Historically Fast Fields Set for 54th Running of AJC Peachtree Road Race

Defending Champions, Atlanta Debuts Headline Iconic July 4 Race

ATLANTA – June 26, 2023 – The 54th Running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race features the deepest women’s field in the storied history of the iconic 10K. It includes five women who have personal bests faster than the course record of 30:22 – one of the fastest ever recorded on U.S. soil.

As previously announced, the race will welcome back defending champion Senbere Teferi who hopes to become the first back-to-back Peachtree champion since 2010, as well as Joyciline Jepkosgei, past winner of both the TCS London Marathon and TCS NYC Marathon and the third-fastest 10K runner in history. Sheila Chepkirui, the fourth-fastest in history, remains one of the pre-race favorites.

They will be challenged by Jesca Chelangat of Kenya, who is 11th all-time after running 30:01 in Valencia this winter. At 25, she is the youngest of the top competitors and will run Peachtree for the first time. Fellow Kenyan Vicoty Chepngeno, winner of the Houston and Philadelphia Half Marathons with a 10K best of 30:14 will likely be a factor in the race as well.

The Peachtree will feature the 10K return of three-time Olympic gold medalist Tirunesh Dibaba. The 38-year-old Ethiopian legend last raced the distance in 2018 prior to stepping away from competition for five years during which she gave birth to the two youngest of her three children.

Sharon Lokedi, who was previously announced, has withdrawn with an injury.

Annie Frisbie returns to defend her title as top American, while 2021 Peachtree runner-up Emily Durgin and Roswell, Georgia, native Emma Grace Hurley will also contend for top U.S. honors. 

Course record-holder Susannah Scaroni leads the women’s field of the Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division. Scaroni, winner of the most recent Chicago, New York and Boston marathons, will look to better her 2022 course-record winning time of 21:14. She’ll face Jenna Fesemyer, who won last weekend’s Grandma’s Marathon in Minnesota, and Paralympian Yen Hoang. 

The men’s footrace field features eight men who have run under 27:30 on the road for 10K. That includes Tadesse Worku of Ethiopia who has run 26:56, five seconds faster than the Peachtree course record of 27:01. Also coming in with fast times, Charles Langat of Kenya who ran 26:57 in Valencia in January as well as last year’s third-place finisher, Jemal Yimer, and 2023 Publix Atlanta Half Marathon winner Tsegay Kidanu, both of Ethiopia. 

But none of those men has experienced winning the Peachtree. Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay was just 19 when he broke the tape in 2016. Now, 26 and the runner up at this year’s Boston Marathon, he returns to Atlanta as one of the race favorites. Geay comes into the race having won the B.A.A. 10K in Boston just this past weekend.

Elkanah Kibet leads the American field and hopes to continue the tradition of strong performances by members of the U.S. Army team at Peachtree. Other top Americans include Ben Blankenship, a 1500-meter Olympian in 2016 now transitioning to longer distances, and World Cross Country qualifier Andrew Colley.

Daniel Romanchuk will seek his sixth Peachtree title in the Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division. The course record-holder will face two-time Peachtree champion Josh Cassidy and last weekend’s Grandma’s Marathon winner, Aaron Pike.

The 54th Running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race will be held Tuesday, July 4, in Atlanta,Georgia. 50,000 runners and walkers will make their way from Lenox Square to Piedmont Park in what has become known as the world’s largest 10K. The event will be shown live on Atlanta Track Club’s YouTube and Facebook pages as well as locally on WXIA-11Alive with Carrie Tollefson, Lewis Johnson and Amanda McGrory leading the broadcast team.

Women’s Open Division

Women’s Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division

Men’s Open Division

Men’s Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division