Shadrack Kipchirchir took the top honors at the USATF Cross Country Championships that was held on Sunday (9) at Mission Bay Park in San Diego.
The race took off with 13 men forming the lead back through the first two kilometer loop. As expected, the pace would soon pick up, as Sam Chelanga started to push the pace, with training mates Benard Keter and Leonard Korir on his shoulder. The shift in pace caused the men’s lead pack to quickly fall to seven runners.
Chelanga would throw in surges throughout the next five kilometers of the race; with 2019 champion Kipchirchir running off his shoulder throughout.
Little changed until there was one kilometer to go, as Keter was dropped off the pace, and it was a battle to the finish. Maggard and Chelanga took turns pushing the pace, with Kipchirchir and Korir just behind. The foursome kept rolling along, pushing the small undulations on the course.
With 100 meters to go, Kipchirchir and Dillon Maggard separated themselves just enough from Chelanga and Korir to make it a two-man race to the finish. Kipchirchir gave a kick of his lifetime to dash past Maggard and claim his second USATF Cross Country Championship title, with a time of 30:32.
“You know I’m glad to finally be at the start line,” Kipchirchir said in his USATF.tv interview. “I got injured right before the Olympic Trials. I was frustrated, but I held on to a lot of hopes that I was going to come back.” He also announced that he and his wife, Elvin Kibet, were expecting a child later this year.
Maggard, who placed fourth at the 2020 Championships, crossed the line in second in 30:34, with Chelanga closing the first three podium finishes in 30:34.
Korir and Keter came home in fourth and fifth place in 30:37 and 30:49 respectively.
LEADING RESULTS
10KM MEN
- Shadrack Kipchirchir 30:32
- Dillon Maggard 30:34
- Sam Chelanga 30:34
- Leonard Korir 30:37
- Benard Keter 30:49
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