Korir, Sisson Headline Fields at the USATF 20 km Championships

USATF Release

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut – USATF Running Circuit standings leaders Leonard Korir and Emily Sisson look to extend their circuit leads Labor Day morning in New Haven, Connecticut, at the USATF 20 km Championships presented by Toyota, but it won’t be easy, as star-studded talent will line up in both the men’s race and women’s race.

The USATF 20 km Championships, hosted by Faxon Law New Haven Road Race, are the eighth stop on the 2022 USATF Running Circuit presented by Toyota. The race will be shown live on USATF.TV, available with a +PLUS subscriptionbeginning at 8:20am ET.

Korir currently tops the USATF Running Circuit standings by 31 points, holding a 74-43 point edge over Futsum Zienasellassie. Korir won the USATF Half Marathon and USATF 25 km Championships this season, while placing second at the USATF 15 km Championships and third at the USATF 8 km Championships. The road race veteran has plenty of success in New Haven as well, having won USATF 20 km titles in 2019, 2018, and 2016.

Zienasellassie has run second twice to Korir this season, placing second at both of the USATF Half Marathon and USATF 25 km Championships. Zienasellassie will look to one up Korir this time around.

Shadrack Kipchirchir is similarly looking for the win on Monday. Kipchirchir sits third overall in the USATF Running Circuit standings with 30 points, after winning the USATF Cross Country and USATF 8 km titles. In addition, Kipchirchir placed fifth at the USATF 10,000m Championships.

One more top USATF Running Circuit athlete, Sam Chelanga, who currently sits fifth overall with 17 points, is also entered in Monday’s race. Chelanga has finished second at the USATF 20 km Championships in both 2015 and 2016 and now looks to bring that veteran experience to this year’s contest. Chelanga has a third place finish at the USATF Cross Country Championships and a fourth place finish at the USATF 8 km Championships to his name.

Conner Mantz is another top contender for the win on Monday morning. Mantz is having a memorable 2022 season. The former BYU standout earned a second place finish recently at the USATF 8 km Championships. He also earned a fourth place finish in the 5000m at the USATF Outdoor Championships, while placing seventh at the USATF 10,000m Championships.

Abbabiya Simbassa heads to New Haven with momentum on his side, having placed fourth at the USATF 15 km Championships this season. Simbassa won the overall USATF Running Circuit title in 2021, while edging Korir at the USATF 20 km Championships, placing second overall to Korir’s fourth place finish and enters Monday’s contest and the top returnee. 

Clayton Young, who finished fifth at the 2021 edition, is also entered, as is Kiya Dandena, who placed third more recently at the USATF 25 km Championships. Both will vie for top five finishes in New Haven.

In the women’s race, Sisson enters as the pre-race favorite with two USATF Running Circuit race wins to her name in 2022. Earlier this season, Sisson won the USATF 15 km and Half Marathon Championships, with the Providence-based runner now turning her sights to the streets of New Haven.

Sisson’s top competition should come from Keira D’Amato, who sits second in the USATF Running Circuit at the moment with 33.5 points. D’Amato, the American record holder in the marathon, won the USATF 6 km Championship title earlier this summer, while placing second at the USATF 25 km Championships. Most recently, D’Amato placed eighth in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon.

Andrea Pomaranski and Sarah Pagano enter Monday’s contest in fourth and fifth place in the current USATF Running Circuit standings with 28 points and 22.5 points. Pomaranski placed second to Sisson at the USATF Half Marathon Championships, while placing fifth at the USATF 25 km Championships. Pagano finished a place ahead of Pomaranski at the USATF 25 km Championships in fourth.

Not to be overlooked, reigning USATF 20 km champion Erika Kemp and 20 km runner-up Makena Morley are back and looking to have similar success in New Haven. Kemp, who has had a very quiet season, also won the USATF Running Circuit overall title in 2021, while Morley was second overall – both clearly having plenty of experience on the roads.

Dakotah Lindwurm finished one spot ahead of Pagano at the USATF 25 km Championships in third and looks to improve upon her eighth place finish in New Haven in 2021. Lindwurm is joined by Allie Kieffer, who placed third at the USATF Half Marathon Championships and placed second at the USATF 20 km Championships in 2018.

Rounding out the field are proven veterans Rachel Smith, Sara Vaughn, Kim Conley, and Nell Rojas. All four women are fully capable of challenging for top three finishes in New Haven.

On demand race videos, results, and post-race interviews will be available shortly after the race in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com. Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #USARC.

About the USATF Running Circuit

The USATF Running Circuit is a USATF road series featuring USATF championships from one mile through the marathon and consistently attracts the best American distance runners with more than $500,000 to be awarded in total prize money. A total of $38,000 in prize money will be awarded at the USATF 20 km Championships.

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USATF Running Circuit race. For the USATF 20 km Championships, scoring is set as 22.5 for first, 18 for second, 15 for third, 10.5 ,9, 7.5, 6, 4.5, 3 and 1.5, with those earning the most points receiving prize money at the end of the series.

The mission of the USATF Running Circuit is to showcase, support and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USATF Running Circuit and its races have provided over $7 million to U.S. distance runners.

Contributed by Scott Bush