B.A.A. 10K Draws Top Talent to Boston
Second leg of B.A.A. Distance Medley Continues with 2nd Annual B.A.A. 10K, starting and finishing at Boston Common
Posted Wednesday, 6 June, 2012
BOSTON – The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today that some of the world’s best runners will travel to Boston to compete in the second annual B.A.A. 10K on Sunday, June 24. The race will start and finish on Charles Street between the Public Garden and historic Boston Common. A partial list of the elite athletes entered in the race is attached to this release.
This year, the B.A.A. 10K marks the second leg of the inaugural B.A.A. Distance Medley, a three-race series which combines the B.A.A. 5K on April 15, the B.A.A. 10K on June 24, and the B.A.A. Half Marathon on October 7 to crown a male and female series champion. Scoring for the B.A.A. Distance Medley is based on total elapsed time across all three races. For example, someone who runs 14:00 at the 5K, 29:00 at the 10K and 1:04:30 at the Half Marathon would end the series with a total time of 1:47:30. The male and female competitors with the fastest total time at the end of the series will each win $100,000. This aggregate scoring system is intended to maximize interest in the series among runners, the general public, and the media.
Among the B.A.A. Distance Medley entrants to compete at the B.A.A. 10K are 14-time NCAA All-American Sam Chelanga, recent Bolder Boulder 10K champion Allan Kiprono, and B.A.A. 5K third place finisher Lani Rutto. Ethiopia’s Ali Abdosh, as well as Massachusetts native Nate Jenkins, will join them on the starting line.
The B.A.A. Distance Medley continues with the B.A.A. 10K after a thrilling B.A.A. 5K, held on April 15. There, American Ben True set a new course record of 13:41, beating Sam Chelanga by a mere two seconds. Chelanga, the current B.A.A. Distance Medley time leader, finished fourth at last year’s B.A.A. 10K. Fellow B.A.A. 10K contenders Allan Kiprono and Lani Rutto also had strong showings at the B.A.A. 5K, finishing third and fifth respectively. Ali Abdosh, who was the 2011 B.A.A. Half Marathon champion, finished ninth in 13:59, while Andover, Mass.’s Jenkins took 15th in 14:32.
On the women’s side, 2011 B.A.A. 10K runner-up Kim Smith returns, as does Ethiopia’s Aheza Kiros, second at the B.A.A. 5K, and American Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, last year’s B.A.A. Half Marathon champion. Kenyan Jelliah Tinega and American Esther Erb, both of whom were top twelve finishers at the B.A.A. 5K, also are returning to Boston’s Back Bay.
In the women’s race at the B.A.A. 5K, Ethiopia’s Werknesh Kidane ran away with the title, establishing a new course record of 15:12. Behind, New Zealand’s Kim Smith and Ethiopia’s Aheza Kiros battled for second, the later gaining runner-up honors by five seconds. Janet Cherobon-Bawcom and Jelliah Tinega both finished in the top ten, recording times of 15:41 and 16:00, respectively. Esther Erb, a member of the North Carolina-based ZAP Fitness team, finished twelfth.
Several recent Boston Marathon champions and contenders will also be running this year’s B.A.A. 10K. The B.A.A. previously announced that Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai, the world’s fastest marathoner, will seek to defend his B.A.A. 10K against this talented field, of which includes 2012 Boston Marathon runner-up Levy Matebo, also of Kenya. Mutai won the 2011 Boston Marathon in 2:03:02, the fastest marathon ever run under any conditions. On the women’s side, 2012 Boston Marathon champion Sharon Cherop will challenge compatriot Caroline Kilel, the 2011 Boston Marathon champion and reigning B.A.A. 10K winner, for the women’s title.
The second annual B.A.A. 10K begins at 8:00 a.m. on Charles Street in Boston, as the top athletes compete for a prize purse of nearly $30,000. The 6.2-mile course is a scenic tour through Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. Starting on Charles Street, the race winds down picturesque Commonwealth Avenue and Bay State Road as far west as Babcock Street near Boston University, before heading back on Commonwealth Avenue, around the Public Garden, and finishing on Charles Street. Registration for the B.A.A. 10K remains open, but the field is limited to 6,000 entrants. To register, please visit www.baa.org/races/10k.
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial. The Boston Marathon is part of the World Marathon Majors along with the Virgin London Marathon, BMW Berlin Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and the ING New York City Marathon.
