A delay in the start of the USATF 10K Championships must have created tension as Hillary Bor and Emily Sisson sprung from the startline. The two then dropped their respective fields on Saturday morning in Jacksonville, FLA for the wins.

The race is hosted by the Gate River Run, which is the third race of the 2023 USATF Running Circuit.

How it played out

Bor and Teshome Mekonen led the pack, through the early stages. At approximately four miles or seven kilometres, Bor and Mekonen pushed the effort to create a gap on the field. At 10K, they passed in 28:42, which was half a minute up on the chase pack.  

Bor and Mekonen traded leads. At 11K Bor gapped Mekonen when he established a pace that Mekonen could not respond to. Bor led the rest of the way clocking a 43:11 performance for the win.

Meanwhile, the chase pack worked together to catch Mekonen with a mile to go, they caught and passed him. Then Brian Shrader and Korir ran neck and neck until the Hart Bridge, which marks one mile to go, where Korir dropped the pace to take second.

Korir took second at this event for the second time. He recorded a 43:51 performance, while Shrader took third in 43:59. Reid Buchanan finished fourth in 44:07, just ahead of Jacob Thomson, who finished fifth in 44:11.

Some of the competitors were coming off the USATF Half Marathon Championships that took place on February 26 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Thompson won the event in the time of 62:38. Korir took second one second back. Shrader was fifth in the time of 62:43. Perhaps the finish order would be very different in the 15K, if some of the athletes did not race the half marathon.

The women’s race

Emily Sisson took off on the field and she ran alone for the entire race. She built a 15-second gap over second place Emma Grace Hurley by 5K. Hurley tried to make it a race, but the race for first was over early.

Sisson was relentless in her pursiot of the title continuing to gap the field as the kms passed by.

Hillary Bor and Emily Sisson winners of the 2023 USATF 15K Championships. Photo credit: Chris Nickinson from https://twitter.com/chrisnickinson

Sisson, who will be racing the London Marathon in April was demonstrated great fitness in the run. She crossed the finish line in 48:26. It was her third straight USATF 15K title.

Back in the rest of the race, Hurley built up a big lead by 5K and like Sisson raced on with her second place position not in doubt. Hurley finished in the time of 50:04.

Jessa Hanson, who raced the USATF Half Marathon Championships started with discipline and slowly crept through the pack and eventually to finish in third place. She made her break from the field just past the four-mile mark and continued to the finish, crossing the line in 51:15.

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