Boston Marathon champions Meb Keflezighi and Buzunesh Deba will join B.A.A. 10K winners Daniel Chebii and Mary Wacera for June 25 race.
BOSTON - The 2017 B.A.A. 10K, presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will feature one of the strongest fields in race history, bringing together Boston Marathon champions, Olympians, and global medalists on the roads of Boston. The seventh annual race will be held on Sunday, June 25, starting and finishing on Charles Street adjacent to Boston Common. Racing on one of the fastest courses in the world, the event will showcase Boston’s Back Bay and Beacon Hill neighborhoods.
Following a memorable run to complete his Boston Marathon career, 2014 champion Meb Keflezighi will return to Boston aiming to become the first American male winner in B.A.A. 10K race history. Keflezighi has inspired the region with his determination and sportsmanship, and was presented the Patriots’ Award by the B.A.A. this past April for his philanthropy.
Keflezighi isn’t the only Boston Marathon champion entered, as course record holder and 2014 winner Buzunesh Deba will vie for the women’s title. Deba is coming off a seventh place finish at this year’s Boston Marathon, and will look to use her speed through Back Bay aiming for the $10,000 first-place prize.
Looking to repeat as champion of the B.A.A. 10K is Daniel Chebii from Kenya. Chebii cruised to a 27:55 win at last year’s B.A.A. 10K, defeating the field by seven seconds. Also returning are 2015 champions Mary Wacera and Daniel Salel, as well as two-time champion Stephen Sambu (2013, 2014). Not to be forgotten is Buze Diriba, the reigning B.A.A. 5K champion who ran 14:54 to win in April; Diriba’s time remains the fastest 5K in the world this year.
Dathan Ritzenhein, who finished fourth in his B.A.A. 10K debut last year, returns as well. He’s on a winning streak on the roads, winning both the USA 25K Championships and the Great Manchester Run 10K last month. Olympians Cam Levins (Canada), Dominique Scott (South Africa), and Betsy Saina (Kenya) will bring an international flair to the field, all with strong racing credentials. Saina was runner-up at the 2014 B.A.A. 10K.
Sporting the B.A.A.’s traditional adidas unicorn racing uniform will be Katie Matthews, Katie Kellner, and Margo Malone.
Four-time B.A.A. 10K wheelchair champion Tony Nogueira, as well as reigning women’s winner Carla Trodella will race for the push-rim wheelchair title.
Both the men’s and women’s champions of the B.A.A. 10K, presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, receive a $10,000 (USD) award. A total prize purse of $48,500 (USD) will be distributed to the top ten men and women overall, the top three in the masters division, and the top three in the push rim wheelchair division. A bonus of $7,500 will be awarded for a men’s or women’s event record in the open division. The men’s event record of 27:19 was set at the inaugural edition of the B.A.A. 10K in 2011, while the women’s event record stands at 30:52, set last year by Shalane Flanagan. Flanagan’s time is also an American record.
The B.A.A. 10K, presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, begins on Sunday, June 25, at 8:00 a.m. EDT on Charles Street between Boston Common and the Public Garden. The 6.2-mile course is a flat, fast tour through Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. Following the start on Charles Street, the race turns onto Boylston Street and Arlington Street, then winds down picturesque Commonwealth Avenue and Bay State Road as far west as Babcock Street near Boston University. Participants then head back on Commonwealth Avenue, under the iconic Boston Strong sign, around the Public Garden, and finish on Charles Street. Race registration remains open. For more information on the B.A.A. 10K, please visit www.baa.org.
ELITE ATHLETE FIELD (as of June 14, 2017)
Women's Field
| NAME | AGE | COUNTRY | PERSONAL BEST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Wacera | 28 | KEN | 31:28 (Montereau, 2012) |
| Buze Diriba | 23 | ETH | 31:57 (New Orleans, 2016) |
| Diane Nukuri | 32 | BDI | 31:49 (Manchester, 2016) |
| Dominique Scott | 24 | RSA/AR | 34:28 (Belville, 2010) |
| Buzunesh Deba | 29 | ETH/NY | 32:10 (Atlanta, 2010) |
| Joan Chelimo | 28 | KEN | 32:20 (Taroudant, 2013) |
| Betsy Saina | 28 | KEN/OR | 30:46 (Tilburg, 2014) |
| Elvin Kibet | 27 | KEN/CO | 32:45 (Charleston, SC, 2017) |
| Monicah Ngige | 23 | KEN | 31:55 (New York, 2017) |
| Sheila Chepngetich | 21 | KEN | N/A |
| Amy van Alstine | 29 | USA/NJ | 32:51 (Tufts 10K, Boston, 2013) |
| Katie Matthews | 26 | USA/MA | 32:23 (Tufts 10K, Boston, 2014) |
| Katie Kellner | 25 | USA/MA | 33:05 (Atlanta, 2014) |
| Margo Malone | 23 | USA/MA | 35:46 (Tufts 10K, Boston, 2016) |
| Marci Klimek | 29 | USA/MA | 34:22 (Tufts 10K, Boston, 2016 |
Men's Field
| NAME | AGE | COUNTRY | PERSONAL BEST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Chebii | 32 | KEN | 27:35 (Prague, 2013) |
| Stephen Sambu | 28 | KEN/AZ | 27:25 (B.A.A. 10K, 2014) |
| Daniel Salel | 26 | KEN | 27:41 (B.A.A. 10K, 2014) |
| Dathan Ritzenhein | 34 | USA/MI | 28:06 (Manchester, GBR, 2017) |
| Cam Levins | 28 | CAN/OR | N/A (27:07.51 on track) |
| Teshome Mekonen | 21 | ETH | 27:50 (Prague, 2015) |
| Tsegay Tuemay | 21 | ERI | 28:13 (Paderborn, 2013) |
| Barnabas Kosgei | 30 | KEN | 28:33 (Brunssum, 2007) |
| Edwin Rotich | 29 | KEN | 27:45 (Santos, 2013) |
| Meb Keflezighi | 42 | USA/CA | 27:58 (Cape Elizabeth, ME, 2007) |
| Shadrack Biwott | 32 | USA/CA | 28:35 (Atlanta, 2013) |
| Tim Ritchie | 29 | USA/CT | 29:28 (Holyoke, MA, 2011) |
| Parker Stinson | 25 | USA/CO | 29:24 (B.A.A. 10K, 2015) |
| Andrew Bumbalough | 30 | USA/OR | N/A (27:56.78 on the track) |
| Eliud Ngetich | 24 | KEN | 28:50 (Mobile, 2016) |
| Will Geiken | 24 | USA/CA | 30:27 (Kentfield, CA, 2017) |
| Stephen Scullion | 28 | IRL | 29:23 (Bristol, 2011) |
PRIZE MONEY
A total of $48,500 (USD) in prize money will be awarded equally to men and women based on the time from the starting gun (not by net time). Masters division (40 and older) runners will be eligible for both overall prize money awards and Masters Division prize money awards.
| PLACE | OPEN | MASTERS | PUSH RIM WHEELCHAIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | $10,000 | $300 | $500 |
| 2nd | $5,000 | $200 | $300 |
| 3rd | $3,000 | $100 | $200 |
| 4th | $1,500 | ||
| 5th | $1,000 | ||
| 6th | $750 | ||
| 7th | $500 | ||
| 8th | $400 | ||
| 9t | $300 | ||
| 10th | $200 |
BONUS STRUCTURE FOR 2017
Bonuses for event record times established at B.A.A. Distance Medley events will be $5,000 for the B.A.A. 5K, $7,500 for the B.A.A. 10K, and $10,000 for the B.A.A. Half Marathon. Boston Marathon event record bonuses continue to be provided through John Hancock’s sponsorship of the Boston Marathon. In addition, a runner who wins three of those four events in 2017 will be awarded $50,000. Only the single highest bonus will be awarded to a runner.
BONUS INCENTIVES FOR TOP OVERALL FINISHES IN 2017 B.A.A. EVENTS*
- Win three of the four events $50,000
- Win two of the four events $20,000
- Place among the top two in three of the four events $10,000
- Place among the top three in three of the four events $5,000
* Includes the Boston Marathon
EVENT RECORD BONUSES
B.A.A. 5K: $5,000
B.A.A. 10K: $7,500
B.A.A. HALF MARATHON: $10,000
BOSTON MARATHON: $25,000
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