt the pull of the marathon, a distance her coaches in both high school and college said she was destined for. "When the World Half-Marathon Championships were not going to happen in September in San Diego, which I qualified for, I was like, you know what?  We've got other options," Vestri told Race Results Weekly in an interview at a midtown hotel.  She continued: "I watched the Boston Marathon this past year and I think watching so many people, so many athletes I know, race that marathon, I just got really inspired by it.  I just wanted to be a part of that." The performances of two of those athletes, Jessica McClain and Annie Frisbie, really lit a fire under Vestri.  They finished seventh and eighth, respectively, and were the first and second Americans in the race. "Jess McClain, like she's a Brooks athlete, and just seeing her out there being top American was great," Vestri continued.  "Annie Frisbie, who was my old roommate at Iowa State, seeing her get second American was just inspiring.  That's when I knew I really wanted to run a marathon." Working with her coach Pete Rea and agent Josh Cox, Vestri decided that New York made the most sense for her debut, despite the hilly course, all-women's format, lack of pacemakers, and a stacked international field.  Vestri grew up in Webster, N.Y., about a 20 minute drive from Rochester, and competing in New York just felt right to her.  She already had a relationship with the race organizer, New York Road Runners, and had raced successfully in three of their events. "Me and Pete, my coach, went back and forth between Chicago and New York," Vestri explained.  "To be honest, it wasn't too long of a decision before we came to the conclusion of New York."  She continued: "Number one, I grew up in New York so it has somewhat of a home feel to it.  I've run many, many New York Road Runners events, and they've always treated you (like) the best athletes in the world.  I've just liked the experiences that I've had here where I started my pro running career.  I've run well at the New York Mini (10-K), I saw the marathon running here at Abbott (Dash 5K) two years ago, and it was just really cool to see." But there was a bigger reason for Vestri to choose New York: the championship-style format which emphasizes head-to-head racing over achieving fast times. "I didn't want to time-trial my first marathon," Vestri said.  "I wanted to run it on my own terms and race it.  I think it's really cool to have a super-fast marathon PR, but I don't think that's what New York is all about.  I think New York is about the place, the experience, being patient in the race, and getting to do something that's incredibly rare, running through all the boroughs.  It's the opportunity of a lifetime.  That's why I chose New York and I'm excited about it." Vestri ran several summer road races, and even won her first national title at the USATF 6-K Championships in Canton, Ohio, on July 12.  After that, she competed in the 10,000m at the USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., on July 31 where she finished eighth.  She took a little time to recover, then got right into her marathon build in August. "We had decided that I would just take ten days of, like, easy running, (and) a few days off," Vestri said.  "Then we got right into it.  I did my first long run of the build in August, and we've just been non-stop since then.  Pete's approach to marathon training is just building very, very slowly.  I think that has helped me feel like I'm still climbing now." Vestri said that her weekly mileage peaked at about 115, and her 23-mile long run was the longest run of her life.  She also did a 16-mile race-pace run as part of a 22 mile day.  On October 5, she raced the Twin Cities 10 Mile in Minneapolis on thoroughly tired legs and ran a very solid 53:14.  That's equivalent to a 2:29:12 marathon using the time-tested Riegel Formula, but with absolutely no taper. "I did the 10-mile at Twin Cities and that was a very good... check-in point," Vestri said.  "We were nowhere near the fitness that we worked to be at four weeks later, which is now.  I think we timed it pretty well.  Running on tired legs was a different stimulus that I haven't really conceptualized until I ran that race." For Sunday, Vestri prefers to keep her specific goals private.  But she already knows how she plans to execute the race, by staying both vigilant and patient. "I'm typically not very patient in races, so in training we've been practicing patience," Vestri said.  "I think New York is the definition of being patient in a race.  I watched a few of the marathons back in the last few weeks to get an idea of how it plays out, and it's very much patience, patience, patience. Then the real racing starts with about 10K to go." By making her debut in New York, Vestri joins a super-elite group of American women who have chosen the TCS New York City Marathon for their first marathon: Deena Kastor in 2001 (seventh in 2:26:58), Marla Runyan in 2002 (fourth in 2:27:10), Kara Goucher in 2008 (third in 2:25:53), Shalane Flanagan in 2010 (second in 2:28:40), Laura Thweatt in 2015 (seventh in 2:28:23), Molly Huddle in 2016 (third in 2:28:13), and Annie Frisbie in 2021 (seventh in 2:26:18).  Flanagan won the race in 2017, which Vestri watched on television as an 18 year-old. "It's surreal for sure," said Vestri as she thought about the great history of American debuts in New York.  "You've got Kara Goucher, who I've been lucky enough to speak to a couple of times about the marathon distance."  She continued: It's going to be a great opportunity.  I'm excited to debut in New York and take in the crowds, to be honest." Vestri has already accomplished her first goal for Sunday's race: getting to the starting line healthy.  From there, she could feel successful with any number of outcomes. "I think a good day is the fact that I got to the start line healthy, and mentally and physically ready.  I enjoyed the build and I get to go out and celebrate.  If I can cross that line and say I did everything I could, that will be successful for me.  Running smart and running brave is my main goal." PHOTO: Amanda Vestri finishing third at the 2025 USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. (23-Oct) -- The ninth edition of the Kalakaua Merrie Mile (KMM), scheduled for Saturday, December 13 in Honolulu, will be the strongest-ever edition of the iconic beach-side road race held one day before the JAL Honolulu Marathon.  Organizers have assembled an elite field of 20 athletes representing seven nations which includes four world champions, twelve international medalists, twelve Olympians, and both American record holders in the mile.  Moreover, the athletes will compete in a unique "chase" format where competitors in the women's category are given a head start over the men and prize money is paid based on the overall order of finish.  The overall winner will earn $10,000 in prize money, the highest first place prize of any road mile in the United States, and there is also a $10,000 bonus on offer for a world record. "With the deepest and most acclaimed international field yet, along with an increase in prize money, the KMM is rapidly becoming the most prestigious road mile in the world," said Honolulu Marathon Association president Dr. Jim Barahal, who oversees the event.  "We are excited to welcome these incredible athletes to kick off the Honolulu Marathon weekend on December 13." Among the four world champions there are three Americans --Donavan Brazier, Josh Hoey and Hobbs Kessler-- and one New Zealander, Geordie Beamish.  Brazier was the 2019 world 800m champion; Hoey is the reigning world indoor 800m champion; Kessler is the reigning world road mile champion; and Beamish is both the 2024 world indoor 1500m and 2025 world 3000m steeplechase champion.  Brazier and Hoey are running the KMM for the first time, while Kessler will be competing for the fourth time and Beamish for his second. Among the twelve international medalists, American Yared Nuguse stands out.  The 26 year-old was the 2024 Olympic 1500m bronze medalist, and is also the American record holder in the mile both outdoors (3:43.97) and indoors (3:46.63).  Training in Boulder, Colo., with the On Athletics Club, Nuguse will be making his second appearance at the KMM.  He was the overall winner in 2023. "It was a really intense race," said Nuguse. "That whole chasing-the-women format had me on edge for a lot of that race. It ended up being such an exciting race at the finish, so I'm very happy to be here." In the women's category, American mile record holder Sinclaire Johnson (4:16.32) has a lifetime best just a touch faster than the previous national record holder, Nikki Hiltz (4:16.35).  At the 2024 KMM Johnson was third overall, while Hiltz was the overall champion.  Hiltz also competed in 2023, 2022 and 2019. "This race is special if you're first or last and it's the cherry on top to walk away with some prize money and a gold plate," said Hiltz after last year's race, clutching the special gold winner's plaque. Other Olympians in the field include Neil Gourley of Great Britain, the 2023 European Indoor Championships 1500m silver medalist; Oliver Hoare of Australia, the 2022 Commonwealth Games 1500m champion; Nico Young of the USA, the national outdoor 5000m record holder; Susan Ejore-Sanders of Kenya, sixth in the 2024 Olympic 1500m; Weini Kelati of the USA, the 2024 national 10,000m champion; and Nozomi Tanaka of Japan, the Japanese record holder for every distance from 1500m to 5000m. The out-and-back, World Athletics-certified course is flat, fast and record-eligible.  The course records are 3:53.3 for the men (Edward Cheserek of Kenya, 2019), and 4:22.6 (Mirriam Cherop of Kenya, 2018).  Prize money will be paid five-deep ($10,000-5000-3000-1500-1000) and the top finisher in the men's or women's category who is not the overall winner will receive a special bonus of $2500 (that's new for 2025).  Race organizers expect about 3000 athletes to run in the KMM across all categories. The head start given to the women in 2024 was 32 seconds and three athletes in the women's category --Hiltz, Kelati and Johnson-- finished one-two-three.  Kessler was fourth overall.  The overall spread between the top-four finishers last year was less than sixth tenths of a second. ** The LIVE and FREE broadcast of the 2025 Kalakaua Merrie Mile will air on the CITIUS MAG and Honolulu Marathon YouTube channels. This will be the race's first year partnering with CITIUS MAG to provide live coverage and interviews, and will feature Chris Chavez on the call for the professional race.  The first wave of the mile goes off at 7:00 a.m. HST (12:00 p.m. EST, 5:00 p.m. BST, and 6:00 p.m. CET), and the professional race will begin at approximately 7:45 a.m. HST. The links for the race broadcast are: https://www.youtube.com/@honolulumarathon https://www.youtube.com/c/CitiusMag/ The complete elite field for the 2025 Kalakaua Merrie Mile is below (with dates of birth and 1500m and mile personal bests): MEN'S CATEGORY:  Donavan Brazier, USA, 15-Apr-1997, Nike Swoosh TC, 3:35.85, 3:59.30 Geordie Beamish, NZL, 24-Oct-1996, On Athletics Club, 3:34.47, 3:49.09 Vince Ciattei, USA, 21-Jan-1995, UA Dark Sky Distance, 3:31.67, 3:49.37 Neil Gourley, GBR, 7-Feb-1995, UA Dark Sky Distance, 3:30.60, 3:47.74 Oliver Hoare, AUS, 29-Jan-1997, On Athletics Club, 3:29.41, 3:47.48 Josh Hoey, USA, 1-Nov-1999, adidas, 3:29.75, 3:52.61 Hobbs Kessler, USA, 15-Mar-2003, adidas, 3:29.45, 3:46.90 Festus Lagat, KEN, 10-Oct-1996, UA Baltimore Distance, 3:29.03, 3:48.93 Yared Nuguse, USA, 1-Jun-1999, On Athletics Club, 3:27.80, 3:43.97 Nico Young, USA, 27-Jul-2002, adidas, 3:34.56, 3:50.89 WOMEN'S CATEGORY: Susan Ejore-Sanders, KEN, 9-Nov-1995, UA Dark Sky Distance, 3:56.07, 4:20.61 Nikki Hiltz, USA, 23-Oct-1994, lululemon, 3:55.33, 4:16.35 Sage Hurta-Klecker, USA, 23-Jun-1998, On Athletics Club, 4:01.79, 4:19.89 Sinclaire Johnson, USA, 13-Apr-1998, Nike Swoosh TC, 3:56.75, 4:16.32 Dani Jones, USA, 21-Aug-1996, New Balance, 4:00.64, 4:22.45 Weini Kelati, USA, 1-Dec-1996, UA Dark Sky Distance, 4:10.88, 4:28.49 road Emily Mackay, USA, 30-Apr-1998, New Balance, 3:55.90, 4:23.79 Heather MacLean, USA, 31-Aug-1995, New Balance, 3:57.79, 4:17.01 Aurora Rynda (pacemaker), CAN, 26-Oct-2000, Very Nice Track Club, 4:17.77, 4:28.9 road Nozomi Tanaka, JPN, 4-Sep-1999, New Balance, 3:59.19, 4:23.4 road You can also link to the elite field here: https://www.honolulumarathon.org/2025-kalakaua-merrie-mile-elite-field PHOTO: Nikki Hiltz winning the 2024 Kalakaua Merrie Mile over Weini Kelati (second), Sinclaire Johnson (third) and Hobbs Kessler (fourth) (photo by Jason Suarez for the Honolulu Marathon Association)

(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved CHICAGO (12-Oct) -- Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo and Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa dominated today's 47th Bank of America Chicago Marathon, recording fast winning times of 2:02:23 and 2:14:56, respectively.  Kiplimo, 24, running in only his second marathon, was on world record pace through 35-K, but slowed in the final kilometers and had to settle for the win and the second-fastest time ever at Chicago.  He was also the race's first Ugandan winner.  Feysa, 26, ran nearly identical halves of 67:30 and 67:26 to set a personal best of 2:14:56 and got her first-ever Abbott World Marathon Majors title.  Both winners won $100,000 in prize money. Also, two-time NCAA cross country champion Conner Mantz finished fourth setting a North American record of 2:04:43.  He also smashed Khalid Khannouchi's 23 year-old USA record of 2:05:38 set at the London Marathon in 2022, and even eclipsed Ryan Hall's all-conditions American best of 2:04:58 set in Boston in 2011. MEN START (TOO?) FAST The men's race got off to a blistering start which no doubt ruined the chances of several of the race's top contenders.  After a scorching first mile of 4:25, the lead group went through the 5-K checkpoint in 13:58, on pace for a sub-1:58:00 marathon.  Mantz, who was only another five seconds back, knew the race had gone out too hard, and quickly tried to settle himself down. "Well, I guess I warmed up well enough," he joked in his post-race broadcast interview when asked about the fast first mile. Three pacemakers --Kenya's Barselius Kipyego and Amon Kemboi and Britain's Patrick Dever-- led the contenders through the first 5K split.  In addition to Kiplimo, defending champion John Korir of Kenya was right near the front along with compatriots Timothy Kiplagat, Philemon Kiplimo, and Amos Kipruto.  Mantz was in the second group 25 seconds back. The pace moderated in the next 5K segment (14:27), and Kemboi dropped out.  Kipyego and Dever continued to shepherd the five contenders through 15K in 42:41 and halfway in 1:00:16.  Only Kiplagat would drift off the pace by that point, but he was just four seconds back. Surprisingly, Korir decided to make an early bid for victory.  He surged after the halfway point (where the pacers dropped out) and the lead pack immediately fell apart.  Kiplimo initially went backwards, but slowly caught up to Korir.  The pair went through 25K in 1:11:12 meaning their last 5K split was a snappy 14:06.  That fast segment ended up killing the races of Korir, Philemon Kiplimo, and Kiplagat.  Korir, who also won the Boston Marathon last April, only made it to 20 miles before dropping out; Philemon Kiplimo would finish 8th (2:06:14); and Kiplagat would finish 12th (2:07:42). Running side by side, Kiplimo and Korir kept the pace high and the world record in play.  Kiplimo ran 14:19 from 25 to 30K.  That was too fast for Korir who fell back and would record his last split at the 20 mile mark before dropping out.  Kiplimo was still on world record pace through 30K (2:00:16 predicted time), but he said later that he wasn't thinking about that. "It was not something easy to prepare for this race," he told reporters later on.  He continued: "I think to me my coming here was just to run a good race." Kiplimo ran the next four miles in 4:32, 4:38, 4:46, and 4:50 (15:17 from 35 to 40-K).  The world record had slipped away, but Kiplimo was happy. "For me I was just keeping the pace to finish the race well," he said.  "The legs were a little bit tired.  I was just trying to keep the pace." Kipruto, who was part of the original lead group, held on to finish second in 2:03:54.  Alex Masai --the former NCAA athlete for Hofstra University who is now part of the Flagstaff-based Hoka Northern Arizona Elite-- finished third in a personal best 2:04:37 after running much of the race with Mantz.  The two worked together, Mantz said. "Alex and I were communicating quite a bit," said Mantz, who had raced Masai during his collegiate career.  "I owe him a lot." MAGICAL DAY FOR MANTZ For Conner Mantz, the race could not have gone any better.  He didn't get swept up in the super-fast pace of the leaders in the first half, and instead stuck with his plan to run about 62 minutes for the first half (his official split was 62:19).  In the second half, he kept his pace consistent which allowed him to move up from eighth position to fourth as other athletes faltered.  He had his eyes on the podium in the final kilometers (he called a top-3 finish one of his "stretch goals"), but could not match Masai's sprint speed in the final 200 meters.  Still, fourth place and the North American record was a huge accomplishment for the 28 year-old. "I had been eyeing this record for a long time," said Mantz, who already had the national half-marathon record of 59:17.  He continued: "It feels really good." Mantz revealed after the race that his fall season isn't over.  After a brief recovery period, he plans to re-boot his training so he can compete in the USATF Cross Country Championships in Portland, Ore., the national selection race for Team USATF for the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Fla., on January 10th. "That's been on the plan for me for a long time," Mantz said of World Cross.  "Even during the race I was like, as long as I get this record I'm doing World Cross." FEYSA BANKED ON A STEADY PACE For women's champion Hawi Feysa, who was sixth at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in 2023, she had no interest in fast starts or mid-race surges.  Instead, she chose to run at a level pace and hoped that by targeting a 2:15:00 finish time she would end up first. "I felt pretty confident," she said through a translator.  She added: "That was pretty much the plan.  We work on this kind of consistent pacing (in training)." With the help of a male pacemaker, Chala Beyo Techo of Ethiopia, she and Tanzania's Magdalena Shauri went through halfway in 1:07:30, exactly on 2:15 pace.  Two other Ethiopians, Mergertu Alemu and Ejgayehu Taye were seven seconds back and were the only other athletes in contention for the podium. Feysa and Shauri were still together through 25K (1:19:59), but Shauri would soon fall back.  By 30-K Feysa was alone and without speeding up increased her gap to two minutes and 22 seconds by the finish line.  Remarkably, Feysa ran the second half just four seconds faster than the first. "The race conditions were good, the course was good," Feysa said matter of factly through a translator.  "My coach gave me a lot of good preparation heading into this race.  I only just learned that I broke 2:15 and I'm really happy about that." Alemu took second in 2:17:18, Shauri got third in 2:18:03, and two Kenyans --Loice Chemnung and Mary Ngugi-Cooper-- rounded out the top-5 in 2:18:23 and 2:19:25, respectively.  It was the first time at this race that five women broke 2:20:00. Natosha Rogers, 34, was the top American in sixth place.  She backed up the 2:23:51 she ran in Nagoya last March with a 2:23:28 personal best here. "Based on my training I actually went out conservative," Rogers told reporters.  She continued: "I was hoping for a 2:22, but I was feeling it out there; I got some bad waves and I got some good waves.  But, it's so much mind over matter.  It's so much mental.  Every part of that course was just so beautiful." Paris Olympian Dakotah Popehn, who was targeting 2:20:00, finished seventh (second American) in 2:24:21 after hitting halfway in 1:10:44. CHICAGO SHOWS UP The people of Chicago have always embraced the marathon, and after some politicians made disparaging remarks about the city (President Trump called the city a "death trap" last month) the city's citizens turned out en masse to support today's race.  Large groups of spectators could be seen along the route on the race's broadcast. "For me, what I was so impressed with was the outreach from the community," said executive race director Carey Pinkowski, when asked to reflect on today's race.  He added: "This is an amazing ecosystem.  Just about every city agency was involved." PHOTO: Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda just before the halfway point of the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon with Amos Kipruto of Kenya (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly) PHOTO: Conner Mantz after setting the North American marathon record at the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. CHICAGO (10-Oct) -- While much attention has been focused on Conner Mantz and his quest to break Khalid Khannouchi's 23 year-old USA marathon record at Sunday's Bank of America Chicago Marathon, less has been said about another athlete's goal of running nearly the same time.  Rory Linkletter, a Canadian Olympian and the fastest-ever Canadian at the Boston Marathon, hopes to break 2:05:36 in Sunday's race, a mark which is actually two seconds faster than Khannouchi's USA record.  The mark that Linkletter is chasing is both the Canadian and North American marathon record, and both he and Mantz --who were teammates at Brigham Young University-- have the unique opportunity to push each other in achieving those parallel goals. "I heard from Conner that he was going for the American record," Linkletter told reporters at a press conference here this morning.  "The American and Canadian records are virtually the same, just Canada's is two seconds faster.  So in theory, there should be an opportunity for us to work together and to push ourselves.  Hopefully, we both smash our national records and have a chance of lowering the area record by quite a bit." Originally, Mantz had asked Linkletter if he would pace him in Chicago.  The two know each other well, and Linkletter gave Mantz's idea serious consideration. "Boston gave me the idea that maybe 2:05 was possible," Linkletter, 29, told Race Results Weekly in an interview.  "I did 2:07 there and a sixth place finish more importantly.  I had heard from Conner directly that he would be here going for the American record.  At first he was kind of recruiting me to pace him.  He was like, 'oh, you looked good in Boston.  Maybe you'd want to pace me?'  I think he wanted, like, a more personal pacer experience that just like whoever the race provides.  I think he was putting feelers out for that." But after running another successful marathon in Ottawa in May where he ran the fastest-ever time by a Canadian on Canadian soil (2:08:31), Linkletter and his coach Jon Green felt like going for the Canadian and North American record --held by Cam Levins-- would be the best plan for moving Linkletter's marathon career forward. "We talked about it and we decided that we should go for the record ourselves," Green told Race Results Weekly in an interview.  He continued: "I think we're ready to shoot for the record." To Linkletter, everything lined up to try for Levins's record at Chicago this year.  Pacing Mantz would have been both meaningful and fun, but as a professional runner Linkletter also had to take into account his income potential from his next marathon and also his value to other marathons in the future if he breaks the record. "It kind of comes down to the professional side of marathoning where you're making decisions based on finances, timing, what makes sense and what doesn't," Linkletter explained.  "It became clear to me that Chicago was my best opportunity that checked all the boxes of what I was looking for in terms of a professional opportunity: a time trial course with good competition.  Assuming that Conner is still on track to aim for that 2:05 range, then it's perfect.  We can work together the whole time and have a great experience." Of course Mantz could take a big swing and try to run even faster (his USA half-marathon record of 59:17 is equivalent to a 2:04:28 marathon according to the time-tested Riegel Formula).  Linkletter is ready for that. "With Conner Mantz you're never sure where his heart may lie," Linkletter said.  "He may be thinking a lot faster than that." To get ready for Chicago, Linkletter has done all of his training at high altitude in Flagstaff, Ariz., where he lives.  Green said that his athlete has been averaging about 130 miles a week and has been trying to get more out of each run.  Both Linkletter and Green said that this marathon build-up has been excellent. "I can't really think of any spots where he faltered in the build," Green said.  He continued: "There wasn't any weeks or workouts necessarily where I said we're in trouble, or anything like that.  I'm sure if I wanted to be nitpicky I could say, that workout wasn't one hundred percent.  Overall, we're in such a great space." One of the key elements of Green's coaching has been to increase the "density" of Linkletter's training: getting more out of each mile. "A word that has kind of come to mind for Rory and I in building a better build is density," Green said.  "That's kind of the word that we use.  How do we put more work in and get better in that sense?" One workout which has been central to Linkletter's Chicago training is the uphill tempo run.  Tempo runs are fast, but not quite as fast as race pace.  Doing them uphill makes them aerobically harder while putting less stress on the legs because the pace is slower than it would be had the route been flat or downhill. "Uphill tempos have just been a staple for us," Green said.  "This cycle, every two weeks, basically.  We've had real success with them and he's running faster and faster times.  He did that under Ryan Hall (his previous coach) a little bit as well; staying in the right zone and still running faster times." For Sunday, Linkletter will come to the starting line with more confidence than in any marathon he's done (this will be his 14th).  He said that without self-belief nothing is possible in athletics. "It's everything," Linkletter said of confidence and self-belief.  "If you don't believe you can do something there's almost no way it's going to happen.  There's going to be moments in the race where you're going to have opportunities to opt-out of whatever your goal is because it's going to get hard.  Even in my best races ever I've thought there is no way I can keep doing this, but you stay in the fight." PHOTO: Conner Mantz (left) and Rory Linkletter at the pre-race press conference for the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. NORTHPORT, N.Y. (20-Sep) -- On a spectacular morning for road running in this harbor-front town on Long Island's North Shore, Ednah Kurgat and Anthony Rotich of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) won the 45th edition of the Great Cow Harbor 10K going away.  Kurgat, 34, the 2023 USATF cross country champion, broke away from her key rival just ahead of the 5K mark and ran solo to the finish line on Main Street in 32:11.  Rotich, also 34, a three-time NCAA steeplechase champion with the University of Texas at El Paso, fought off a late-race challenge from former University of Kansas star Chandler Gibbens to win in 28:27.  Both athletes won $7000 in prize money, including $500 primes for leading at halfway. ROTICH RAN SMARTER THIS YEAR Rotich competed at this race last year when organizers hosted the USATF 10K Championships.  Although he finished fifth, he was disappointed with how he executed his race. "I was here last year and I made some stupid moves here and there," Rotich told Race Results Weekly.  "Today I told myself I'll be patient.  When I make a move, that's it." Rotich stayed tucked in the lead pack in the early going when James Quattlebaum was setting the pace.  Quattlebaum split the severely downhill first mile in 4:24 with both Rotich and Gibbens right behind him.  At that point the lead pack had ten athletes, but the group would whittle down to eight when the race turned up the notoriously steep James Street Hill in the second mile.  Passing some of the town's most expensive homes with expansive views of the harbor, Rotich touched the lead for the first time just ahead of the three mile mark.  The former Kenyan scooped up the $500 halfway prime (14:26) and started to scoot away from the field. "Last year I made the same move, but I realized that my body shut down after that," Rotich said.  He continued: "I told myself when I made the move at 5K that will be it.  But I was surprised that one of the guys actually followed me." Gibbens, who did not surge at 5K, slowly closed-up on Rotich using the downhill on Eaton's Neck Road, and the two athletes were together at 4 miles (18:22).  Shuaib Aljabaly of Hansons-Brooks ODP was in third. "This is like my first race in eight months, or something," Gibbens told Race Results Weekly.  "I really wanted to put myself in that front group, kind of keep them close, and try to make a move at the end."  He added: "I just wanted to keep him in touch. When he started to make that move at the 5-K mark I just wanted to keep him where I could get him within the next mile or so." The mostly flat fifth mile went in 4:43 (23:05) and Rotich and Gibbens were still together.  Just after the five mile mark when the course turns right on to Main Street, Rotich used the little uphill there to get a jump on Gibbens.  The move stuck, and within a few seconds he was 30 meters up the road. "I knew there was still one more hill to go," Rotich explained.  "And I told myself, that is where I'm going to be making the move.  I did not want it to come (to the) downhill because anybody can run downhill." Rotich had the final downhill to the finish all to himself.  He waved once to the crowd, and when he arrived at the finish line he stopped abruptly at the tape, straightened his posture, and gave a military salute with his right hand. "That's for the Army," Rotich said.  "Every time you have a victory it is like that you are saluting the flag.  That's what I did today." Gibbens held on for second in 28:36, and former Utah Valley University athlete Habtamu Cheney passed Aljabaly to take third in 28:40.  Aljabaly was fourth, another seven seconds behind, and Merga Gemeda of Minnesota Distance Elite rounded out the top five in 28:58.  Quattlebaum, the early leader, was seventh in 29:10. NO DRAMA FOR KURGAT Kurgat was mostly worried about the threat from three-time Chevron Houston Marathon champion Biruktayit Degefa, and decided to put the former Ethiopian behind her early.  She moved away from her rival late in the third mile and had a four-second lead by the 5K point, 16:22 to 16:26.  From there she only had men for company, and time-trialed to the finish line to get the win, her first of the year. "It was pretty windy so I tried to hold on as much as I could," Kurgat told Race Results Weekly.  "Despite that, I was able to win.  I know it has been a long, rough season for me, but it is good to close it with a win." Degefa finished second in 32:31, and third place went to Kassie Parker in 32:57.  Steph Bruce, 41, finished fourth and was the top masters finisher in 33:03.  Lesley Boyd rounded out the top five in 33:12. SOLD OUT RACE Today's race sold out at 5000 entries in June, according to race officials.  A total of 4320 athletes crossed the finish line today, down slightly from 4524 in 2024.  The 2026 race is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, September 19. PHOTO: Ednah Kurgat and Anthony Rotich of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program were the winners of the 2025 Great Cow Harbor 10K (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)