Browsing: Athletics

Employing tactics similar to those that brought him victory at Chicago â€24 and Boston â€25, John Kipkosgei moved to No. 8 all-time. (VICTOR SAILER/PHOTO RUN)

VALENCIA, SPAIN, December 07 — On the rebound from a DNF in Chicago in October, John Kipkosgei (AKA John Korir) landed in the Valencia Marathon then took off from the lead pack at 25K and flew through a 60:37 second half to close out a dominant win with a 2:02:24 PR.

“I enjoy running the Valencia Marathon,†Kipkosgei said with a smile. “It is so flat and people are cheering us on. I think now Iâ€m in a good place and I say thanks to the people of Valencia. They helped me run my PB.â€

A minute later the Valencia tradition of handing out National Record placards began as Tokyo WC silver medalist Amanal Petros crossed 2nd in 2:04:03 to reclaim the German Record. Petros also rebounded well from his oh-so-close finish in Tokyo, tearing through his second half in 61:22.

Awet Kibrab stuck with Petros through 39K and finished in 2:04:24 gaining both the podium and the Norwegian Record. Suguru Osako sprinted across the line 4th in 2:04:55 beating Kengo Suzukiâ€s Japanese Record by a mere second.

Gashau Ayale (2:05:29) and Justus Kangogo (2:06:11) followed, then 2024 Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee crossed 7th in 2:06:38, second fastest ever for a Briton — trailing only Mo Farah.

Kipkosgei — who won Chicago â€24 and Boston â€25 with punishing finishes — admitted, “It didnâ€t go well in Chicago†this fall. He arrived in Valencia looking to get after it with a 61 opening half. (Kipkosgei was known as John Korir to T&FN at the time of those previous races)

The 29-year-old Kenyanâ€s veteran coach Ron Mann had a more prudent idea: “It was really important that he run with the competition and the pacemakers in the first half of the race. That was set up intentionally so that he could close strong. Thatâ€s one of the things weâ€re working on, closing that last half of the race, and really showing that is his strength.â€

Coach prevailed and Kipkosgei was content to stroll through a 14:38 opening 5K — 2:03:27 pace. Valencia course record holder (2:01:48) Sisay Lemma ran in the 5-man lead group along with Kenyans Hillary Kipkoech and Justus Kangogo and Ethiopian debutant Gemechu Dida.

With Kipkosgei chilling, no one seemed interested in moving the needle off mid-2:03, and the two pacers delivered subsequent 5K segments of 14:40, 14:33, 14:44 and 14:43. They crossed halfway in 61:47 and reached 25K in 1:13:18 — 2:03:43 pace.

Slow by Valencia standards, but not a bad tourist pace as Kipkosgei noted: “My coach told me to enjoy the first half, so I said to myself, ‘Go to sleep and enjoy the rest.†I was also enjoying seeing how beautiful Valencia is. After that, I came back to racing and I tried to push myself and see how fast I can run.â€

Right at 25K Kipkosgei cut loose, accelerating through a 2:48 K and the race was on. That is for about 2 minutes as Kipkosgei was soon well away on a solo high-paced 17K tempo run to the finish. His four competitors lost ground and were overtaken by the second group.

Kipkosgei recalled, “When I started pushing, I saw the projected time was high 2:03, and I knew I could run 2:02. I said let me try and see if I can push and manage to run 2:02.â€

Long and lean, Kipkosgei hit a forward-leaning stride similar to the late Kelvin Kiptumâ€s as he sped through the final three 5K segments in 14:13, 14:26 and 14:13, then blasted the final 2195m in 6:14.

Like his 2:02:44 win last year in Chicago, Kipkosgei closed with a sub-61 finishing half. In doing so, he claimed his fifth marathon win and moved up to become the No. 8 all-time performer with the No. 12 all-time performance.

Even more impressive was Kipkosgeiâ€s 49:07 split over the final 17,195m — 2:51.3 per kilometer or 2:00:30 marathon pace. His trademark move was back.

“I was just coming to Valencia to win and bring the Kipkosgei name back to the map for the World Record. I tried it in Chicago and I see that it is possible. If [Valenciaâ€s elite athlete coordinator] Marc Roig welcomes me back next year, weâ€ll come and try again and see how it runs.â€

Kipkosgei concluded, “I am going to work hard and try to improve my time each year and maybe one day one time I will be World Record holder.â€

Behind Kipkosgei, the Eritrean-born duo of Petros and Kibrab were in full flight pursuit of podium finishes and national records.

Petros called Valencia “my second home since debuting in 2019†and a good place for moving on shortly after Tokyo. “I focused on recovery first and trusted my training in Kenya, and I was able to rebuild both physically and mentally.â€

As for his race plan: “I wanted to respect my body after Tokyo, so the plan was to start conservatively. I found my rhythm early in the second half and felt stronger with every kilometer, and it felt incredible to move through the field like that. Retaining the German record means a lot to me because it shows my consistency and growth as an athlete.â€

VALENCIA MARATHON MENâ€S RESULTS

1. John Kipkosgei (Ken) 2:02:24 (8, 12 W);

2. Amanal Petros (Ger) 2:04:03 NR; 3. Awet Nftalem Kibrab (Nor) 2:04:24 NR; 4. Suguru Osako (Jpn) 2:04:55 NR; 5. Gashau Ayale (Isr) 2:05:29; 6. Justus Kangogo (Ken) 2:06:11; 7. Alex Yee (GB) 2:06:38 PR; 8. Félix Bour (Fra) 2:06:41 PR; 9. Filmon Tesfu (Neth) 2:06:42 PR; 10. Gemechu Dida (Eth) 2:06:45 PR; 11. Hendrik Pfeiffer (Ger) 2:06:46 PR; 12. Samuel Fitwi Sibhatu (Ger) 2:07:01; 13. Phil Sesemann (GB) 2:07:11 PR; 14. Edward Cheserek (Ken) 2:07:14; 15. Patrick Mosin (Ken) 2:07:18 PR; 16. Ibrahim Chakir (Spa) 2:07:21 PR; 17. Valentin Gondouin (Fra) 2:07:55 PR.

When “Professor Marathon†isnâ€t crafting topographical maps and pace charts for 26-milers around the world, the now Emeritus geographer at Wisconsin–Eau Claire, serves as the Chair of the Lower Chippewa River conservation organization and hits the airwaves Thursday afternoons as a DJ on a community radio program called “All Things 6 String.†(Hint: Sean’s the one in the photo who never set a World Record ?)

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Joyciline Jepkosgei, whose male pacer stuck in longer than Peres Jepchirchirâ€s, pulled away from the world champ in the closing stages. (SEAN HARTNETT)

VALENCIA, SPAIN, December 07 — The 2025 Valencia Marathon became the first womenâ€s race ever to post two sub-2:15 clockings. Joyciline Jepkosgei surged to a year-leading 2:14:00 win and Peres Jepchirchir followed in 2:14:43. The two advanced to the Nos. 4 and 6 positions on the all-time list with the Nos. 4 and 7 all-time performances.

“I am so happy,†said the 31-year-old Jepkosgei. “The race was perfect for me. The course and the weather was so nice, and I was really well prepared to do something and improve my personal best time.â€

The 32-year-old Jepchirchir was equally happy just 12 weeks after winning the Tokyo World Champs marathon. “You know, many ladies have run 2:14 so I was telling myself, one day I want to run 2:14, and today I fulfilled my dreams.â€

The two Kenyans were followed by a trio of athletes setting National Records with Belgian Chloe Herbiet finishing 3rd in 2:20:38, followed by Finlandâ€s Alisa Vainio in 2:20:48, and Australian Jessica Stenson 5th in 2:21:24.

Jepkosgei and Jepchirchir had raced each other in three previous marathons with the fast-closing Jepchirchir not only besting her rival but winning all three competitions. The friendly rivalry started in 2020 in Valencia, then in 2022 moved to Boston, and last year to London where Jepchirchir ran a womenâ€s only 2:16:16 WR with Jepkosgei finishing 3rd in 2:16:24.

Hoping to improve those 2:16 PRs, the duo turned to the Spanish cityâ€s famously fast route. Yet making it to Valencia was a bit of a challenge for Jepchirchir who backed up her 2021 Olympic title in Sapporo with the dramatic sprint win over Tigst Assefa in the Tokyo WC race.

Manager Gianni Demadonna said Jepchirchirâ€s decision to run Valencia was simple: “She wants to run a fast one. In the last years, she has run the Olympics, World Championships, New York, Boston and London without a pacemaker. Sheâ€d never run a fast one with a pacemaker.”

Jepchirchir added, “My plan was to run London, Berlin and Valencia. Then after I canceled London, there were no other races, so I decided to run the World Championships to represent my country, and then Valencia because it was late.”

Jepkosgei has also fared well in Valencia, where she ran a then-WR 64:51 half-marathon in 2017. “I wanted to improve my time, and I was feeling confident that Valencia is the best course to run fast.â€

After logging a cautious 16:16 opening 5K — 2:17:19 pace — they kicked into high gear with a 3:10 split for kilo 7, setting off a thrilling, high-paced duel. Running side-by-side behind their personal pacers, the two ladies barreled through 5K segments of 15:44, 15:30 and 15:36 before crossing halfway in 66:34.

The torrid pace was sustained through subsequent 15:52 and 15:49 5K segments to cross 30K in 1:34:47 — 2:13:19 pace.

Jepkosgei recalled, “I was feeling strong and checking my time and I was so happy, feeling confident that I will manage to run a good time. I kept pushing myself, thinking even if I feel bad somewhere, I can still manage 2:14.”

After heading out of the very protected streets of the city center and into a little wind the 30–35K segment was covered in 16:06.

While the pace slowed, the racing heated up as Jepchirchir opened a 5-meter lead in the 33rd K, only to have her pacer abruptly step aside. Amid the commotion, the pace slowed through a 3:19 K before Jepchirchir set off on her own to reestablish a 10-meter lead, before Jepkosgeiâ€s pacer closed the gap by 36K.

The loss of her pacer, Jepchirchir admitted, “affected me a lot. You have prepared with someone knowing that we are going to go until the end and then you end up losing him. It was difficult for me and I lost momentum.â€

By 39K, Jepchirchir was also losing ground as Jepkosgei sped away to the finish, splitting 16:02 from 35–40K. She then cruised through Valenciaâ€s spectacular finish with delight.

Jepkosgei said, “My coach knew we needed to do something for the last kilometers. That helped me a lot in training, and today I concentrated so much to prevail at the finish.â€

Jepchirchir also was more than satisfied with her effort, admitting, “When I was running Tokyo, I knew it was too hot. I tried my best to recover but it was not easy. With the fatigue and losing a pacer itâ€s still a great thing for me to now have a 2:14 time.â€

Rounding out the podium, the 27-year-old Herbiet was certainly the raceâ€s revelation as she cut 4:18 off her PR run last year in Seville, with a superb 70:51/69:48 effort. “I started with the second group and was 4th with 5K to go and I said, ‘OK you can push it in†and I finished at 3:15 pace over the final 5K.â€

VALENCIA MARATHON WOMENâ€S RESULTS

1. Joyciline Jepkosgei (Ken) 2:14:00 (4, 4 W) (WL);

2. Peres Jepchirchir (Ken) 2:14:43 (6, 7 W);

3. Chloe Herbiet (Bel) 2:20:38 NR; 4. Alisa Vainio (Fin) 2:20:48 NR; 5. Jessica Stenson (Aus) 2:21:24 NR; 6. Glenrose Xaba (SA) 2:23:22; 7. Isobel Batt-Doyle (Aus) 2:23:35; 8. Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (Isr) 2:23:45; 9. Meritxell Soler (Spa) 2:23:49 PR; 10. Natasha Cockram (GB) 2:24:21 PR;

11. Esther Navarrete (Spa) 2:24:31 PR; 12. Malindi Elmore (Can) 2:24:54; 13. Emma Bates (US) 2:25:51; 14. Julia Mayer (Aut) 2:26:09 NR.

(best-ever mark-for-place: 2)

When “Professor Marathon†isnâ€t crafting topographical maps and pace charts for 26-milers around the world, the now Emeritus geographer at Wisconsin–Eau Claire, serves as the Chair of the Lower Chippewa River conservation organization and hits the airwaves Thursday afternoons as a DJ on a community radio program called “All Things 6 String.†(Hint: Sean’s the one in the photo who never set a World Record ?)

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Last week the worldâ€s best marathon runner, Sabastian Sawe, looked me straight in the eye and told me “doping is a cancerâ€. Then he insisted he was clean. You hear such oaths and affirmations all the time. But, uniquely, Sawe recently backed up those words by asking the Athletics Integrity Unit to test him as much as possible.

You see, Sawe believed he could break the world record in Berlin in September. And he also understood that Kenyaâ€s abysmal doping record meant that success would be met with more raised eyebrows than a plastic surgeonâ€s clinic in Hollywood. So the call went into the AIU. Test me. Repeatedly. Throw everything at it. My sponsors, Adidas, will pick up the bill.

“The main reason was to show that I am clean, and I am doing it the right way,†Sawe, who won the London Marathon in April, told me. “As Kenyans we have been challenged because of doping cases. So before the Berlin Marathon I was tested 25 times, blood and urine, around two or three times a week. And one day I was even tested twice – first thing in the morning and late at night.â€

In the end, hot weather put paid to Saweâ€s dreams of a world record. But his approach to the AIU tells you something about Kenya and doping. It is now so routine that when Sheila Chelangat, who ran in the Tokyo Olympics, was banned for six years for taking EPO last week, it barely made a ripple.

How bad is the problem? Well, since the AIU was set up in 2017 it has sanctioned 427 elite athletes for doping offences. And, staggeringly, 145 of them – more than a third – have been Kenyans. The next on the list? Russia with 75. Then Ethiopia and India with 20 each. Little wonder, then, that the calls for Kenya to be banned have grown in intensity. You see it on athletics threads, and hear it in the frustrations of coaches doing things the right way. If Russia, why not Kenya?

The anger is understandable. But Russia and Kenya are not the same. Partly because there is no evidence of state-sponsored doping coming from Nairobi. But also because the experts believe that Kenya is finally getting its act together. “Thereâ€s no doubt thereâ€s a really serious doping problem in Kenya,†the AIUâ€s chief executive, Brett Clothier, says. “Thatâ€s just beyond question now.†But, he stresses, things are much better than six or seven years ago, when it was almost open season.

Sabastian Sawe (second from right) was tested 25 times before the Berlin Marathon. Photograph: Dpa Picture Alliance/Alamy

“The one thing I will say about the testing system in Kenya, itâ€s the best in the world. Within an hour of getting intelligence, the AIU team can have a test executed anywhere in the country. We canâ€t say that about anywhere else.â€

Clothier also stresses that elite road runners, a large number of whom are Kenyans, are tested far more than track athletes. As he points out, for most disciplines the AIU focuses on the worldâ€s top 10 when it comes to out-of-competition testing. In other words, those likely to win medals. Thatâ€s because testing and gathering intelligence is so expensive, the AIU has to leave it to national anti-doping bodies to test those lower down the rankings.

However when it comes to road running, there is a lot more money sloshing around as the major races, athletes, and sponsors such as Nike, Adidas and Asics have put in $3m a year since 2019 to fund extra testing for hundreds of athletes.

It also helps that the Kenyan government now gives the AIU $5m (£3.75m) a year as well. As Clothier points out, Kenyan GDP per capita is about $2,000. So the equivalent would be the UK government putting in £75m a year to tackle doping.

“We are going to continue to have a high number of cases in Kenya because weâ€re doing way more testing,†Clothier admits. “But Iâ€m certain that thereâ€s less doping now than five years ago, because thereâ€s much more control of the situation – as well as consequences for people who are doping.â€

He contrasts the situation with the AIUâ€s early days. “Back in 2018, the overwhelming majority of their podium finishers of elite marathons were not being tested out of competition at all in the lead-up to races,†he says. “It was a complete recipe for disaster.â€

Kenyaâ€s Sabastian Sawe crosses the line to win the menâ€s race at the 2025 London Marathon. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

The AIU is widely seen as the best anti-doping unit in sport. But despite its best efforts, athletes do escape detection. Ruth Chepngetich, who shattered the womenâ€s marathon world record last year, was tested 14 times in 2024 without yielding a positive test. It was only in March 2025 that she was finally caught.

And while days when athletes would mainline EPO with impunity are gone, they can still microdose substances that can be out of their body within hours. It means that unless there is hard intelligence, or testing late at night and then early in the morning, they can still escape detection.

So why is there reason for hope when it comes to Saweâ€s approach to the AIU? As Clothier explains, he was not only tested 25 times in a few weeks, but his samples were also scrutinised with top-end analysis, including isotope ratio mass spectrometry testing, which is much better at detecting tiny levels of banned drugs.

“It was really very comprehensive,†Clothier says. “We donâ€t didnâ€t do just standard blood and urine tests, but for every test we did a high amount of special analysis. Normally we canâ€t do this because of budget constraints.

“None of this was initiated by us. It came from his sponsor, his agent and Sawe himself – Iâ€m told he was the driver behind all this. I think itâ€s a really potentially powerful and important moment for the sport.â€

The caveat is that this was for a limited time period. However the AIU says it is discussing with Saweâ€s management about how to continue this enhanced program but in a more sustainable way.

Meanwhile Saweâ€s agent, Eric Lilot, says he will soon require his athletes who train at the 2 Running Club in Kapsabet to sign a contract that will require them to give up any money still owed to them if it is shown they intentionally tried to dope – which will be passed on to anti-doping authorities. And what if an athlete doesnâ€t sign the document? “Then we will kick them out of the group,†Lilot says.

None of this means we can be absolutely sure that Sawe is clean, of course. However he deserves great credit for realising that in a time of heightened scepticism, extraordinary performances require extraordinary proof.

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From 1000 meters out, Jane Hedengren ratcheted down the pace to cut 7.39 from Parker Valbyâ€s absolute CR for 5000. (PAUL MERCA)

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, December 06 — The talk before the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener at the hyper-fast Boston U Track & Tennis Center was about how far the Collegiate Records were going to tumble in the elite sections of the menâ€s and womenâ€s 5000s.

The fans who made the trek got what they wanted on the womenâ€s side. BYU frosh Jane Hedengren, who two weeks earlier had finished 2nd at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, skimmed more than 7 seconds off the absolute CR set by Parker Valby at the â€24 NCAA as well as the Collegiate Indoor Record set by Alabamaâ€s Doris Lemngole in this meet last year. Hedengren stopped the clock at 14:44.79.

Before the meet started, the BU track & field staff tweaked the schedule to make it more fan friendly, separating the elite sections of the 800, mile, 3000 and 5000s into a 90-minute window.

In the womenâ€s 5000, designated pacer Ellie Leather of Great Britain led Hedengren and New Mexicoâ€s Pamela Kosgei through 1600 in 4:48.24, slightly off CR pace, but just a hair under 15:00. After Leather pulled off the track, the pace stayed the same, as the Cougar frosh took Kosgei through 3000 at 8:59.01.

A series of five straight 35-pace 200s put Hedengren back on track as she went through 4000 in 11:55.04, nearly 5 seconds clear of Kosgei. The split was 4.97 faster than Lemngoleâ€s a year earlier, yet on pace for a 15:05 finish. Lemngole had closed with a ferocious kick over the last 2 laps. Hedengren still needed to ramp up the pace to take down the CR.

A final kilometer of 2:49.78, capped off with a 66.78 last 400 got Hedengren to 14:44.79. After taking care of the CR she turned around to see teammate Riley Chamberlain finish under 15:00, running 14:58.97, to become the No. 6 indoor performer in collegiate history.

Hedengren became the second-fastest American all-time with her mark, behind only Elise Crannyâ€s 14:33.17 AR set in â€22 on this track and 0.01 below the 14:44.80 Josette Andrews ran in March, also at BU. The BYU yearlingâ€s time also moved her to No. 2 all-time among Junior (U20) 5000 runners indoors.

Kosgei, who set her indoor PR of 15:00.36 on this speedy track last year, faded to 3rd in 15:05.41, the No. 11 performance in indoor collegiate history.

Afterwards, the new CR holder said that she was satisfied with her effort, and especially with the conservative early pace: “I just want to do my best effort every time and I feel like in practice, we have kind of shown that we are around that level.â€

Hoey Drops 600 WR By Nearly A Second

While it may have been slightly overlooked by those in attendance, Josh Hoey, the reigning world indoor 800 champion, made some noise in the days before the meet stating that heâ€d take a shot at Donavan Brazierâ€s AR of 1:13.77 for 600m.

As the final event of the elite window, Hoeyâ€s brother Jonah, who had won the elite 800 in 1:47.01, led the other three men through the first 200 in 23.60, with brother Josh behind in 23.74.

Josh swung wide on the second lap to pass Jonah, which might have cost some time. Josh went through the 400 in 47.63, then closed with a 25.21 to finish in 1:12.84, almost a second under Brazierâ€s mark.

Josh Hoey “came out here to have fun,†yet made quick work of lowering Donavan Brazierâ€s WR. (PAUL MERCA)

Hoeyâ€s time was just 0.03 off Johnny Grayâ€s outdoor WR mark of 1:12.81 set in â€86, and is the second-fastest under any conditions.

“I took this as a preseason meet. I came out here to have some fun,†Hoey said.

Hoey added that he really didnâ€t have a set time in mind, but knew he was in good shape after transitioning to a new self-coached training program following his split from Australian coach Justin Rinaldi.

“About four weeks ago, I realized that I hadnâ€t died yet on the new program,†he said. “Iâ€m happy to do anything under the previous World Record.â€

“At 450, I was underwater, and with a 100 to go, I was sinking, and I had to hold on, but overall Iâ€m happy to cross the line.â€

While the menâ€s 5000 didnâ€t get under the CR of 12:57.14 set by Northern Arizonaâ€s Nico Young in â€24 — or for that matter, under 13:00 — the race had one of the most exciting finishes.

After pacer Joe dosReis stepped off the track at 2200m, New Mexicoâ€s NCAA cross country champ Habtom Samuel, Villanovaâ€s Marco Langon, and Virginiaâ€s Gary Martin gradually broke away from the field, with Samuel pressing the pace.

With a lap to go, Martin shot to the lead, but could not hold it, as Samuel regained the front, then fought the late charge of Langon on the outside.

Langon dove for the line, losing an earring in the process, but could not quite catch Samuel, as both were credited with a time of 13:05.21.

Langon and Martin both moved into the all-time collegiate top 10. Langon is now No. 4 all time, while Martinâ€s 3rd-place time of 13:05.57 slots him at No. 5.

COLYEAR-DANVILLE RESULTS

MEN

600: 1. Josh Hoey (adidas) 1:12.84 WR, AR (old records 1:13.77 Donavan Brazier [Nike] ‘19) (in/out: 2, 2 W, A);

2. Kerem Ayhan†(Tur) 1:15.68 PR; 3. Ryan Farrell (unat) 1:15.68 PR.

800: 1. Jonah Hoey (adidas) 1:47.01 PR; 2. Klaus Hans Scholz†(Wing-Chl) 1:47.61 PR; 3. Thomas Cowan†(BU-NZ) 1:47.88 PR.

Mile: 1. James Harding (Or-NZ) 3:55.92 PR (3:41.14 PR); 2. Tinoda Matsatsa (Gtn) 3:56.26 (3:40.92 PR); 3. Sair Salgado (UArmDSD) 3:56.78 PR (3:41.16 PR); 4. Carter Cutting (BYU) 3:56.79 PR (3:41.47 PR).

3000: 1. Colin Sahlman (NnAz) 7:36.71 PR (7, 8 C);

2. George Couttie†(VaT-GB) 7:36.74 PR (8, 9 C);

3. Sam Prakel (adidas) 7:37.16 PR; 4. Simeon Birnbaum (Or) 7:39.65 PR; 5. Ryan Schoppe (unat) 7:39.81; 6. Taha Erraouy†(EnKy-Mor) 7:40.56 PR; 7. Elliott Cook (Or) 7:41.57 PR; 8. Fouad Messaoudi†(Mor) 7:42.51 PR; 9. Foster Malleck†(Can) 7:42.80 PR; 10. Jesse Hamlin (But) 7:43.06 PR; 11. Reuben Reina (Wa) 7:43.16 PR.

5000: I–1. Habtom Samuel†(NM-Eri) 13:05.21 (x, 5 C);

2. Marco Langon (Vill) 13:05.21 PR (4, =5 C);

3. Gary Martin (Va) 13:05.57 PR (5, 7 C);

4. Dennis Kipngetich†(OkSt-Ken) 13:12.91 PR; 5. Colton Sands (NC) 13:17.88 PR; 6. Evans Kiplagat†(NM-Ken) 13:18.05 PR; 7. Robin Kwemoi Bera†(IaSt-Ken) 13:18.72 PR; 8. Hamza Chahid†(Mor) 13:20.19 PR; 9. Ethan Coleman (NDm) 13:24.08 PR; 10. Abdel Laadjel†(Or-Ire) 13:24.17 PR; 11. Solomon Kipchoge†(WaSt-Ken) 13:24.30 PR; 12. Evans Kurui†(WaSt-Ken) 13:24.79; 13. Meshack Kimutai†(IaSt-Ken) 13:26.87 PR; 14. Collins Kiprotich†(NM-Ken) 13:29.59 PR.

II–1. Elsingi Kipruto†(Louis-Ken) 13:29.37 PR; 2. Adisu Guadia†(OkSt-Isr) 13:29.58 NR; 3. Leo Young (Stan) 13:30.21 PR;

4. Tayvon Kitchen (Or) 13:30.74 PR (in/out: 8, 9 AJ).

WOMEN

300: 1. Sydney Segalla (BC) 37.40 PR.

600: 1. Maeve Oâ€Neill†(Prov-Ire) 1:28.09 PR; 2. Emma Dagenais†(Can) 1:29.40.

800: 1. Tayissa Buchanan†(PennSt-Aus) 2:02.67 PR; 2. Emma Sullivan (KennSt) 2:03.68 PR; 3. Sami Oblad (BYU) 2:03.97 PR.

Mile: 1. Helen Braybrook†(CoStP-GB) 4:30.03 PR (4:14.42 PR); 2. Sophia Gorriaran (Harv) 4:32.94 PR (4:12.60 PR); 3. Sydney Masciarelli (NC) 4:33.20 PR (4:16.95 PR).

3000: 1. Salma Elbadra†(SC-Mor) 8:41.76 PR (5, 5 C);

2. Vera Sjöberg†(NC-Swe) 8:43.06 PR (8, 9 C);

3. Allie Zealand (Lib) 8:44.71 AJR (old AJR 8:54.18 Katelyn Tuohy [NCSt] ‘21; 10, x C) (in/out: 2, 3 AJ);

4. Angelina Napoleon (NCSt) 8:46.15 PR (8, x AmC);

5. Mena Scatchard†(GB) 8:47.80 PR; 6. Juliet Cherubet†(Or-Ken) 8:52.30 PR; 7. Dalia Frias (Or) 8:55.78 PR; 8. Rosemary Longisa†(WaSt-Ken) 8:55.81 PR; 9. Chloe Foerster (Wa) 8:56.22 PR; 10. Elizabeth Khathievi†(AMCC-Ken) 8:59.74 PR.

5000: I–1. Jane Hedengren (BYU) 14:44.79 CR, absolute CR (old CR 14:52.57 Doris Lemngole†[Al-Ken] â€24; old absolute CR 14:52.18 Parker Valby [Florida] â€24) (2, 2 A, WJ; 1, 1 AJ) (in/out: 10, x A; 1, 1 AJ);

2. Riley Chamberlain (BYU) 14:58.97 PR (6, 7 C);

3. Pamela Kosgei†(NM-Ken) 15:05.41; 4. Hilda Olemomoi†(Al-Ken) 15:08.61;

5. Mary Bonner Dalton (NDm) 15:11.31 PR (9, x AmC);

6. Josephine Naukot†(WV-Ken) 15:11.91 PR; 7. Judy Chepkoech†(Fl-Ken) 15:12.57 PR; 8. Jadyn Keeler†(ND-Can) 15:14.76 PR;

9. Betty Kipkore†(IaSt-Ken) 15:15.30 PR; 10. Sophia Kennedy (Stan) 15:16.20; 11. Silvia Jelelgo†(Clem-Ken) 15:16.57 PR; 12. Diana Cherotich†(Or-Ken) 15:16.72 PR;

13. Chloe Thomas†(Wa-Can) 15:16.93 PR; 14. Marion Jepngetich†(NM-Ken) 15:17.02 PR; 15. Rosina Machu (Gonz) 15:21.19 PR; 16. Caren Kiplagat†(Al-Ken) 15:22.22 PR.

II–1. Jacey Farmer (BYU) 15:28.79 PR; 2. Hayley Burns (NnAz) 15:29.84 PR.

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Southeast Regional winner Averi Lowen suffered a fall in the crowded front pack early on. Soph Natasza Dudek, the Midwest champ, kicked best to capture the national crown. (MIKE SCOTT)

PORTLAND, OREGON, December 06 — Two surprising developments turned the girls race at Nike Cross Nationals a bit on its head Saturday before Natasza Dudek (Pioneer, Ann Arbor, Michigan) outsprinted Blair Bartlett (Lawrenceville, New Jersey) for the crown.

The first was an unfortunate tumble just before the 1K mark by one of the prerace favorites, Averi Lowen (Bowdon, Georgia). Unlike last December, when Jane Hedengren overwhelmed the field in course record fashion, there was no clear choice to succeed her. However, then unbeaten Lowen — the NXR Southeast and Great American winner — was clearly one of four dominant Regional champs, including Dudek and Bartlett, that were considered most likely to triumph.

Lowen had been co-leading a pack of 10 when she lost her footing. It took just a few seconds, but she was able to get up and rejoin the large chase pack following them. But she never returned to the front.

Then at the 3K mark, Jaelyn Williams — not favored for a podium finish — committed to trying to win the race with a stunning breakaway surge. Williams (East Lake, Chula Vista, California) had come within 3 seconds of Sadie Engelhardtâ€s â€24 Woodward Park and state meet record while winning the D1 championship a week earlier. Thing was, Summer Wilson (Irvine, California) had already broken that mark by 5 ticks in the previous D2 race.

Williams†move set the tone for the remainder of the race. She had been just off the pace during the third kilometer as Dudek, Bartlett and Maddie Gullickson, the leader of eventual team champ Wayzata (Minnesota), had broken away. Williams then reeled in Gullickson as she began to fade, and joined the lead duo.

The big move gapped Dudek and Bartlett but did not take them out of the chase. Once Williams gained a 4–5 second lead, that margin stayed the same for about a K.

With about 600 to go, Dudek surged past Bartlett and began a steady drive toward leader Williams. As the terraces approached with under 400 left, the Californian began to fade as well.

Bartlett stuck with Dudek as they ate up the turf between themselves and Williams. Climbing the first terrace, they caught her; then on the second they overtook her. Dudek pulled ahead with her sprint and could not be denied for the 16:50.1 victory, collapsing after crossing the line. Bartlett — looking around to make sure she was clear of Williams and no one else was coming — settled for 2nd with 16:51.7.

Despite coming in undefeated, Dudek had no big pretensions about winning at this level. “I had no idea that I was going to end up coming in first; with 600m to go I just really wanted to at least keep the place Iâ€m in,†the soph said. “And then I saw that we were getting really close.

“I knew it was going to be a quick climb and sprint to the finish. That last 100m it was just who can kick the hardest and I just really moved as fast as I could.â€

Williams crossed in 16:58.0, losing nearly 8 seconds in the stretch, but was far ahead of the 4th-placer Isabella Kellerâ€s 17:15.0 (St. Anthony, Effingham, Illinois).

Early co-leader Gullickson held on to 7th, just behind Lowen, and earned the #2 stick in the team battle. That was no small thing as the Minnesotans — their school best known for ending a 7-year Fayetteville-Manlius title streak in â€13 — earned their 2nd crown by 5 points over Niwot, 142–147.

Most significantly, though, Wayzataâ€s 4-5 runners gained 58 spots between them in the final 2K to rally the Heartland champs from 6th (206 pts.) to 1st.

“We said our 5-6-7 runners are all going to matter and they did,†said Coach Kalsey Beach. “They really got gritty in the second half of the race and got the job done.â€

The Coloradoans had the best 3-4-5 finish of anyone, and led at 1, 2 and 4K, but could not quite hold off the winners in a bid to sweep the team championships. Union Catholic (New Jersey), led by All-American middle distance runner Paige Sheppard, had led at 3K with strong performances at the front, but wound up 3rd with 174.

NXN GIRLS

Teams: 1. Wayzata 142; 2. Niwot 147; 3. Union County 174; 4. Lone Peak 178; 5. South Denver 198; 6. Sioux Falls Cross 219; 7. American Fork 244; 8. Bruce Township 266; 9. Flower Mound 274; 10. Sehome 304; 11. Trabuco 311; 12. Clifton Park 318; 13. Manhattan Beach 323; 14. Hinesburg 329; 15. Knoxville 355; 16. Bridgeland 357; 17. Clovis 360; 18. Ann Arbor Stadium 367; 19. Brentwood 395; 20. Delmar 407; 21. San Juan Capistrano 408; 22. Meridian 455.

Individuals (5K): 1. **Natasza Dudek (Ann Arbor Stadium) 16:50.1; 2. *Blair Bartlett (Northeast) 16:51.7; 3. Jaelyn Williams (California) 16:58.0; 4. *Isabella Keller (Midwest) 17:15.0; 5. Emma Hoffman (Midwest) 17:16.7; 6. *Averi Lowen (Southeast) 17:20.6; 7. Maddie Gullickson (Wayzata) 17:21.8; 8. Macy Wingard (South) 17:21.9; 9. ****Brianna Reilly (Heartland) 17:24.4; 10. *Delaney Reuter (Southwest) 17:28.1;

11. ***Addison Kegel (Northwest) 17:31.4; 12. Lily Alder (Southwest) 17:31.5; 13. Sundara Weber (Midwest) 17:34.3; 14. **Maddie Dorsch (Southeast) 17:35.0; 15. Emry Schwalm (South Denver) 17:36.0; 16. *Kendra Williamson (Northeast) 17:37.1; 17. *Annie Hrabovsky (Bruce Township) 17:44.6; 18. Cassidy Armstrong (Northwest) 17:44.9; 19. **Julia Kelly (Northeast) 17:44.9; 20. Amaya Bharadwaj (California) 17:45.3;

21. Calysta Garmer (Knoxville) 17:47.0; 22. *Paige Sheppard (Union County) 17:48.9; 23. Summer Wilson (California) 17:49.7; 24. Katie Berkshire (Midwest) 17:49.9; 25. ***Maddie Lange (Southwest) 17:52.1; 26. *Amelia Avila (Southeast) 17:53.6; 27. Jazzlyn Garmer (Knoxville) 17:55.4; 28. ***Karstin Mccabe (Heartland) 17:55.4; 29. *Maddie Laezza (New York) 17:55.9; 30. Emily Cohen (Southwest) 17:57.3;

31. Laney Barnes (South) 17:58.0; 32. Addy Ritzenhein (Niwot) 17:59.2; 33. Leyla Bhusri (Clifton Park) 18:00.7; 34. Ella Mogannam (California) 18:01.8; 35. Millie Bayles (Trabuco) 18:04.4; 36. Maggie McCormick (New York) 18:06.2; 37. *Peyton Vandeest (Heartland) 18:07.8; 38. ***Mackenzie Skelly (Northeast) 18:08.2; 39. Georgy Helmers (Southeast) 18:09.2; 40. *Allie Horner (Southeast) 18:11.0. (198 finished)

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Over the last mile and a half, Weini Kelati (leading) built the nearly 15-second margin on Ednah Kurgat and Katie Izzo that delivered her second USA cross country crown. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

PORTLAND, OREGON, December 06 — Weini Kelati won her second U.S. cross country title on a wet, muddy 10K course at the USATF Cross Country Championships, while recent North Carolina grad Parker Wolfe won his first USA crown.

This yearâ€s US championships — run at Portlandâ€s Glendoveer Golf Club immediately following the NXN High School Championships on the same layout — served as the selection event for the U.S. team that will compete at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida (January 10). The top six finishers in the menâ€s and womenâ€s 10K races qualified for the team while the first two finishers in the inaugural menâ€s and womenâ€s 2K races earned places on the mixed relay.

With the upcoming Worlds the first running of that storied event scheduled in the U.S. since the 1992 edition in Bostonâ€s Franklin Park, athletes were excited to contend for positions on the national team. Deeper and more competitive fields than in recent editions were the result.

Following several days of rain, the Glendoveer course was saturated. The two NXN races served to churn up the grass surface yielding sections of the course that were quite muddy and slippery.

Emma Grace Hurley, the 2024 USA XC runner-up, led the womenâ€s 10K race through the first couple of kilometers with a large pack in pursuit including Kelati, Parker Valby, Ednah Kurgat, Emily Venters, Grace Hartman, Katie Izzo, Taylor Werner, Karissa Schweizer, Elise Stearns, and Shelby Houlihan.

By halfway — passed in 16:44 — Kelati and Izzo had taken over the lead with Kurgat, Hurley, Hartman, Schweizer, Venters, and Valby following behind.

Over the next kilometer, Kelati and Izzo began to edge away with Kurgat running alone in 3rd. Then came Hurley, Schweizer, and Hartman, followed by Valby and Venters.

Kelati — the 2023 USA champion — began to pull away from Izzo by 7K and by 8K (passed in 26:52) had opened up a 6 second lead.

Kurgat continued to run alone in 3rd while Schweizer, Venters, Hartman, and Hurley battled for the remaining three team positions.

Kelati, unchallenged for the rest of the race, ran away to win in 33:46, 15 seconds ahead of Izzo in 2nd in 34:01.

“I knew the course was going to be hard when I see the mud, the hill,†said Kelati. “This is real cross country. If I can challenge myself, put myself in a good position on this course, Iâ€m ready to go.â€

Kurgat (34:10) finished 3rd while Schweizer (34:17) claimed 4th ahead of Venters (34:21) and Hartman (34:26).

Rocky Hansen was the early leader from Nico Young, Parker Wolfe and Graham Blanks yet Wolfeâ€s charging finish was decisive at the end of the menâ€s race. (MIKE SCOTT)

Wake Forestâ€s Rocky Hansen — 2nd just two weeks ago at the NCAA cross country championships — went immediately to the front to string out the loaded menâ€s field that included pre-race favorites Graham Blanks and Nico Young as well as Wesley Kiptoo, Wolfe, Paul Chelimo, Ahmed Muhumed, Matt Strangio, Morgan Beadlescomb, and Cooper Teare.

By 5K — passed in 14:28 — the top 6 had separated themselves from the rest of the field. Hansen led Blanks, Young, Wolfe, Muhumed, and Kiptoo running together at least 10 seconds ahead of the field.

The ACC conference duo of Hansen and Wolfe separated themselves from the chase pack by 8K (passed in 23:25), while Kiptoo ran alone in 3rd, then Muhumed, then Blanks and Young.

Wolfe — who finished 3rd in the 2024 Olympic Trials 5000 but didnâ€t have the Olympic qualifying standard so missed out on the Paris Games — surged during the final kilometer. His 2:53 closing 1000 over Glendoveerâ€s Terrace Hill (a two-step steep hill that crests 200m from the finish line) broke Hansen and delivered the win in 29:17.

“I was just trying to stay in contact with him [Rocky],†said Wolfe. “He was ready for this. When we got to 800 left I felt like I just had a little more in the tank going up those hills.â€

Hansen held on for runner-up honors in 29:25, holding off quick closing Kiptoo (29:28) and Muhumed (29:34).

Olympians Young (29:42) and Blanks (29:45) maintained 5th and 6th to claim spots on Team USA.

The 2K events were new at the USA championships and served to select 2 men and 2 women for the mixed relay at World Cross Country. Prior to this year, since the relayâ€s introduction in 2019, athletes self-nominated themselves for the mixed team and were ranked and selected according to their best performance based on World Athletics point among 1500, mile, 3000, 2-Mile (and some years 3000 steeplechase) during a selection window.

With a World Cross Country Championships on home soil this winter, USATFâ€s Cross Country Council decided to hold selection races for the relay.

The menâ€s 2K race was the first event following the morningâ€s NXN races. Liam Meirow led the field through halfway in 2:46, followed by Ethan Strand, Wes Porter, Sam Gilman, plus Craig Engels, Jacob Hunter, and Damien Dilcher.

Tokyo World Championships 1500 semifinalist Strand (5:26) applied pressure during the second half and broke away over the Terrace Hills, holding off a fast closing Porter (5:27) to win as those two earned Team USA slots.

“This place was awesome,†said Strand.†Good atmosphere with NXN. I wanted to come out and test myself today. Today wasnâ€t necessarily about making the World Team, it was more about giving my best effort, try to run hard. NCAA cross country has prepared me to keep my foot on the gas for the whole time.â€

In the womenâ€s 2K race, Gracie Morris led Annika Reiss and Emily Mackay past the 1K split in 3:09 with Tokyo World Championship 800 finalist Sage Hurta-Klecker leading a chase pack a few strides behind.

Morris kept up the pressure and began to pull away from Reiss and Mackay. However, Hurta-Klecker moved well during the second kilometer and passed Reiss and Mackay to run with Morris as the duo approached the Terrace Hill.

Morris charged hard up the Terrace Hill and opened a small gap over Hurta Klecker, winning in 6:20. Hurta-Klecker sprinted home in 6:23 to claim 2nd and the final Team USA position, with Reiss (6:24) closing hard over the final strides to come up just short.

“Honestly I had no idea what to expect,†said Morris of a 2K cross country race. “In the past I havenâ€t been very good at cross country. I just went at it. I felt the field was breaking and I just pressed.â€

The U20 races also served as U.S. national team selection races, with the first five eligible athletes qualifying for Tallahassee — along with the first eligible athlete from each of the morningâ€s NXN races.

Texasâ€s Aidan Torres won the U20 Menâ€s 8K race in 25:11, followed by Tyler Daillak (25:14), Daniel Skandera (25:19), Salvador Wirth (25:21), and Dylan Maloney (25:21). They will be joined on the team by NXN winner Jackson Spencer.

Dukeâ€s Victoria Garces battled with NC Stateâ€s Daniella Scheffler during the second half of the U20 womenâ€s 6K race, before pulling away to win in 21:07 ahead of Schefflerâ€s 21:21. Princetonâ€s Caroline Barton (21:55) finished 3rd, Cincinnatiâ€s Abigail Sewell (22:04) in 4th, and Minnesotaâ€s Norah Hushagen (22:22) in 5th.

Since Garces is too old to be U20 eligible in 2026, Hushagenâ€s Minnesota teammate Avery Marasco-Johnson rounds out Team USA along with NXN runner-up Blair Bartlett. (NXN winner Natasza Dudek is not a US Citizen.)

USATF XC RESULTS

Senior Men

Teams: 1. Swoosh TC 15; 2. Timberline AC 50; 3. Club Northwest 79.

10K: 1. Parker Wolfe (swoosh) 29:16.4; 2. Rocky Hansen (WF) 29:24.8; 3. Wesley Kiptoo (HokaNAZE) 29:27.7; 4. Ahmed Muhumed (HokaNAZE) 29:33.7; 5. Nico Young (adi) 29:41.6; 6. Graham Blanks (NBal) 29:45.0; 7. Liam Murphy (swoosh) 29:59.4; 8. Paul Chelimo (ADP) 30:14.8; 9. Morgan Beadlescomb (adi) 30:15.9; 10. Robert Liking (HokaNAZE) 30:16.1; 11. Camren Todd (unat) 30:17.5; 12. Sean McGorty (swoosh) 30:18.8; 13. Olin Hacker (HokaNAZE) 30:32.0; 14. Dylan Schubert (Asics) 30:33.9; 15. Matt Strangio (BrkB) 30:38.7;

16. Andrew Hunter (Asics) 30:41.2; 17. Drew Bosley (swoosh) 30:42.9; 18. Cooper Teare (swoosh) 30:48.0; 19. Wil Smith (HansB) 30:50.7; 20. Creed Thompson (Brk) 30:52.6; 21. Matthew Wilkinson (DarkSky) 30:53.0; 22. Andrew Colley (ZapE) 30:56.8; 23. Sam Lawler (unat) 31:00.9; 24. Shuaib Aljabaly (HansB) 31:03.9; 25. Aidan O’Gorman (unat) 31:11.4.

2K: 1. Ethan Strand (Swoosh) 5:26; 2. Wes Porter (unat) 5:27; 3. Garrett MacQuiddy (PenDC) 5:34; 4. Sam Gilman (USAF) 5:35; 5. Vincent Ciattei (DSD) 5:36; 6. Kasey Knevelbaard (DSD) 5:38; 7. Liam Meirow (NikeACG) 5:38; 8. Craig Engels (Swoosh) 5:38; 9. Damien Dilcher (UArmMRB) 5:42; 10. Jacob Hunter (unat) 5:47.

Junior Men

8K: 1. Aidan Torres (Tx) 25:10.8; 2. Tyler Daillak (SLO) 25:13.8; 3. Daniel Skandera (unat) 25:19.0; 4. Salvador Wirth (Mn) 25:20.6; 5. Dylan Maloney (NM) 25:20.8; 6. Juan Gonzalez (Or) 25:22.5; 7. Wil Ihmels (Co) 25:43.1; 8. Jack Bidwell (Mi) 25:45.2; 9. Henry Acorn (Va) 25:55.8; 10. Isaac Benjamin (unat) 25:56.1.

Senior Women

Teams: 1. Minnesota Distance Elite 15; 2. Team Red Lizard 44; 3. Santa Barbara Running & Racing 61.

10K: 1. Weini Kelati Frezghi (DarkSky) 33:45.5; 2. Katie Izzo (adi) 34:00.9; 3. Ednah Kurgat (USAr) 34:09.9; 4. Karissa Schweizer (swoosh) 34:16.2; 5. Emily Venters (swoosh) 34:20.7; 6. Grace Hartman (unat) 34:25.7; 7. Elise Stearns (swoosh) 34:33.1; 8. Allie Ostrander (Ois) 34:34.4; 9. Emma Grace Hurley (Asics) 34:40.9; 10. Parker Valby (NBal) 34:48.9; 11. Carrie Ellwood (MamTC) 34:57.8; 12. Makena Morley (Asics) 35:04.8; 13. Elena Henes (adi) 35:10.5; 14. Cailie Hughes (MnDE) 35:10.8; 15. Margot Appleton (NBalB) 35:14.3;

16. Katelyn Tuohy (adi) 35:30.3; 17. Rachael Rudel (FrontRE) 35:32.7; 18. Rachel Anderson (MnDE) 35:33.4; 19. Kasandra Parker (CrownR) 35:34.2; 20. Shelby Houlihan (unat) 35:34.5; 21. Stephanie Bruce (unat) 35:35.8; 22. Annastasia Peters (unat) 35:39.0; 23. Makenna Myler (RunEP) 35:41.1; 24. Taylor Werner (unat) 35:48.3; 25. Amber Zimmerman (unat) 35:52.4.

2K: 1. Gracie Morris (Puma) 6:20; 2. Sage Hurta-Klecker (OAC) 6:23; 3. Annika Reiss (DSD) 6:24; 4. Gracie Hyde (unat) 6:29; 5. Kayley DeLay (BrkB) 6:29; 6. Cailee Peterson (MnDE) 6:32; 7. Emily Mackay (NBal) 6:33; 8. Alexandra Carlson (unat) 6:37; 9. Teagan Schein-Becker (BrkB) 6:37; 10. Addy Wiley (adidas) 6:40.

Junior Women

6K: 1. Victoria Garces (Duke) 21:07.0; 2. Daniela Scheffler (NCSt 21:20.7; 3. Caroline Barton (Prin) 21:54.6; 4. Abigail Sewell (Cinc) 22:03.1; 5. Norah Hushagen (Mn) 22:21.7; 6. Avery Marasco-Johnson(Mn) 22:28.3; 7. Maeve Smith (Vill) 22:52.8; 8. Lillian Dicola (Tol) 23:00.1; 9. Arabella Nelson (OkSt) 23:08.3; 10. Macy Hanson (Mn) 23:09.8.

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On the Glendoveer courseâ€s “terraces†rise with 200m to run, “thatâ€s when I knew I just had to put it all out there, put everything on the line for it,†said winner Jackson Spencer. (JOHN NEPOLITAN)

PORTLAND, OREGON, December 06 — The Nike Cross Nationals boys†race had seen some very unexpected individual champions in recent years, including upsets in the past three editions.

But when Jackson Spencer made his decisive move on the first incline of the “terraces†that comprise the final 200-meter stretch at Glendoveer Golf Course — which followed his surge at 3700 — it became clear that predictive form would hold in 2025. The undefeated Herriman (Utah) senior had been considered the runner to beat nationally since he crushed the Woodward Park course record in the Clovis Invite in October, his second major triumph in California following a Woodbridge victory weeks earlier.

Saturday, with temps in the 50s but on a saturated and moderately muddy course, Spencer was content to cruise near the front of an unwieldy lead pack where everyone appeared to be gauging the course before making any aggressive moves. Lucas Tanner (Deforest, Wisconsin) led at 2K (5:57.8) with about 30 within 3 seconds — after a gradual slowdown following a quicker start.

Sean Fries (Minnetonka, Minnesota) decided heâ€d had enough and forced the pace at about 2200 and started stretching things out behind him. He still led at 3K (9:06.2) with now just 11 in close contact. Then at about 3700, during the second time around a short, tight loop, Spencer decided it was time to shake things up.

“Right before the ‘lollipop†over there for the second time around, thatâ€s when my head was just telling me, ‘Go, Jackson, go!â€â€ he said. “Drop everyone, see who comes, and then it will be a battle from there.â€

Spencer, who is headed to BYU next fall, said his goal coming into the season was to win the national title. He gave a lot of credit to his runner-up teammates and Coach Doug Soles. He said the plan was “to make the race as short as possible†and stay in the pack for at least 3K.

At 4K (12:01.9), Spencer still had Caden Leonard (Southlake Carroll, Texas), Mt. SAC course recordsetter Yohanes Van Meerten (Flagstaff, Arizona), Ruel Newberry (Guyer, Denton, Texas), Marcelo Mantecon (Belen, Miami, Florida) and Fries for company. Then 600 meters later, only Leonard and Van Meerten remained.

Leonard, the 4-time qualifier who was 3rd last year, rallied from a nasty spill around the lollipop and seemed poised to move on the terraces with just over 200 to go. But it was Spencer who got his legs to turn over more quickly up the first incline, then pulled away further on the second.

“With about 200 meters to go up the — what do you call them? — those little hills over there, thatâ€s when I knew I just had to put it all out there, put everything on the line for it, and I was able to come away with the win,†he said.

Spencer crossed in 15:01.3, with Van Meerten coming back and pipping Leonard at the line for 2nd, 15:03.3 to 15:03.7. Four different Utah boys have won NXN 5 times (Casey Clinger won twice), the most of any state in NXNâ€s 20-year history.

Spencer will also have a chance to represent Team USA for the World U20 Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee on January 10 as USATF has allowed the NXN winner to join the top 5 from the U20 Champs that took place later Saturday on Glendoveer.

Not far behind, Niwot (Colorado) launched what would be a record-setting defense of their team title, as Quinn Sullivan (15:09.9) and Hunter Robbie (15:11.1) grabbed 5th and 6th overall and the 3-4 sticks in the team battle. When their 5th man scored 28, they had a meet record 61 points to easily defeat Spencerâ€s runner-up Herriman squad at 97 and Lincroft (Christian Brothers Academy, New Jersey) with 110.

“Itâ€s always just to have fun and believe in the team culture,†said Sullivan when asked on the podium about Niwotâ€s team ‘mantra†preparing for the meet, “and thereâ€s not much we can do except work, work, work and have fun.â€

NXN BOYS

Teams: 1. Niwot 61; 2. Herriman 97; 3. Lincroft 110; 4. Carroll 137; 5. American Fork 195; 6. Sioux Falls 210; 7. Royal Pines 254; 8. Columbus 269; 9. Haddonfield 286; 10. Portland 287; 11. Garden of the Gods 288; 12. Plainfield North 294; 13. Redondo Beach 309; 14. Carmichael 336; 15. San Clemente 372; 16. Manhattan Beach 397; 17. Austin 431; 18. Raleigh 441; 19. Forest Park 447; 20. Lincoln 452; 21. East Setauket 459; 22. Thiells 509.

Individuals: 1. Jackson Spencer (Herriman) 15:01.1; 2. *Yohanes Van Meerten (Southwest) 15:03.3; 3. Caden Leonard (Carroll) 15:03.7; 4. *Marcelo Mantecon (Southeast) 15:05.6; 5. *Quinn Sullivan (Niwot) 15:09.9; 6. Hunter Robbie (Niwot) 15:11.1; 7. Sean Fries (Heartland) 15:17.0; 8. Jayden Warner (Northwest) 15:17.2; 9. Paul Van Laningham (Southeast) 15:17.3; 10. **Jack McGovern (Midwest) 15:21.1;

11. **Ruel Newberry (South) 15:22.2; 12. **Kai Gutierrez (Carroll) 15:22.7; 13. *Oliver Horton (Garden of the Gods) 15:22.9; 13. Ethan Locke (South) 15:22.9; 15. Sean Gray (Northeast) 15:23.6; 16. Brian Burns (South) 15:23.8; 17. Luke Hnatt (Lincroft) 15:30.6; 18. *Kamari Ronfeldt (Midwest) 15:31.3; 19. *Theo Oppermann (Northeast) 15:31.4; 20. Lucas Tanner (Heartland) 15:31.7;

21. Grady Lenn (Heartland) 15:32.2; 22. **Brice Fuller (Midwest) 15:32.5; 23. *Yosuke Shibata (Northwest) 15:34.8; 24. **Garrett Faught (Northwest) 15:35.1; 25. *Jay McDonald (Southwest) 15:39.5; 26. Conor Lott (California) 15:39.5; 27. *Gavin Schmitt (Lincroft) 15:39.5; 28. *Logan Rohatinsky (Southwest) 15:39.8; 29. Eli Jarvis (Herriman) 15:44.3; 30. Canaan Dunham (Heartland) 15:44.4;

31. Maximo Zavaleta (California) 15:44.5; 32. *Tyrus Needles (Sioux Falls) 15:44.6; 33. Ryder Keeton (Niwot) 15:45.6; 34. **Abdi Hassan (Southwest) 15:45.9; 35. Miles Lechtenberg (Sioux Falls) 15:46.0; 36. Krish Desai (Manhattan Beach) 15:46.1; 37. **Bo Howland-Vlahakis (Northeast) 15:46.5; 38. Xzavier Campos (Garden of the Gods) 15:46.5; 39. *Ben Adams (Southwest) 15:47.6; 40. ***Jude Ritzenhein (Niwot) 15:49.1. (200 finished)

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The Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee has become the second-fastest British marathon runner in history after a stunning run in Valencia.

The 27-year-old finished seventh in a strong field in a time of two hours, six mins and 38 seconds – quicker than any Briton in history apart from Mo Farah, who ran 2:05:11 in Chicago in 2018.

It was a remarkable performance, especially given Yee only took up the marathon this year as a mini-sabbatical from triathlon after he won gold in Paris. As Yee crossed the line he roared to the skies before placing his hands to his head, in disbelief at the time he had just achieved.

It also came after Yeeâ€s first attempt over 26.2 miles in London in April had not gone entirely to plan after a series of illnesses had interrupted his preparations. After finishing in 2:11:08, he admitted: “God damn, marathon is hardâ€.

However Yee, who has always had serious running pedigree, having competed for Britain over 10,000m at the European championships as a 20-year-old, felt he had more to give.

His training posts in the buildup to Valencia, where he had run alongside seasoned marathon runners Emile Cairess and Phil Sesemann, suggested that he had put in the miles and sessions to go much quicker. And so it proved.

Paced by Cairess, who had finished fourth in the Olympic marathon in Paris and has a personal best of 2:06:46, Yee looked comfortable as he went through halfway in 1:03.32.

And despite warmer-than-ideal conditions, with temperatures climbing into the mid-teens, he still had plenty left in the tank to run the second half in a negative split of 1:03:06.

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The chances of Yee breaking Farahâ€s record are slim. He has promised to return to his main sport full time next year, and the likelihood is that he will not run another marathon until after the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

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★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★

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≡ USATF BOARD TURMOIL ≡

USA Track & Field is experiencing a golden age of performance by American athletes, who won a sensational 34 medals (14 gold) at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and 26 medals (16 gold) at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Off the field, the federation is navigating significant financial difficulties, ending 2024 with negative net assets of $6.125 million, with $29.730 million in assets and $35.855 million in liabilities.

Now, the USATF Board of Directors is fighting among themselves, dismissing two of its members over the last 10 days:

â— Jere Summers-Hall, a shot and hammer All-American at Louisville and now an operations specialist for large digital firms, was elected as the Chair of the USATF Athletes Commission in December 2024.

â— Kristie Killough-Ali, a Chicago attorney, was elected as an Independent Director to the USATF Board in 2018 and whose term will expire in 2026.

The USATF Board did not simply vote Summers-Hall and Killough-Ali off of the Board, but suspended their USATF memberships, making them ineligible for them to attend the USATF Annual Meeting taking place at Lake Buena Vista, Florida this coming Friday and Saturday (5-6 December).

This is especially noteworthy in view of the fact that Summers-Hall submitted 45 proposals and sub-proposals for consideration by the Law & Legislation Committee and then by the membership or other governance bodies as a whole, and Killough-Ali submitted eight.

Whatâ€s going on here?

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Summers-Hall has been, according to multiple close observers, a relentless inquirer about USATFâ€s financial affairs, budgeting, expenditures and how athletes – including Paralympic athletes, now under USATF governance – can be further supported, and also how Paralympic athletes can be more deeply incorporated into the USATF governance structure.

On 25 November, she was sent a letter – seen by The Sports Examiner – from the USATF Board which referred to an Executive Session on 24 November:

“During this discussion, the athlete representatives on the Board spoke candidly about concerns they and other athletes have raised regarding the direction of the Athleteâ€s Commission (‘ACâ€) under your leadership as Chair.

“The Board received detailed reports of several significant concerns. These include, but are not limited to, allegations that you have not fulfilled the duties of your position by failing to work with the AC to ensure all athlete appointments are made to the organizationâ€s committees; that you have exceeded the authority of your position by making certain decisions and appointments without first obtaining the ACâ€s input; and that you have harassed and berated other athletes and National Office staff. The athlete representatives also reported that the AC has been unable to advance any of its initiatives over the past year due to the disruption caused by these behaviors. They expressed that, if such conduct continues, athlete engagement in the AC is likely to further decline. In light of these concerns, they requested that the Board take immediate action.

“Given the risk of substantial harm to USATF, including the AC, and after thorough deliberation, the Board moved, seconded, and voted to direct its CEO to take emergency action under USATF Regulation 21-T. Accordingly, your USATF membership is hereby temporarily suspended. Please note, pursuant to Regulation 21-T, you have the right to a hearing before the Board upon your written notice to the National Office within five (5) days of this communication.â€

A message sent from the eight USATF athlete members of the Board to the USATF Athlete Commission members on 26 November included:

“The concerns raised regarding Jeréâ€s conduct and leadership compelled us to act in what we believe is the best interests of both athletes and the broader organization.

“Over the past year, the relationship between the Athletes†Commission and USATF leadership has deteriorated. After much reflection, it became clear that the Chair’s approach and values no longer align with what athletes need for effective, collaborative representation in our sport.â€

Summers-Hall sent a four-page reply on 27 November, which opened with:

“After reviewing the governing documents and applicable federal law, the Boardâ€s emergency action appears to have been taken in violation of the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (the ‘Ted Stevens Actâ€), USOPC Bylaws, and USATFâ€s own Bylaws and Regulations.

“The cited allegations are not safety or integrity related. They lack specificity, evidence, or any indication of immediate risk. They reflect unsupported internal allegations that should have been addressed, if at all, through regular procedures, not emergency discipline aimed at silencing an athleteâ€s advocacy carried out in good faith and in the best interests of both athletes and USATF.â€

She noted the suspension “appears retaliatory†and requested revocation of her membership suspension and asked for future actions to comply with the Ted Stevens Act and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee requirements.

There was an “emergency meeting†online of the USATF athletes on 1 December, which Summers-Hall – now suspended – was invited to join and during which she explained her position. It eventually ended with the USATF Athletes Commission Board – a group separate from those athletes on the USATF Board of Directors – moving to a private discussion of next steps.

What appears true is that the USATF Board will not allow Summers-Hall to attend the General Meeting in Florida and she will remain suspended pending a Board hearing (where her request to be reinstated is unlikely to be reversed).

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Killough-Aliâ€s temporary suspension was also delivered in a 25 November letter and involve a defamation suit between former USATF staff member and former Board member Jim Estes and the federation, over his consulting role with Chattanooga, Tennessee as a bidder for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, eventually awarded to Orlando, Florida.

In short, Estes†suit has involved former USATF Board Chair Mike Conley, the 1992 Olympic menâ€s triple jump gold medalist and 1993 World Champion and Killough-Aliâ€s apparent discussions with Conley related to this matter. The 25 November letter included:

“After further consultation with outside counsel, the Board discussed the immediacy of discovery and the likelihood that your position will be adverse to USATF. As a result, the Board holds significant legal and ethical concerns regarding your continued involvement in USATF governance committees and other membership functions while Litigation remains pending.

“Although you offered to discuss the matter further with the Board, you did not take actions to resign from the Board and other committees, nor did you volunteer to suspend your USATF membership. Therefore, the Board remains concerned that your continued participation could be detrimental to USATF both with respect to the Litigation specifically and the organizationâ€s broader mission.

“Given the risk of substantial harm to USATF, and after careful deliberation and thoughtful discussion, the Board moved, seconded, and voted to direct its CEO to take emergency action under USATF Regulation 21-T. Accordingly, your USATF membership is hereby temporarily suspended until the Litigation has concluded. Please note, pursuant to Regulation 21-T, you have the right to a hearing before the Board upon your written notice to the National Office within five (5) days of this communication.â€

USATF President Curt Clausen, also an attorney, send Killough-Ali a prior letter on 20 November, which asked for her resignation and also included:

“At a minimum, it is likely you will be a critical witness in the Litigation – both with respect to USATFâ€s defense of Jim Estes†claims and with respect to USATFâ€s claims against Mr. Conley. We expect your positions may be adverse to USATFâ€s interests in the Litigation.â€

Killough-Ali replied to Clausen on 24 November, a day before the Board suspension letter arrived and noted, in part:

“1. The concerns reflected in your letter suggest that providing truthful information is inconsistent with loyalty to USATF, the organization. In fact, the opposite is true: honesty, transparency, and legal compliance are essential to fulfilling our fiduciary obligations.

“2. The letter conflates and confuses loyalty for our CEO & COO with loyalty to USATF. My fiduciary duty is owed exclusively to USATF, the organization – not to individual executives. Truthful testimony upholds that duty; suppressing it violates it.

“3. If legally required to testify, I will do so truthfully and in full alignment with my fiduciary duties owed to USATF.â€

She called the 20 November letter “the most serious instance of retaliation†and asked for independent legal counsel to help guide the federation through the legal minefield of the Estes case.

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Both Killough-Ali and Summers-Hall referred to a non-disclosure agreement that Killough-Ali stated in her reply was from “Attorneys representing the CEO and COOâ€; Estes†action against them was dismissed, but the complaint against USATF has been allowed to proceed to the discovery phase.

The non-disclosure agreement was provided to each of the USATF Board members and asked the signees to promise to “not use, disseminate or in any way disclose or otherwise convey any portion of the Confidential Information furnished to it or such other materials described in (1) above to any person.â€

The “Confidential Information†included a long list of items, such as financial data, transactions, business strategy, potential event locations and many others. Killough-Ali did not sign it and stated in her reply, “I have NOT breached my fiduciary duty,†and “I remain committed to acting in good faith and in the best interest of USATF, consistent with my fiduciary duties, and look forward to discussing this matter with the Board.â€

Summers-Hall also responded on the non-disclosure agreement, noting that the restrictions appeared to limit her ability to talk to Athlete Commission members about information they should know.

She also submitted the non-disclosure agreement to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, which, according to Summers-Hill, “the USOPC sent a letter to USATF leadership, now shared with the full [USATF] Board, stating that: [t]he concerns raised about the NDA are reasonable†and should be clarified and more limited.

Meanwhile, the Estes vs. USATF suit goes on and the drama will apparently continue.

All part of being a national federation which was one of six nominees for the World Athletics Member Federations Award for 2025, and won “bronze recognition for Best NGB or Organizing Body of the Year at the 2025 Sports Business Awards.â€

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World Athletics has scrapped controversial plans to introduce a take-off zone for the long jump rather than the traditional board because of widespread hostility from athletes, the Guardian can reveal.

Jon Ridgeon, World Athletics†chief executive, said that while the proposals had trialled well, “ultimately you do not want to go to war with your most important group of peopleâ€.

The idea of introducing a wide take-off zone was to reduce the number of foul jumps because athletes would no longer be required to try to hit a narrow board before jumping into the sand pit.

However, the Olympic long jump champion Miltiadis Tentoglou described the proposal as “dog shit†because it took much of the skill out of the event, while Carl Lewis called it an “April Foolâ€s jokeâ€.

“The reality is the athletes do not want to embrace it,†Ridgeon admitted. “So weâ€re not going to do it. You ultimately donâ€t go to war with your most important group of people, right?

“So even though I would argue we identified a problem, and found a viable solution, if the athletes donâ€t want it, fine, we drop it. But I donâ€t regret looking at that. I think thatâ€s our job as the governing body.â€

World Athletics trialled the idea earlier this year after research found that around a third of long jumps at championships were no jumps, and that reduced the interest of fans.

“Absolutely from the emotional reaction of the crowd, they lose energy with no jumps. So we said, ‘Can we solve that exam question?†And so we created the concept of a wider take-off zoneâ€. We trialled that solution, and it actually trialled well.â€

When it was tested at two events earlier this year, World Athletics found that the number of no jumps dropped to just 13% and spectators enjoyed the new format. However, most of the sportâ€s stars remained impeccably opposed. But Ridgeon insisted that World Athletics had no regrets for attempting to improve the event.

“In fact, I think we would be accused of being asleep at the wheel if we didnâ€t look for weaknesses,†he added. “The long jumpâ€s a really exciting and vibrant part of our sport. But I think itâ€s our job to push the boundaries and say, ‘look, can we make something thatâ€s already good even better?†Thatâ€s what we try to do.

“Where I was slightly frustrated is that everyone just jumped on that one thing, when we were looking at four or five things to improve and speed up the long jump.

“They include simple things like getting the officials to rake the pit quicker. Weâ€re also working with Seiko to create a concept called instant results. So when you land in a sandpit at the moment, it might take up to 20 seconds to get the result. Weâ€re working on less than five seconds.â€

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