New Record Set for Fastest 10K Ever Run on U.S. Soil

On Sunday, a new record was set at the 14th annual UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in New York City. Kenyan Rhonex Kipruto broke the tape at 27:08, marking the fastest ever 10K in the US on a record-eligible course. The 18-year-old’s time beat out the former record-holder Leonard Patrick Komon of Kenya who ran the event in 27:35 in 2011.

“Blows my mind thinking of someone running 27:08 for 10k in Central Park!” tweeted Hansons-Brooks runner Dathan Ritzenhein, former holder of the record in 2007. Along with his first place prize money ($10,000), Kipruto also added another $30,000 to his name thanks to the coveted Zayed Bonus. The money is awarded to the man or woman who claims first place at the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K with an event record time and is courtesy of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in honor of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan.

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Coming in 11 seconds behind Kipruto was Kenyan Mathew Kimeli who finished in 27:19 and Ethiopia’s Teshome Mekonen placing third with a time of 28:10. In the women’s elite division, Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba finished in 32:04. Her win comes just weeks after her first-place finish at the 2018 United Airlines NYC Half. Ethiopian Aselefech Mergia came in second in 32:06 and Kenyan Monicah Ngige claimed third place for the second consecutive year in 32:15.

This year’s 10k had a total of 7,474 runners complete the course which is part of NYRR’s Pro Racing Series made up of eight races from the mile to the marathon. Every year, the race raises awareness of kidney disease and organ donation in partnership with the National Kidney Foundation.

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