PRRO Circuit Bonus Increases to $15,000 for 2013-2014 Season
New PRRO Season Begins at 2013 Boilermaker 15k on July 14th
Four runners—Mamitu Daska, Sammy Kitwara, Buzunesh Deba and
Belete Assefa—went into the AJC Peachtree Road Race last week with a chance to add the 2012-2013 season-ending $10,000 Professional Road Running Organization
(PRRO) Circuit Bonus to their winnings, but in the end no one captured the PRRO prize.
Mosinet Geremew of Ethiopia and Lineth Chepkurui of Kenya were victorious at the 44th Peachtree 10K with respective times of 28:07 and 32:09, while Belete Assefa came closest among the four eligible runners to capturing the Circuit Bonus, as he finished a scant two seconds behind Geremew in the men’s race. Results of the eligible runners were as follows: Men: Belete Assefa, ETH, 2nd, 28:09; Sammy Kitwara, KEN, 4th, 28:17. Women: Deba Buzunesh, ETH, 4th, 32:35; Mamitu Daska, ETH, 5th, 32:39.
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. Since no one took home the prize this year, the 2013-2014 Circuit Bonus increases to $15,000.
“With the stellar field Peachtree had this year, it’s not surprising that none of the four runners was able to capture the victory and the Bonus,” said PRRO President Don Kardong. “The good news is that the pot is sweetened for next year’s PRRO Championship, which kicks off this weekend at the Boilermaker.”
The Boilermaker, in Utica, NY is this coming Sunday, and will be the first chance for runners to become eligible to compete for the 2013-2014 PRRO Circuit Bonus. The male and female champions at the Boilermaker will both qualify to compete for the Bonus next summer at Peachtree.
The 2012-2013 PRRO Circuit included the Utica Boilermaker in Utica, New York on July 8, 2012; the World’s Best 10K in San Juan, Puerto Rico on February 24, 2013; the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile in Washington, DC on April 7, 2013; the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K in Spokane, WA on May 5, 2013; and the PRRO Championship at the AJC Peachtree Road Race on July 4.
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 final results from the 2012-2013 PRRO Circuit appears below, along with a list of the 2013-2014 Circuit events.
2013-2014 Events and Results (to date):
Boilermaker 15K,
July 8, 2012, Utica, NY.
Men’s winner: Tilahun Regassa, Ethiopia, 43:01. Women’s winner:
Mamitu Daska, Ethiopia, 49:26.
World’s Best 10K,
February 24, 2013, San
Juan, Puerto Rico. Men’s winner: Sammy Kitwara, Kenya, 28:42. Women’s
winner: Joyce Chepkirui, Kenya, 31:40.
Credit Union Cherry
Blossom Ten Mile,
April 7, 2013, Washington,
DC. Men’s winner Daniel Salel, Kenya, 46:06.
Women’s winner: Caroline Rotich, Kenya,
52:46.
Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K,
May 5, 2013, Spokane, WA. Men’s winner: Belete Assefa, Ethiopia, 34:21.
Women's winner: Buzunesh Deba, Ethiopia, 39:53.
The AJC Peachtree Road
Race (2012-2013 PRRO Championship),
July 4, 2013, Atlanta, GA.
Men’s winner: Mosinet Geremew, Ethiopia,
28:07. Women's winner:
Lineth Chepkurui, Kenya, 32:09.
2013-2014 PRRO Circuit Events:
Boilermaker 15K,
July 14, 2013, Utica,
NY. $57,000 in prize money with $7,000 for 1st.
Elite athlete contact: Dick Mattia, 315-732-1949.
World’s Best 10K,
February 23, 2014, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Over
$120,000 in prize money and bonuses. $15,000 for
1st.
Elite athlete contact: Rafael Acosta,
787-767-2000.
Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile,
April 6, 2014, Washington, DC. $45,000 in prize
money and bonuses. $8,000 for first.
Elite athlete
contact: Bill Orr, 863-533-0654 or
borr@cherryblossom.org.
Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K,
May 4, 2014, Spokane, WA. $81,000 in prize money.
$7,000 for 1st.
Elite athlete contact: Jon Neill,
jhneill@eahjlaw.com
The AJC Peachtree Road Race (2013-2014 PRRO
Championship),
July 4, 2014, Atlanta, GA. Over
$130,000 in prize money. $15,000 for 1st. $15,000 PRRO Circuit Bonus for eligible runners.
Elite
athlete contact: Elizabeth Unislawski, 404-231-9064
x11.
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