Mantz, D’Amato Charge to Victory at the USATF 20 km Championships

USATF Release

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – A warm and humid morning couldn’t slow the fields along the streets of New Haven, Connecticut on Labor Day morning, as Conner Mantz and Keira D’Amato ran to victory at the USATF 20 km Championships presented by Toyota, the eighth stop on the 2022 USATF Running Circuit presented by Toyota.

Race highlights and coverage of the USATF 20 km Championships, hosted by the Faxon Law New Haven Road Race, are available and can be viewed with a +PLUS subscription on USATF.TV.

As the horn sounded to start the race Monday, Mantz immediately jumped to the lead and pushed a hard pace, stringing out the field. The early honest effort slowed slightly over the next few miles, allowing a pack of nearly 15 men to run together through the opening stages of the race.

While Mantz continued to set the pace, he was joined up front by Sam Chelanga, who would occasional take over pacing duties from Mantz throughout much of the race, only for Mantz to take them back over after less than half a mile each time. 

While a large pack ran together early on, but eight miles the lead group had shrunk to a pack of six men. Mantz still led, with Chelanga off his shoulder, while three-time USATF 20 km champion Leonard Korir, Geoffrey Kipchumba, Biya Simbassa, and Shadrack Kipchirchir all ran off the lead, all within striking distance.

With just over 5 km to go, Mantz continued to drive the pace, pushing the final downhill section of the course, while dropping Kipchumba, making it a five man race to the finish. 

As the group of five neared the finish, both Chelanga and Korir tried to jump to the lead and push the pace, but each time Mantz covered and was able to hold them off. With a half mile to go, Mantz switched into another gear, arms pumping and legs churning, starring down the finish line. 

Mantz hit the final strides of the race with a definitive lead, improving one spot from his runner-up USATF 8 km Championship finish in July, crossing the line victoriously in New Haven in 59:08.

Korir crossed the line in second, adding to his dominating 2022 USATF Running Circuit season, clocking 59:13. Chelanga finished two seconds back in 59:15 for third, and Kipchirchir and Simbassa earned fourth and fifth with times of 59:18 and 59:19 – each running faster than the winning mark in 2021 of 59:53 by Ben True.

Futsum Zienasellassie led the charge for the rest of the field, taking home sixth overall in 59:37. Diego Estrada closed well in the final stages of the race to place seventh in 59:48, ten seconds ahead of Clayton Young, who claimed eighth in 59:58. Nick Randazzo earned ninth with a 1:00:19 clocking, while James Quattlebaum rounded out the top ten with a 1:01:28 finish.

While a large pack dwindled down to a handful of competitors by the end on the men’s side, the women’s race was a two-woman race from the start, as D’Amato and Emily Sisson shot to the lead in the first mile of the race and never looked back.

The duo took turns leading through the streets of New Haven, with Sisson taking the lead and pushing the pace, then a mile later D’Amato taking over and setting the tone for the next mile. 

D’Amato and Sisson continued to run stride for stride, with the only break coming at various fueling stations, when D’Amato would slightly slow as she grabbed fluid, while Sisson would charge ahead, rarely taking fluid. Each time D’Amato would push ever so slightly to catch back up, falling back into the cadence the two elite runners set at the top of the race.

In the final mile, D’Amato made one final push, this time breaking away from Sisson. With each stride D’Amato’s lead grew, until it was clear in the final 100 meters that D’Amato would claim her second consecutive USATF Running Circuit victory of 2022. D’Amato crossed the finish line with a wide smile, finishing in 1:04:29. 

Sisson maintained form in the final mile, placing second in 1:04:35, as both women prepare for fall marathon season, with D’Amato competing at the BMW Berlin Marathon on September 25 and Sisson competing at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9.

Nell Rojas and Annie Frisbie pulled away in the back half of the race and finished strong in third and fourth overall in 1:07:02 and 1:07:17, respectively. Defending champion Erika Kemp ran well in the late stages of the race, as well, to claim fifth place in 1:07:44.

Sarah Pagano continued her successful 2022 campaign with a sixth place effort, crossing the finish in 1:07:49, while Elaina Tabb took home seventh overall in 1:07:57. Tristin Van Ord earned eight place with her 1:08:20 finish, while Dakotah Lindwurm and Maggie Montoya claimed ninth and tenth in 1:08:29 and 1:08:36.

With his runner-up effort, Korir added another 18 points to his USATF Running Circuit standings total to give him 92 points. Zienasellassie’s sixth place finish helped boost his second place standing with 50.5 points, while Kipchirchir maintained his third place standing, sitting now with 40.5 points.

D’Amato’s victory added 22.5 points to her total, while Sisson’s runner-up finish added 18 points to her USATF Running Circuit total, both now sitting tied for first in the standings with 55.5 points. Aliphine Tuliamuk sits third with 32.5 points.

The next stop on the USATF Running Circuit is the USATF 10 km Championships presented by Toyota, set to take place on Saturday, September 17 hosted by the Great Cow Harbor 10K in Northport, New York. 

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