Lani Rutto, Mary Wacera-Ngugi and Cynthia Jerotich Vie for $10,000 PRRO Circuit Purse; Wacera-Ngugi and
Jerotich Eligible for "Bump-Up Bonuses" as Well at Boilermaker 15K on July 12
Three runners - one man and two women - head into Sunday's Boilermaker 15K in Utica, New York, with a chance to add $10,000 or more in Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO) Circuit Purse money in addition to the $7,000 awarded for race winners by the Boilermaker.
Lani Rutto became eligible for the $10,000 Circuit Purse by winning the Lilac Bloomsday Run on May 3,
Mary Wacera-Ngugi became eligible with her women's victory at last year's Boilermaker (she also won the women's race at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in April) and
Cynthia Jerotich became eligible by winning the women's division of the Lilac Bloomsday Run. Winners of PRRO Circuit events become eligible to compete for the PRRO Circuit Purse at Boilermaker, which is serving as the PRRO Circuit Championship for the second year.
In addition to first place prize money at Boilermaker and the PRRO Circuit purse, Wacera-Ngugi and Jerotich are both eligible for
"Bump-Up Bonuses" for finishing in the top three at other PRRO Circuit races. Wacera-Ngugi, whose victory plus PRRO bonuses at last year's Boilermaker earned her a hefty $27,000, could earn $22,000 with a win this year, as her victory in the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile on April 12th made her eligible for a Bump-Up Bonus of $5,000 in addition to Boilermaker and PRRO Circuit Purse money. A victory by Jerotich, meanwhile, would earn the Kenyan $26,000, with Bump-Up Bonuses totaling $9,000 thanks to her 3rd place finish at Boilermaker last year plus runner-up finishes at the World's Best 10K on March 1 and Credit Union Cherry Blossom on April 12th.
Under the rules of the 2014-2015 PRRO Circuit, an athlete who wins one of the first five PRRO Circuit events,
and finishes first at the PRRO Championship at the Boilermaker, can claim the PRRO Circuit Purse. The Purse reset to $10,000 this season after Mary Wacera won last year’s prize. The Purse is split if an eligible male and female both win the Championship at
Boilermaker. If no eligible athlete wins, then the Purse grows by an additional $5,000 for the following season.
"With the talented international field at Boilermaker, it won't be easy for Rutto, Wacera-Ngugi or Jerotich to prevail," says PRRO President Don Kardong.
"But their victories earlier in the PRRO season certainly show they're capable
of winning, and any one of the three could head home with a healthy paycheck."
The 2014-2015 PRRO Circuit included the Utica Boilermaker on July 13, 2014; the World's Best 10K in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 1, 2015; the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile in Washington, DC on April 12, 2015; the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K in Spokane, WA on May 3, 2015; the AJC Peachtree Road Race on July 4, 2015, and the upcoming PRRO Championship at the Boilermaker on July 12.
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 2014-2015 PRRO Circuit to date appears below.
2014-2015 Events and Results (to date):
Utica Boilermaker 15K,
July 13, 2014, Utica, NY.
Men's winner: Geoffrey Kenisi Bundi, Kenya, 44:18.
Women's winner: Mary Wacera-Ngugi, Kenya, 50:19.
http://www.boilermaker.com/
World's Best 10K,
March 1, 2015, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Men's winner: Sammy Kitwara, Kenya, 28:51.
Women's winner: Belaynesh Oljira, Ethiopia, 31:57.
http://www.wb10k.com/?noSplash=1&lang=
Credit Union Cherry
Blossom Ten Mile (9.39 Miles),
April 12, 2015, Washington, DC.
Men's winner: Stephen Sambu, Kenya, 43:20.
Women's winner: Mary Wacera-Ngugi, Kenya, 48:35.
https://www.cherryblossom.org/
Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K,
May 3, 2015, Spokane, WA.
Men's winner: Lani Rutto, Kenya, 34:22. Women's winner: Cynthia
Jerotich, Kenya, 39:27.
https://www.bloomsdayrun.org/
The AJC Peachtree Road Race,
July 4, 2015, Atlanta, GA.
Men's winner: Daniel Salel, Kenya, 28:43. Women's winner:
Shalane Flanagan, USA, 32:05.
http://www.peachtreeroadrace.org/
Utica Boilermaker 15K,
July 12, 2015, Utica,
NY. PRRO Circuit Championship.
http://www.boilermaker.com/
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