Limo also earns $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus; PRRO Championship $21,500 bonus money awarded; EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler opens PRRO Circuit 2016-17 season on Sunday, November 6
UTICA, NY - (July 10, 2016) - On Sunday morning under overcast skies, the 39th Boilermaker Road Race hosted the 21st PRRO Championship, and Teshome Mekonen of Ethiopia and Cynthia Limo of Kenya were the men's and women's 2015-16 PRRO Champions, covering the 9.3 mile course in 43 minutes, 58 seconds and 48:50, respectively, and each pocketed $7000 as race winners. Overall, Boilermaker awarded $57,100 in Open, American and Masters (40 & older) prize money.
Limo, 26, runner-up last year at Boilermaker, also earned the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus because she won one of the five Circuit events (Lilac Bloomsday 12K), while Mekonen, 20, took home the $2500 PRRO Champion bonus because he did not win any 2015-16 PRRO Circuit event.
The defending Boilermaker 15K and PRRO Championship titlists Eliud Ngetich and Mary Wacera of Kenya finished tenth (45:04) and third (49:54), respectively. Overall, the summer road race classic had more than 11,300 finishers in the 15K and 4,000-plus in the 5K. Find complete race results and award winners at: Bolilermaker.com.
"This year's PRRO Championship presented by Boilermaker had one of the most competitive fields of any PRRO Championship. Our current bonus structure seems to be working to encourage world class road racers to compete at the Championship," said Don Kardong, PRRO Circuit President.
The PRRO Circuit also paid out $9000 in PRRO Event Champion's Bonus money for PRRO Circuit 2015-16 event winners - see Circuit summary further below - who also placed in the top 10 at Boilermaker 2016. The following runners received those cumulative bonuses:
$1500 bonus (one Circuit win before Boilermaker)
- Veronicah Nyaruai Wanjiru, Kenya, 2nd female in 49:25
- Philip Langat, Kenya, 4th male in 44:23
- Buze Diriba, Ethiopia, 6th female in 51:02
- Eliud Ngetich, Kenya, 10th male in 45:04
$3000 bonus (two Circuit wins before Boilermaker)
- Mary Wacera, Kenya, 3rd female in 49:54
PRRO Circuit 2015-16 Wrap-Up
Boilermaker 15K: The PRRO Championship, July 12, 2015, Utica, NY
Eliud Ngetich, Kenya, 43:31
Mary Wacera, Kenya, 48.49
EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler, Oct. 25, 2015, Pittsburgh, PA
Tyler Pennel, USA, 46:50, course record
Buze Diriba, Ethiopia, 52:55, course record
World's Best 10K, Feb. 28, 2016, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Bedan Karoki, Kenya, 27:42
Mary Wacera, Kenya, 31:49
Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, April 3, 2016, Washington, DC
Sam Chelanga, USA, 48:26
Veronicah Nyaruai Wanjiru, Kenya, 53:12
40th Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 1, 2016, Spokane, WA
Philip Langat, Kenya, 34:26
Cynthia Limo, Kenya, 38:03 (course record)
The PRRO Championship presented by Boilermaker 15K, July 10, 2016, Utica, NY
Teshome Mekonen, Ethiopia, 43:58
Cynthia Limo, Kenya, 48.50
The PRRO Circuit showcases world-class competition at 5 prestigious road race events shorter than the marathon distance, with $400,000 in prize money and bonuses.
To-date, PRRO Circuit events have produced 18 world and 17 U.S. road records, awarded more than $6.9 million in prize money and seen more than 2.3 million runners cross their finish lines. In addition, since 1996, the PRRO Championship race has paid out more than $1.7 million, including $121,500 in PRRO Championship bonus money.
The PRRO Circuit, a long-time pioneer and champion of a clean sport, has funded drug testing at its events since 2006. During the 2014-15 season, USADA conducted more than 50 in-competition tests and an undisclosed number of pre-competition tests.
Don Kardong, 1976 Olympic marathoner and Lilac Bloomsday race director, is the current PRRO Circuit President.
PRRO Championship and Circuit Year
The PRRO Circuit rotates among the five PRRO Circuit races with the Circuit Year starting and finishing at the same event. The event will serve as a PRRO Championship qualifier the first time it is held and will also host the PRRO Circuit Championship the second time it is held.
The 2016-17 PRRO Circuit will begin with the EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler on Sunday, November 6, 2016 and will conclude with the PRRO Championship presented by the EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler on October 29, 2017.
Visit PRRO.org for more information, including how to join the PRRO Circuit.
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