Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile First 2024 Stop on PRRO Circuit

April 5, 2024

At the 51st edition, top international field expected including defending women’s champion Sarah Chelangat and top Americans Hillary Bor & Rachel Smith; $80,600 prize purse with $42,600 in USA Championship money

WASHINGTON, DC /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile on Sunday morning, April 7 opens the PRRO Circuit 2024 racing season, also serving as the final qualifier for 27th PRRO Championship at the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K on Sunday, May 5 in Spokane, WA. Favorites in the international field include Wesley Kiptoo who placed second at Houston’s Aramco Half Marathon (1:00:43) in January and defending women’s champion Sarah Chelangat. Top American seeds include defending national champion Hillary Bor who set the U.S. 10 Mile record last year in finishing second (46:11) and 2024 USA 15K champion Rachel Smith. For the second consecutive year, the race also hosts the USATF 10 Mile Championships.

The 51st edition offers a generous guaranteed prize purse of $80,600 ($38,000 in the international division and $42,600 in the U.S. division) plus time bonus incentives (sub-46 men and sub-52 women).

“With another world class international field expected, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile should again produce some exciting racing action and fast times. In addition, each race winner will qualify to compete at the upcoming PRRO Championship at the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K on May 5,” said PRRO President Don Kardong.

Elite bios can be found HERE.

More than 17,000 are expected to run the 10 Mile through the world famous Japanese cherry trees in the nation’s capital on a flat, fast course that passes by all the major DC monuments in the annual Runner’s Rite of Spring. In addition, on Saturday, April 6, there are 7,000 entrants in the accompanying 5K, which was voted the Best 5K in the country by a 2023 USA Today poll. Both races are sold-out.

The PRRO Circuit showcases world class competition at four of America’s Classic Road Races™, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, DC, the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K in Spokane, WA, the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY and the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, IA. Current Circuit prize money totals more than $350,000 in guaranteed prize money overall, including $147,100 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.

The 27th PRRO Championship presented by Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K will be contested on Sunday, May 5. The 48th edition of the Lilac Bloomsday Run will offer $81,000 in prize money with $20,000 U.S. prize money. At the PRRO Championship, 2023-24 PRRO Circuit event winners are eligible to compete for the $15,000 PRRO Super Bonus, which is awarded to the PRRO Championship winner (bonus split if an eligible male and female win the PRRO titles). Also, at Bloomsday 2024, if Circuit winners finish in places 2-10, they each would take home the $1500 PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus. NOTE: If the male or female winner of the PRRO Championship has not won any of the events on that year’s circuit, he or she will be awarded $2500 as the PRRO Circuit champion.

In 2023, the 50th Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile hosted the 26th PRRO Championship, winning titles were Tsegay Kidanu of Ethiopia and Sarah Chelangat of Uganda in 46 minutes, 8 seconds and 52:04, respectively.

Schedule and PRRO Super Bonus event qualifiers below:

PRRO CIRCUIT EVENTS 2023-24

Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 7, 2023, Spokane, WA

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

WINNERS: Jemal Yimer*, Ethiopia, 33:58 and Yeshi Kalayu*, Ethiopia, 38:49

Boilermaker 15K, July 9, 2023, Utica, NY

$65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money)

WINNERS: Jemal Yimer*, Ethiopia, 42:06 and Jesca Chelangat*, Kenya, 47:33, course records

Quad-City Times Bix 7, July 29, 2023, Davenport, IA

$50,000 in USA Championship prize money

WINNERS: Biya Simbassa*, USA, 32:35 and Kellyn Taylor*, USA, 36:33

Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, April 7, 2024, Washington, DC

$80,600 in prize money ($42,600 USA Championship and RRCA prize money) plus performance bonuses

THE 27th PRRO CHAMPIONSHIP

Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 5, 2024, Spokane, WA

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

*Qualified to compete for the $15,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2024 PRRO Championship.

To-date, PRRO Circuit events have produced 17 world and 18 U.S. road records, awarded more than $8.2 million in prize money and seen more than 2.6 million runners cross their finish lines. In addition, since 1996, the PRRO Championship race has paid out more than $2.1 million including $183,500 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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