Distance Stars Hit the Roads of Kingsport at USATF Men’s 8 km Road Championship

USATF Release

KINGSPORT, Tennessee – A week after the USATF Outdoor Championships concluded in Eugene, some of the nation’s top distance runners are back in action, this time competing at the USATF Men’s 8 km Championships on Saturday in Kingsport, Tennessee.

The USATF Men’s 8 km Road Championship, hosted by the Crazy 8s 8K Run, is the eighth stop on the 2023 USATF Running Circuit.

Leading the pre-race discussion is Olympian Leonard Korir. Korir, who placed third at the USATF Men’s 8 km Championships last year, has already won the USATF 25 km title and finished runner-up at the USATF Half Marathon and USATF 15 km Championships. Korir currently sits atop of the USATF Running Circuit standings with 46 points, three ahead of second place Jacob Thomson, who is not racing on Saturday.

Brian Shrader and Emmanuel Bor, who currently sit fourth (26 points) and sixth (20 points) in the USATF Running Circuit standings, are also entered and should challenge Korir up front. Bor recently placed 15th at the USATF Outdoor Championships in the 5000m. Earlier this season, Bor won the USATF Cross Country Championships and placed 32nd at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Australia.

Shrader has two third place finishes to his name on the USATF Running Circuit this season, claiming bronze at the USATF 25 km and USATF 15 km Championships. At last week’s USATF Outdoor Championships, he placed 12th overall in the 10,000m, showing fine form heading into Saturday’s contest.

While Korir placed third in the 2022 race, Sam Chelanga finished fourth overall. More recently, Chelanga placed ninth in the 10,000m at the USATF Outdoor Championships. The savvy veteran is always in contention for top three finishes at USATF Running Circuit events.

Isai Rodriguez is a young athlete to watch. The Oklahoma State University All-American placed fifth in the 10,000m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, then followed that up last week with a seventh place finish in the 10,000m at the USATF Outdoor Championships.

The ZAP Fitness trio of Andrew Colley, Ryan Ford, and Tyler Pennel are also threats for top three finishes in Kingsport. Colley is having the best season of the three, having placed second at the USATF Cross Country Championships early this year and 36th overall at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships. Colley recently placed 13th at the AJC Peachtree 10K Road Race, finishing as the top American. Ford placed 15th in the 10,000m last weekend at the USATF Outdoor Championships.

Other top contenders are Tai Dinger, who placed 11th in the 10,000m at the USATF Outdoor Championships last week, Blaise Ferro, who earned 13th in the 10,000m in Eugene, Nick Randazzo, who placed fourth at the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships earlier this season, and USATF Running Circuit veteran Clayton Young.

On demand race videos, results, and post-race interviews will be available shortly after the race in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com. Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #USARC.

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 $15,000 in prize money will be awarded at the USATF Men’s 8 km Road Championship.

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USATF Running Circuit race. For the USATF Men’s 8 km Road Championship, scoring is set as 15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7 ,6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1, 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