USATF Cross Country Championships – News

USATF Release

RICHMOND, Va. – An incredible collection of talent comes together Saturday in Richmond, Virginia at the USATF Cross Country Championships, as the best in the sport eye Team USATF roster spots for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia on February 18. 

The USATF Cross Country Championships are the first stop on the 2023 USATF Running Circuit. Fans can tune-in for the live broadcast beginning at 10:25am ET on USATF.TV with a +PLUS subscription. The women’s open race begins at 2:00pm ET, while the men’s open race gets underway at 2:50pm ET.

At the 2022 USATF Cross Country Championships, Shadrack Kipchirchir pulled away in the final strides of the race in San Diego, edging Dillon Maggard for the victory by two points. In the women’s race, Alicia Monson ran away from the field to win by 17 seconds over runner-up Weini Kelati. While Kipchirchir and Monson won’t be in Richmond to defend their titles, Maggard and Kelati will be seeking to move up one spot this time around. 

Maggard, who recently signed with Brooks while joining the Brooks Beasts, is coming off a career year. The former Utah State standout set personal bests in the 3000m, 5000m, and 10,000m, while earning a fourth place finish at the USATF 10,000m Championships, just missing a spot on Team USATF for the World Outdoor Championships.

Similarly, Kelati is coming off a tremendous 2022 campaign. The Under Armour sponsored athlete won the USATF 5 km Road Championships, while earning a personal best in the 5000m on the track. Kelati placed fifth at the USATF 10,000m Championships, following that up a month later by placing fourth in the 5000m at the USATF Outdoor Championships. 

Maggard finds competition from a very deep field of competitors, led by Hillary Bor and Leonard Korir. Bor, a 2016 Olympian, placed eighth at the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in the 3000m steeplechase, while winning the USATF 10 Mile Road Championships. Bor also placed third at the USATF 15 km Road Championships and second at the USATF 5 km Road Championships. 

Korir, who seeks his third USATF Cross Country Championship title after winning in 2017 and 2018, won the USATF Running Circuit in 2022. Korir started the year finishing fourth at the USATF Cross Country Championships, then placed second in three USATF Running Circuit races, while winning the USATF Half Marathon and USATF 25 km Championships. 

A number of top finishers at the 2022 USATF Cross…