Historically Fast Fields Set for 54th Running of AJC Peachtree Road Race | Sports Destination Management

Historically Fast Fields Set for 54th Running of AJC Peachtree Road Race

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Jun 29, 2023

The 54th Running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race features the deepest women’s field in the storied history of the iconic 10K. It includes five women who have personal bests faster than the course record of 30:22 – one of the fastest ever recorded on U.S. soil.

As previously announced, the race will welcome back defending champion Senbere Teferi who hopes to become the first back-to-back Peachtree champion since 2010, as well as Joyciline Jepkosgei, past winner of both the TCS London Marathon and TCS NYC Marathon and the third-fastest 10K runner in history. Sheila Chepkirui, the fourth-fastest in history, remains one of the pre-race favorites.

They will be challenged by Jesca Chelangat of Kenya, who is 11th all-time after running 30:01 in Valencia this winter. At 25, she is the youngest of the top competitors and will run Peachtree for the first time. Fellow Kenyan Vicoty Chepngeno, winner of the Houston and Philadelphia Half Marathons with a 10K best of 30:14 will likely be a factor in the race as well.

The Peachtree will feature the 10K return of three-time Olympic gold medalist Tirunesh Dibaba. The 38-year-old Ethiopian legend last raced the distance in 2018 prior to stepping away from competition for five years during which she gave birth to the two youngest of her three children.

Sharon Lokedi, who was previously announced, has withdrawn with an injury.

Annie Frisbie returns to defend her title as top American, while 2021 Peachtree runner-up Emily Durgin and Roswell, Georgia, native Emma Grace Hurley will also contend for top U.S. honors. 

Course record-holder Susannah Scaroni leads the women’s field of the Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division. Scaroni, winner of the most recent Chicago, New York and Boston marathons, will look to better her 2022 course-record winning time of 21:14. She’ll face Jenna Fesemyer, who won last weekend’s Grandma’s Marathon in Minnesota, and Paralympian Yen Hoang

The men’s footrace field features eight men who have run under 27:30 on the road for 10K. That includes Tadesse Worku of Ethiopia who has run 26:56, five seconds faster than the Peachtree course record of 27:01. Also coming in with fast times, Charles Langat of Kenya who ran 26:57 in Valencia in January as well as last year’s third-place finisher, Jemal Yimer, and 2023 Publix Atlanta Half Marathon winner Tsegay Kidanu, both of Ethiopia. 

But none of those men has experienced winning the Peachtree. Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay was just 19 when he broke the tape in 2016. Now, 26 and the runner up at this year’s Boston Marathon, he returns to Atlanta as one of the race favorites. Geay comes into the race having won the B.A.A. 10K in Boston just this past weekend.

Elkanah Kibet leads the American field and hopes to continue the tradition of strong performances by members of the U.S. Army team at Peachtree. Other top Americans include Ben Blankenship, a 1500-meter Olympian in 2016 now transitioning to longer distances, and World Cross Country qualifier Andrew Colley.

Daniel Romanchuk will seek his sixth Peachtree title in the Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division. The course record-holder will face two-time Peachtree champion Josh Cassidy and last weekend’s Grandma’s Marathon winner, Aaron Pike.

The 54th Running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race will be held Tuesday, July 4, in Atlanta,Georgia. 50,000 runners and walkers will make their way from Lenox Square to Piedmont Park in what has become known as the world’s largest 10K. The event will be shown live on Atlanta Track Club’s YouTube and Facebook pages as well as locally on WXIA-11Alive with Carrie Tollefson, Lewis Johnson and Amanda McGrory leading the broadcast team.

Women’s Open Division

 

Joyciline

Jepkosgei

29:43

KEN

Sheila

Chepkirui

29:46

KEN

Jesca

Chelangat

30:01

KEN

Senbere

Teferi

30:12

ETH

Vicoty

Chepngeno

30:14

KEN

Hailyu Fotyen

Tesfay

30:26

ETH

Tirunesh

Dibaba

30:30

ETH

Dorcas Jepchirchir

Tuitoek

30:44

KEN

    

Viola

Cheptoo

30:55

KEN

Viola

Chepngeno

31:19

KEN

Tadu

Teshome

31:28

ETH

    

Stacey Chepkemboi

Ndiwa

31:35

KEN

Emily

Durgin

31:35

USA

Cynthia Jerotich

Limo

31:27

KEN

Selam Fente

Gebre

32:17

ETH

Veronicah

Wanjiru

31:55

KEY

Annie

Frisbie

31:55

USA

Dom

Scott

31:59

RSA

Ftaw

Zeray

32:07

ETH

Emma Grace

Hurley

32:32

USA

Tristan

Van Ord

32:34

USA

Olivia

Pratt

32:38

USA

Yeshi Kalayu

Chekole

32:47

ETH

Anne Marie

Blaney

32:57

USA

Susanna

Sullivan

33:01

USA

Vibian

Chepkurui

33:56

KEN

Sophia

King

34:35

USA

Bridget

Lyons-Belyeu

34:16

USA

Joanna

Stephens

36:21

USA


Women’s Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division

 

Susannah 

Scaroni 

21:14

USA

Jenna 

Fesemyer

24:50

USA

Yen 

Hoang

24:53

USA

Hannah

Dedrick 

25:30

USA

Ivonne 

Reyes

20:12

MEX

Michelle

Wheeler

26:12

USA

Chelsea

Stein 

24:32

USA

Hannah

Babaloa

24:55

USA

Aerelle

Jones

30:55

USA

Emelia

Perry 

28:18

USA

Camryn 

Ledford

24:37

USA

Emily 

Shryock 

24:51

USA

Eva

Houston 

30:00

USA


Men’s Open Division

Tadesse

Worku

26:56

ETH

Charles

Langat

26:57

KEN

Tsegay

Kidanu

27:14

ETH

Kiprono

Sitonik

27:14

KEN

Philemon

Kiplimo

27:23

KEN

Hillary

Kipkoech

27:23

KEN

Nibret Melak

Bogale

27:24

ETH

Isaac

Kipkemboi

27:29

KEN

Jemal

Yimer

27:50

ETH

Mogos

Tuemay

27:50

ETH

Reid

Buchanan

27:52

USA

Gabriel

Geay

27:58

TAN

Sikiyas

Misganaw

28:01

ETH

Rory

Linkletter

28:06

CAN

Andrew

Colley

28:45

USA

Daniel

Chaves

28:46

BRA

Michael

Somers

28:52

BEL

Elkanah

Kibet

28:57

USA

Rob

Mullett

29:20

GB&NI

Craig

Lautenslager

29:26

NZL

Charlie

Smogoleski

30:07

USA

Ben

Blankenship

30:11

USA

Zacchaeus

Widner

30:51

USA

Edwin

Kurgat

DEBUT

KEN


Men’s Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division

 

Daniel 

Romanchuk 

18:11

USA

Aaron 

Pike 

18:00

USA

Raphael 

Botello Jimenez

20:10

ESP

Josh 

Cassidy

18:52

CAN

Herman

Garic

20:51

USA

Luis

Francisco

20:19

COL

Evan 

Correll 

22:26

USA

Brian

Siemann

20:00

USA

James

Senbeta

20:05

USA

Valera “Jacob”

Allen 

20:58

USA

Alfonso

Zaragoza Solorio

21:04

MEX

Dustin 

Stallberg

21:43

USA

Peyton 

Gunnarson

21:50

USA

Jason 

Robinson

23:08

USA

Phillip 

Kroft

24:00

USA

Jose

Pulido 

24:22

USA

Juan Pablo

Cervantes

22:00

MEX

Aiden

Gravelle

20:54

USA

Wyatt Bruce

Willand

20:53

USA

Miguel 

Jimenez Vergara

21:48

USA

Laurens 

Molina

22:19

CR

Juan Ramon

Vallado

23:00

VEN

Sairo Moises

Fernandez

24:00

COL

Brad 

Smith 

27:05

USA

Colby 

Higgins

22:05

USA

Dan 

Berschinski 

37:00

USA

Darius 

Barrow

39:53

USA

Natan

Morales Vela’zquez

39:34

MEX

Dwain 

Farley

45:00

USA

 
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