Hall Leads Field Of Olympians at USA 10K Championships

Seven U.S. Olympians are in the July 4 Peachtree Road Race, which doubles as the national championship.

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Seven U.S. Olympians have been confirmed for the 45th edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Ga., which will host the USA 10K Championships on July 4. The Atlanta Track Club, which is organizing what is the America’s largest fully timed 10K, is offering a $100,000 prize purse, with $15,000 going to both the men’s and women’s winners.

Leading the men’s contest is two-time Olympian and half marathon American record holder Ryan Hall of Redding, Calif., who holds five national titles.

“A national championship is the place where every U.S. athlete wants to put it on the line,” Hall said in a statement. “I couldn’t be happier that the AJC Peachtree Road Race is hosting the USA 10K Championships, with the best American distance runners in the country going after a big prize on the Fourth of July. It’s perfect.”

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Four-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman of Tucson, Ariz., who owns 13 national titles, is also in the race. Other challengers for the podium are reigning U.S. 10-mile champion Christo Landry (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and Aaron Braun (Alamosa, Colo.), who won the inaugural .US National Road Racing Championships, a 12K race, last fall.

Three 2012 U.S. Olympians—Desiree Linden, Amy Hastings, and Julie Culley—lead the women’s field. Linden, of Washington, Mich., was the runner-up in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials marathon. Hastings, of Providence, R.I., won the 10,000m at those Trials, while Culley (Arlington, Va.) was victorious in the 5000m.

Athletes also hoping to contend for a top finish are three-time Olympian Jen Rhines (Boston), 2008 Olympic marathoner Blake Russell (Marina, Calif.), 2012 U.S. cross-country champion Sara Hall (Redding, Calif.), reigning U.S. half marathon champion Serena Burla (Stafford, Va.), two-time U.S. 5000m champion Lauren Fleshman (Bend, Ore.), and two-time U.S. 10,000m champion Katie McGregor (Savage, Minn.).

The Peachtree Road Race hosted the men’s and women’s national 10K championships last year, too, when Matt Tegenkamp and Janet Bawcom were crowned winners. However, this is the first year that the race is only offering prize money for Americans. Last year’s Peachtree also hosted international athletes and the national championships were held as races within the overall race.