Kosimbei, Sullivan Win First PRRO Circuit 2022 Stop at CUCB Ten Mile

April 8, 2022

Overall 2019-22 Circuit events will award more than $410,000 in prize money; next PRRO Circuit stop, Lilac Bloomsday 12K; 2022 Boilermaker 15K hosts 25th PRRO Championship

WASHINGTON, DC /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – On a beautiful spring day in the nation’s capital, at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile on Sunday, April 3, Nicholas Kosimbei (KEN) and Susanna Sullivan (USA) won their races in 45 minutes, 15 seconds and 52:32, respectively. Kosimbei, 25, also tied the men’s course record set by Allan Kiprono in 2012, while Sullivan, a local school teacher, 31, set a personal record by nearly 2 minutes. The 49th edition, the first stop on the PRRO Circuit 2022, awarded more than $72,000 in prize money and time bonuses. In addition, both Cherry Blossom champions earned berths to compete at the 25th PRRO Championship presented by Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY on Sunday, July 10.

The PRRO Circuit showcases world class competition at three classic American road race events and offers more than $410,000 in prize money overall, including $132,000 in U.S.-only money. The next stop on the extended PRRO Circuit is the 46th Lilac Bloomsday 12K in Spokane, WA on Sunday, May 1.

The PRRO Circuit, a nationwide series of premier non-marathon road racing events, is organized and promoted by the Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO), an alliance of race directors. Due to the impacts of COVID-19, the 2019-20 and 2020-21 PRRO Circuits were cancelled.

“It’s great to be back to racing as usual,” said PRRO President Don Kardong. “For elite runners and the general running public, these past two years away from the sport that we love have been very difficult. We’re all looking forward to more excitement at classic PRRO races in the months ahead.”

At the 2022 PRRO Championship, reigning champions (Gabriel Geay and Rosemary Wanjiru), 2019 Boilermaker 15K winners and any athlete who has won one of the 2021-22 Circuit events are eligible to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus, which is awarded to the winner of the 2022 PRRO Championship (bonus split if an eligible male and female win the PRRO titles). Those aforementioned runners are also eligible for the PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus ($1500 cumulative for eligible athletes who do not win the PRRO Championship but do finish in places 2-10 at the PRRO Championship). Any athlete who wins the PRRO Super Bonus is not eligible for the PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus.

If the male and female winners of the PRRO Championship have not won any of the events on the current Circuit, they will be awarded $2500 each as the PRRO Championship Circuit winners in addition to the prize money at the PRRO Championship event.

Schedule and PRRO Super Bonus event qualifiers below:

PRRO CIRCUIT EVENTS WHICH HAVE QUALIFIED ATHLETES FOR THE 2022 PRRO CHAMPIONSHIP

Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 5, 2019, Spokane, WA
$81,000 in prize money ($20,000 U.S. prize money)
WINNERS: Gabriel Geay*, Tanzania, 34:50 and Rosemary Wanjiru*, Kenya, 39:06

Boilermaker 15K, July 14, 2019, Utica, NY
$65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money)
WINNERS: Gabriel Geay*, Tanzania, 43:36 and Caroline Rotich*, Kenya, 49:08

Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, September 12, 2021, Washington, DC
$52,000 in prize money ($32,000 U.S. prize money) plus performance & record bonuses
WINNERS: Edwin Kimutai*, Kenya, 45:45 and Nell Rojas*, USA, 52:13

Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, April 3, 2022, Washington, DC
$71,000 in prize money ($31,000 U.S. prize money) plus performance & record bonuses
WINNERS: Nicholas Kosimbei*, Kenya, 45:15 (tied course record) and Susanna Sullivan*, USA, 52:32

*Qualified to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2022 PRRO Championship.

UPCOMING PRRO CIRCUIT RACES

Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 1, 2022, Spokane, WA
$81,000 in prize money ($20,000 U.S. prize money)

THE 25th PRRO CHAMPIONSHIP
45th Boilermaker 15K, July 10, 2022, Utica, NY
$65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money)

To-date, PRRO Circuit events have produced 17 world and 17 U.S. road records, awarded more than $7.8 million in prize money and seen more than 2.5 million runners cross their finish lines. In addition, since 1996, the PRRO Championship race has paid out more than $1.9 million including $160,000 in PRRO Championship bonus money.

The PRRO Circuit, a long-time pioneer and champion of a clean sport, has funded drug testing at its events since 2006.

PRRO Championship and Circuit Year

The PRRO Circuit, launched in 1995, starts and finishes the Circuit Year at the same event that will also host the season-ending PRRO Championship race. The reigning titlists of the PRRO Championship and the event winners on the current Circuit are eligible to compete for the PRRO Super Bonus at the PRRO Championship.

Visit PRRO.org for more information, including its history and past champions, as well as how to join the PRRO Circuit.

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