Wanjiru Defends PRRO Title, Wins $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at 45th Boilermaker 15K

July 15, 2022

Yimer Mekonnen, men’s champion at 25th PRRO Championship concluding COVID-19 impacted 2019-22 PRRO Circuit, sets event record

UTICA, NY /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – On Sunday morning July 10th under sunny, temperate conditions, the 45th Boilermaker 15K hosted the 25th PRRO Championship, and Jemal Yimer Mekonnen of Ethiopia and Rosemary Wanjiru of Kenya won the PRRO titles, the second for both, in 42 minutes, 38 seconds and 48:54, respectively. For the PRRO Championship, Wanjiru claimed the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus because as the defending PRRO Champion (2019 Lilac Bloomsday 12K), she was eligible for the bonus, while Yimer Mekonnen earned a $2500 bonus, awarded to the winner of the PRRO Championship who did not win any event on the 2019-22 Circuit. As Boilermaker race winners, each also took home $7000.

In a close men’s race, Yimer Mekonnen, 25, also the 2018 PRRO Champion, outsprinted Edwin Kimutai of Kenya by two seconds to break the event record by two seconds (Joseph Kimani, 42:40, 1996), while Wanjiru, 27, went unchallenged to the tape, beating fellow Kenyan Veronicah Nyaruai Wanjiru by 21 seconds.

“At our silver edition, it was so great to see the return of the PRRO Championship and world class racing as well as awarding the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus to Rosemary Wanjiru,” said Don Kardong, Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO) Circuit President and Bloomsday founder. “We also thank and applaud the Boilermaker Road Race for hosting our championship race for the fourth time.”

Also at the PRRO Championship, $4500 was paid out in PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus money for current PRRO Circuit event winners – see summary below – who also earned top 10 Open prize money in Utica. [NOTE: An athlete who wins the PRRO Super Bonus is not eligible for the PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus.]

Bonus money of $1500 went to:

• Edwin Kimutai (Kenya), 2nd male, 42:40
• Biruktayit Degefa (Ethiopia), 4th female, 49:33
• Susanna Sullivan (USA), 6th female, 49:48

Overall, the event awarded $72,000 in Open and American prize money, including $17,000 PRRO bonus money.

For complete 2022 race results, go to: boilermaker.com

The 2019-22 PRRO Circuit, showcasing world class competition at three classic American road race events, offered 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.

This past April, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile opened the 2022-23 PRRO Circuit season, and on Sunday, April 2, 2023, the event will host the PRRO Championship.

PRRO CIRCUIT EVENTS 2019-22

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

Boilermaker 15K, October 10, 2021, Utica, NY
No prize money
WINNERS: Stephen Rathbun, USA, 47:32 and Savannah Boucher, USA, 56:24

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

THE 25th PRRO CHAMPIONSHIP
45th Boilermaker 15K, July 10, 2022, Utica, NY
$65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money)
CHAMPIONS: Jemal Yimer Mekonnen, Ethiopia, 42:38 and Rosemary Wanjiru, Kenya, 48:54

To-date, PRRO Circuit events have produced 17 world and 17 U.S. road records, awarded more than $7.9 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 $2 million including $177,000 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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