Wanjiku, Degefa Win PRRO Circuit 2022 Stop at Bloomsday 12K

May 6, 2022

Overall 2019-22 Circuit events will award more than $410,000 in prize money; Boilermaker 15K hosts 25th PRRO Championship on Sunday, July 10, 2022

SPOKANE, WA /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – At the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K on Sunday, May 1, under sunny, cool conditions, Charles Wanjiku (KEN) and Biruktayit Degefa (ETH) claimed the titles in 35 minutes, 7 seconds and 38:48, respectively. In a final sprint, Wanjiku, 21, edged Reid Buchanan (USA) in one of the closest event finishes, while Degefa, 31, dominated the women’s race, winning by more than a minute. The 46th running, the second stop on the PRRO Circuit 2022, awarded $81,000 in prize money. The Bloomsday champions also earned the final berths to compete at the 25th PRRO Championship presented by Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY on Sunday, July 10.

“The return of Bloomsday as an on-site event was wonderful to see, and we are looking forward to the racing action at the 25th PRRO Championship presented by the Boilermaker 15K in July,” said PRRO President Don Kardong.

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 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 Circuit seasons were cancelled.

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

Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 1, 2022, Spokane, WA

$81,000 in prize money ($20,000 U.S. prize money)

WINNERS: Charles Wanjiku*, Kenya, 35:07 and Biruktayit Degefa*, ETH, 38:48

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

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.

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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