Bor, Sisson Charge to Victory at the USATF 15 km Championships

USATF Release

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A delayed race start couldn’t slow down fellow Olympians Hillary Bor and Emily Sisson, as the duo ran away from the competition Saturday morning in Jacksonville and ran to victory at the USATF 15 km Championships.

The USATF 15 km Championships, hosted by the Gate River Run, are the third stop on the 2023 USATF Running Circuit. Race videos and coverage are available and can be viewed with a +PLUS subscription on USATF.TV.

Early on Saturday, the men’s race packed together, with Bor and Teshome Asfaha Mekonen leading a pack of a half dozen men, many of who were coming off of top ten finishes last weekend at the USATF Half Marathon championships, including race winner Jacob Thomson. 

The pack would remain together until just past mile four, when Bor and Asfaha Mekonen started to push the pace, separating themselves from the rest of the field and making it a two man race. The duo would pass through the 10 km split in 28:42, about 20 seconds ahead of the chase pack, which consisted of Thomson, USATF Half Marathon runner-up Leonard Korir, fifth place finisher Brian Shrader, and Reid Buchanan.

As Bor and Asfaha Meknonen battled up front, it wasn’t until two miles to go that Bor was able to gap his competitor, quickly establishing both a pace and a lead that Asfaha Mekonen simply couldn’t match. Bor continued to push the pace, occasionally glancing over his shoulder, all the while focused on making it to the finish. 

As Bor made the final turn for home, he raised his arms in victory, blew kisses to the crowd, and waved his hands encouraging fans at the finish to make some noise. The eighth place finisher in the 3000m steeplechase at the World Outdoor Championships made a statement, winning by 40 seconds in 43:11.

While Bor dominated the final portions of Saturday’s race, Korir and Shrader worked together to catch Asfaha Mekonen with just over a mile to go, surpassed their competitor, and pushed to the finish. The duo ran stride for stride until coming off Hart Bridge with less than a mile to go, when Korir charged ahead and never let go of second place. 

Korir would claim his second USATF Running Circuit runner-up in as many weeks, finishing in 43:51, while Shrader completed the back-to-back races with a third place effort in 43:59. Buchanan ran well over the final half of the race to claim fourth in 44:07, just ahead of Thomson, who finished fifth in 44:11.

Behind Thomson, Asfaha Mekonen held on to take home a sixth place finish in 44:16. John Dressel claimed seventh in 44:23, while USATF Running Circuit veteran Nathan Martin placed eighth in 44:53. Nick Randazzo finished ninth in 45:25, while Olympian Diego Estrada placed tenth in 45:36.

In the women’s race, as expected, Sisson got off the start line at a strong pace, one the rest of the field would ultimately refuse to follow. The New Balance pro easily built up a 16 second lead over second by the 5 km mark, passing through in 16:16. Only Emma Grace Hurley tried to maintain contact, as she came through 5 km in 16:32, well ahead of the rest of the field.

Sisson continued her relentless racing through the streets of Jacksonville, adding on time between herself and the rest of the field over the miles of the race. Sisson had nearly  a minute lead over Hurley by 10 km, who herself had a minute lead over the rest of the field.

Over the final miles, Sisson charged ahead, showing tremendous fitness that will carry her into the TCS London Marathon next month. With less than a mile to go, Sisson powered over the Hart Bridge, made the final right hand turn, and charged to the finish, crossing the line in victorious fashion in 48:26. In winning Saturday, Sisson her third straight USATF 15 km title.

Behind Sisson, the battle for second never transpired. As Sisson broke from the pack early on in Jacksonville, so did Atlanta Track Club’s Hurley. Hurley built up a sizeable lead by the 5 km mark over the chase pack and never looked back. Hurley continued her impressive pace, finishing runner-up with ease in 50:04.

Jessa Hanson built on her fifth place finish at last weekend’s USATF Half Marathon Championships, claiming third on Saturday morning. Hanson broke away from the rest of the field just past the four mile mark and continued her pace to the finish, crossing the line in 51:15.

Minnesota Distance Elite teammates Dakotah Lindwurm and Annie Frisbie placed fourth and fifth in 52:03 and 52:24. Allie Ostrander took home sixth overall in 52:37, while Sydney Devore held off Bria Wetsch and Carmen Graves in the final moments of the race, claiming seventh in 52:55. Wetsch and Graves finished eighth and ninth, both with a time of 52:56. Rachel Kennedy rounded out the top ten in 53:08.

The next stop on the 2023 USATF Running Circuit takes place on April 2, as runners line up to compete at the USATF 10 Mile Championships in Washington D.C., hosted by the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run.

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 $53,000 in prize money will be awarded at the USATF 15 km Championships

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USATF Running Circuit race. For the USATF 15 km Championships, 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