UTICA, NY /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – On Sunday morning, July 14, under warm, sunny conditions, John Korir and Grace Loibach Nawowuna won their respective races at the 47th Boilermaker 15K presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, the first stop on the PRRO Circuit 2024-25. The winners of the sold-out summertime classic also secured spots to compete for the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 28th PRRO Championship hosted by Boilermaker in July 2025.
In the men’s race, Korir, a 27-year-old from Kenya, battled two-time defending race champion Jemal Yimer from Ethiopia before Korir, the 2023 race runner-up, pulled away from the 2018 & 2022 PRRO champion, breaking the tape in 42 minutes, 11 seconds and denying Yimer’s goal of becoming the first man to three-peat at Boilermaker. Yimer, who clocked course and U.S. All-Comers records last year in 42:06, followed 8 seconds later in 42:19.
The women’s race was hotly contested with Nawowuna, 20, declared the winner over fellow Kenyan Emmaculate Anyango Achol, in a blanket finish, both timed in 49:18. Defending champion Jesca Chelangat, who last year set the course record of 47:33, finished 5th in 49:39.
“At the PRRO Circuit season-opener, the Boilermaker Road Race produced some exciting world class racing, particularly the down-to-the-wire women’s race,” said Don Kardong, Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO) Circuit President. “Congratulations to John Korir and Grace Loibach Nawowuna for earning spots to contest the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus at next year’s race.”
At the 2024 Boilermaker, a $65,100 overall prize purse with $14,500 U.S.-only money was awarded, and each Open race champion took home $7000.
Overall, on Sunday, there were 7,967 finishers in the 15K and 3,663 5K finishers as well as 1,700-plus in the Walk and Kids Run on Saturday, July 13.
Complete race results HERE.
The next PRRO Circuit stop will be at the 50th Quad-City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, IA on Saturday, July 27.
The PRRO Circuit showcases world class competition at four of America’s Classic Road Races
, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, DC, the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K in Spokane, WA, the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY and the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, IA, and the 2024-25 PRRO Circuit offers more than $340,000 in guaranteed prize money overall with $97,600 for U.S. athletes. The PRRO Circuit, a nationwide series of premier non-marathon road racing events, is organized and promoted by the Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO), an alliance of race directors.
THE PRRO CIRCUIT 2024-25 SCHEDULE
Boilermaker 15K, July 14, 2024, Utica, NY
$65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money)
WINNERS: John Korir*, Kenya, 42:11 and Grace Loibach Nawowuna*, Kenya, 49:18
50th Quad-City Times Bix 7, July 27, 2024, Davenport, IA
$50,000 in prize money
Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, April 6, 2025, Washington, DC
$80,600 in prize money ($48,600 U.S. prize money) plus performance bonuses
Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 4, 2025, Spokane, WA
$81,000 in prize money ($20,000 U.S. prize money)
THE 28th PRRO CHAMPIONSHIP
Boilermaker 15K, July 13, 2025, Utica, NY
$65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money) as well as:
- $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus to eligible male or female (split if both eligible male and female win)
- $2500 to male and female non-eligible PRRO champions
- $1500 to eligible males and females finishing in places 2-10
*Qualified to compete for the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2025 PRRO Championship.
Reigning PRRO champions Tebello Ramakongoana and Sarah Naibei, who won the 2024 PRRO Championship at the Lilac Bloomsday 12K on May 5, were the first two athletes to earn a chance to compete for the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus. They will be joined by all the athletes who win one of the 2024-25 Circuit events listed above. Those qualified runners are also eligible for the PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus ($1500 cumulative for eligible athletes who do not win the PRRO Championship but do finish in places 2-10 at the PRRO Championship). Any athlete who wins the PRRO Super Bonus is not eligible for the PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus.
If the male and female winners of next summer’s PRRO Championship at Boilermaker have not won any of the events on the current Circuit, they will be awarded $2500 each as the PRRO Championship winners in addition to the prize money at the PRRO Championship event.
To-date, PRRO Circuit events have produced 17 world and 19 U.S. road records, awarded more than $8.5 million in prize money and seen more than 2.7 million runners cross their finish lines. In addition, since 1996, the PRRO Championship race has paid out more than $2.2 million including $188,500 in PRRO Championship bonus money.
PRRO Championship and Circuit Year
The PRRO Circuit, launched in 1995, starts and finishes the Circuit Year at the same event that will also host the season-ending PRRO Championship race. The reigning titlists of the PRRO Championship and the event winners on the current Circuit are eligible to compete for the PRRO Super Bonus at the PRRO Championship.
Visit PRRO.org for more information, including its history and past champions, as well as how to join the PRRO Circuit.
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