USATF 25 km Championships – News

USATF Release

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Defending men’s champion Leonard Korir and 2022 women’s runner-up Keira D’Amato are ready to race in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday morning, as the duo lead strong fields into the USATF 25 km Championships.

The USATF 25 km Championships, hosted by the Amway River Bank Run, are the sixth stop on the 2023 USATF Running Circuit. Fans can watch the live broadcast on USATF.TV beginning at 8:10am ET, with the women’s race starting at 8:19am ET and the men’s race starting at 8:30am ET, available with a +PLUS subscription.

At last year’s race, Korir ran away from the field, dominating the final stages of the race and capturing the title with a margin of victory of 36 seconds. Korir continues to shine on the roads, running an eye-opening 2:09:31 at the Paris Marathon last month, while already owning two second place finishes on the USATF Running Circuit this season at the USATF Half Marathon and 15 km Championships.

Korir will be tested by USATF Running Circuit regulars Jacob Thomson and Sam Chelanga. Thomson, who won his first USATF title earlier this season at the USATF Half Marathon Championships – where he edged Korir by one second for the victory – also placed third at the USATF 10 Mile Championships and fifth at the USATF 15 km Championships. 

Thomson and Korir are currently tied for second in the USATF Running Circuit overall standings with 31 points a piece, sitting just behind Hillary Bor’s circuit leading 33 points. As both athletes battle for victory Saturday morning in Grand Rapids, they’ll also be vying for moving into the top spot of the overall standings.

Chelanga, who won the 2018 USATF 25 km Championship title and placed third in 2021, is no stranger to the course in Grand Rapids. Chelanga is having a strong 2023 season thus far, having placed fifth at the USATF Cross Country Championships, only to follow up that performance with an inspired 21st place showing at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships. Chelanga also placed eighth at The TEN with a time of 27:38.02 and enters Saturday’s race having run to 13th place at the Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane, Washington last weekend.

Other notable entries in the men’s race include Matthew Llano, who placed 13th at the USATF 15 km Championships, Brendan Gregg, who earned 16th at the recent Lilac Bloomsday Run, USATF Running Circuit regular Joel Reichow, and two-time USATF 25 km champion Fernando Cabada, who placed…