Huge Weekend Ahead for Road Racing

(05-Apr) — The spring road racing season kicks off in earnest this weekend with dozens of quality events around the globe, including Sunday’s Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, D.C, part of the PRRO Circuit, which will host the USA Track & Field 10 Mile Championships.  Race organizers recorded 16,714 finishers last year and expect a field of similar size for Sunday led by top Americans Rachel Smith and Hillary Bor.  Smith won the national 15-K road running title last month, and Bor is the defending USA champion at the Cherry Blossom.

“The U.S. Olympic Trials (marathon) set the stage for the Credit Union Cherry Blossom to welcome top American runners ready to compete for the USATF 10 Mile Championships,” said longtime event director Phil Stewart.  “Combine that dynamic with times being run by the international field, and the stage is set for an exciting and close competition.”

There will be significant prize money on the line.  A prize money purse of $74,600 is on offer (plus time bonuses), and the top USA finishers will receive $10,000.  The top finishers will receive $6,000, so should an American be the overall champion he or she would earn $16,000.  At last year’s race, Bor set a new USA record of 46:11 and earned a special $50,000 national record bonus to help celebrate the 50th edition of the race.  It was quite an accomplishment, given the cold and windy conditions.

“I came here to break the record, and the weather wasn’t going to stop me,” Bor told Race Results Weekly last April. “I’ve been working for it since October last year.”

Nearly 2300 miles to the west, the Carlsbad 5000 will be held for the 36th time in Southern California.  Race organizers have designed a new, record-eligible seaside course with spectacular Pacific Ocean views and are hoping for fast times.

“The best part is that it eliminates the train-track crossings,” said race ambassador Meb Keflezighi, the first athlete to win the Boston Marathon, TCS New York City Marathon, and an Olympic Marathon medal.  “Runners’ safety is always first and foremost to us. The trains have been on our minds. To have that safety issue resolved, it’s not a worry to us, which is huge.”

At the front of that race, which recorded nearly 6,000 finishers across all sections last year, will be defending champions Laura Galvan of Mexico and Edwin Kurgat of…