2008-2009 PRRO Championship starts at the Utica Boilermaker 15K
New Season Begins at 2008 Boilermaker 15k on July 13

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Posted Wednesday, 2 July, 2008

In a little more than a week, top road racers will converge on Utica, New York for the 31st annual Utica Boilermaker 15K, and two of those racers—one male, one female—will reach the finish with a head start on earning the $35,000 bonus offered in the 2008-2009 Professional Road Running Organization Circuit (PRRO Circuit). The Boilermaker, scheduled for July 13, is the inaugural event of the 2008-2009 PRRO Circuit, and the first chance for athletes to begin chasing the PRRO Circuit Bonus, which has grown to $35,000 for the new season.

“The male and female champions at Boilermaker will be first out of the blocks in chasing the PRRO Circuit Purse,” says PRRO President Don Kardong. “After Boilermaker, they just need to win one other PRRO Circuit event to be eligible to contest for the bonus at the 2009 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race.”

To be eligible for the bonus, an athlete must win two of the four qualifying PRRO events, which include the 2008 Boilermaker on July 13, 2008; the 2009 World’s Best 10K in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 1, 2009; the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile in Washington, DC on April 5, 2009; and the 2009 Lilac Bloomsday 12K in Spokane, WA on May 3, 2009; plus the PRRO Championship at the 2009 AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, GA on July 4, 2009. The bonus is paid out in addition to the prize money at the individual events. The bonus is split if an eligible male and female both win the Championship at Peachtree.

Only Lineth Chepkurui won at least two of the four PRRO events during the 2007-2008 season, but the Kenyan star is nursing a sore hamstring and won’t be able to compete at this year’s AJC Peachtree Road Race. This sets the stage for the PRRO Circuit Bonus to grow to $35,000 for 2008-2009. The bonus increases by $5,000 each year it is unclaimed.

Tracey Russell, Director of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race, added, “We hope we will have one if not two athletes vying for the $35,000 Circuit Bonus at Peachtree in 2009. This would create a very exciting finale to the 2008-2009 PRRO Championship Season.”

Boilermaker race director Jim Stasaitis is equally enthusiastic. “We’re proud to be the inaugural event of each PRRO Championship Circuit season,” he says. “And we hope athletes take advantage of the opportunity to get a leg up on other runners in earning the $35,000 bonus.”

The PRRO Circuit offers world-class competition for athletes of all nations in events at less than the marathon distance. The circuit has shown its commitment to a drug-free sport by funding mandatory drug testing for elite athletes at all the PRRO Circuit events. The testing is carried out by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

A summary of results from the 2007-2008 PRRO Circuit to date and contacts for the 2008-2009 series appear below.

2007-2008 Events and Results (to date):

Boilermaker 15K, July 8, 2007, Utica, NY. Men’s winner: Nicholas Kamakya, Kenya, 43:51. Women’s winner: Lidia Simon, Romania, 49:23

World’s Best 10K, Feb. 24, 2008, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Men’s winner: Deriba Merga, Ethiopia, 28:03. Women’s winner: Lornah Kiplagat, Netherlands, 31:02

Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, April 6, 2008, Washington, DC. Men’s winner: Riduoane Harroufi, Morocco, 46:14. Women’s winner: Lineth Chepkurui, Kenya, 54:21.

Lilac Bloomsday 12K, May 4, 2008, Spokane, WA. Men’s winner: Micah Kogo, Kenya, 33:51. Women's winner: Lineth Chepkurui, Kenya, 39:47.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race (2007-2008 PRRO Championship), July 4, 2008, Atlanta, GA.

2008-2009 Events:

Boilermaker 15K, July 13, 2008, Utica, NY. $45,500 in prize money with $6,000 for 1st. Elite athlete contact: Dick Mattia, 315-732-1949

World’s Best 10K, March 1, 2009, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Over $600,000 in prize money and bonuses. $25,000 for 1st. Elite athlete contact: Rafael Acosta, 787-767-2000.

Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, April 5, 2009, Washington, DC. $35,000 in prize money and bonuses. $6,000 for first. Elite athlete contact: Bill Orr, 863-533-0654.

Lilac Bloomsday 12K, May 3, 2009, Spokane, WA. Over $50,000 in prize money. $7,000 for 1st. Elite athlete contact: Jon Neill, 509-747-0101

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race (2008-2009 PRRO Championship), July 4, 2009, Atlanta, GA. Over $80,000 in prize money. $15,000 for 1st. $35,000 PRRO Circuit Bonus for eligible runners. Elite athlete contact: Elizabeth Unislawski, 404-231-9064 x11.

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