PRRO
Circuit Bonus Resets to $10,000 after Daska Victory
at AJC Peachtree Road Race
Daska Eligible to Compete Again for 2013 Bonus, Along
with Tilahun Regassa, After Boilermaker Wins
Mamitu Daska of Ethiopia won the PRRO Race of Champions and collected the
2011-2012 season-ending $10,000 PRRO Circuit Bonus at this year’s
AJC Peachtree Road Race 10K in Atlanta, GA on July 4. She then did a quick turnaround five days later to beat all other females at the
Utica Boilermaker 15K, thereby becoming eligible to compete for next year’s
Circuit Bonus. Daska was joined by Boilermaker men’s champion
Tilahun Regassa, also of Ethiopia, in becoming the first two athletes eligible to compete for the
2012-2013 PRRO Circuit Bonus.
Daska’s victory at Peachtree was a narrow one, as she edged Kenyans Lineth Chepkurui and Risper Gesawba by a mere second. She had a somewhat easier time at the Boilermaker, where she finished 18 seconds ahead of Gesabwa.
“Daska has been on a tear all season long, so her victory at Peachtree wasn’t a shock,” said PRRO President Don Kardong. “But it was certainly impressive to see her win again in tough competition only five days later in Utica.”
The only male runner in the Peachtree field eligible to compete for the Bonus,
Sammy Kitwara, who earned eligibility to compete for the Bonus with a win at the
World’s Best 10K last February, finished 8th at Peachtree. Ridouane Harroufi, who earned eligibility with a victory at the 2011 Utica Boilermaker, had to withdraw from the Peachtree field after being involved in an auto accident. Peachtree’s men’s champion, Peter Cheruiyot Kirui of Kenya, was not eligible since he did not qualify with a win at any of the 2011-2012 PRRO circuit events.
Under rules of the PRRO Circuit, an athlete who wins one of the first four PRRO Circuit events, and finishes first at the PRRO Championship at the AJC Peachtree Road Race, claims the PRRO Circuit Bonus. The Bonus is split if an eligible male and female both win the Championship at Peachtree. If no eligible athlete wins, then the Bonus grows by an additional $5,000 for the following season. With Daska’s win, the 2012-2013 Circuit Bonus resets to $10,000.
The 2011-2012 PRRO Circuit included the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY on July 10, 2011; the World’s Best 10K in San Juan, Puerto Rico on February 26, 2012; the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile in Washington, DC on April 1, 2012; the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K in Spokane, WA on May 6, 2012; and the PRRO Championship at the AJC Peachtree Road Race on July 4, 2012.
The PRRO Circuit offers world-class competition for athletes of all nations in events shorter 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 2011-2012 PRRO Circuit appears below, along with a list of the 2012-2013 Circuit events.
2011-2012 Events and Results
Utica Boilermaker 15K, July 10, 2012, Utica, NY. Men’s winner: Ridouane Harroufi, Morocco, 43:30. Women’s winner: Alice Timbilili, Kenya, 48:40.
World’s Best 10K, February 26, 2012, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Men’s winner: Sammy Kitwara, Kenya, 28:02. Women’s winner: Vivian Cheruiyot, Kenya, 30:47.
Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, April 1, 2012, Washington, DC.
Men’s winner: Allan Kiprono, Kenya, 45:15. Women’s winner: Jelliah Tinega, Kenya, 54:02.
Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 6, 2012, Spokane, WA.
Men’s winner: Allan Kiprono, Kenya, 34:29. Women's winner: Mamitu Daska, Ethiopia, 38:26.
The AJC Peachtree Road Race (2011-2012 PRRO Championship), July 4, 2012, Atlanta, GA.
Men’s winner: Peter Cheruiyot Kirui, Kenya, 27:37.
Women's winner: Mamitu Daska, Ethiopia, 32:22.
2012-2013 Events:
Boilermaker 15K, July 8, 2012 (next year July 14, 2013),
Utica, NY. $40,000 in prize money with $6,000
for 1st. Elite athlete contact: Dick Mattia,
315-732-1949. 2012 Men’s winner: Tilahun
Regassa, Ethiopia, 43:01. 2012 Women’s winner:
Mamitu Daska, Ethiopia, 49:26.
World’s Best 10K, February 24, 2013, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Over $120,000 in prize money and bonuses. $25,000
for 1st. Elite athlete contact: Rafael
Acosta, 787-767-2000.
Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile,
April 7, 2013, Washington, DC. $42,000 in prize
money and bonuses. $7,500 for first. Elite
athlete contact: Bill Orr, 863-533-0654.
Lilac Bloomsday 12K, May 5, 2013, Spokane, WA. $81,000 in prize
money. $7,000 for 1st. Elite athlete contact:
Jon Neill,
jhneill@eahjlaw.com
The AJC Peachtree Road Race (2012-2013 PRRO Championship),
July 4, 2013, Atlanta, GA. Over $113,000 in prize
money. $15,000 for 1st. $10,000 PRRO Circuit Bonus
for eligible runners. Elite athlete contact:
Elizabeth Unislawski, 404-231-9064 x11.
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