Olympians Lead Fields Into the USATF Half Marathon Championships

USATF Release

FORT WORTH, Tx. – The USATF Running Circuit resumes Sunday, as Olympians Molly Seidel, Leonard Korir, Aliphine Tuliamuk, and Jared Ward come together to lead exceptional fields through the streets of Fort Worth, Texas at the USATF Half Marathon Championships.

The USATF Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Cowtown Marathon are the second stop on the 2023 USATF Running Circuit. The race will be shown live on USATF.TV beginning at 6:50am CT, available with a +PLUS subscription.

Korir, the defending USATF Half Marathon champion and 2022 winner of the USATF Running Circuit overall standings, seeks to defend his title. At last year’s event, Korir outlasted Futsum Zienasellassie, 1:02:35-1:02:36, to claim the title. Korir enters Sunday’s contest coming off a fourth place performance at the USATF Cross Country Championships last month.

Looking to improve one spot from last year, Zienasellassie returns to the USATF Half Marathon Championships coming off a strong 2022 campaign. Zienasellassie closed his season with a USATF Marathon Championship title, winning his debut in the marathon distance in 2:11:01. Training with HOKA Northern Arizona Elite, Zienasellassie is fit and ready to race Sunday.

At the USATF Marathon Championships, Zienasellassie ran away over the final miles to win the event, but coming in a strong second in 2:11:52 was Jacob Thomson. Thomson is also entered in Sunday’s contest, looking to improve upon his third place finish at last year’s event, where he ran 1:02:46.

Abbabiya Simbassa is another front runner to watch. The reining USATF 10 km champion placed ninth at the USATF Cross Country Championships last month. Simbassa, a staple on the USATF Running Circuit, ran a 1:00:37 half marathon in late-October at the Valencia Half Marathon in Spain.

Three other notable runners in the field are Scott Fauble, who place seventh at the Boston Marathon and ninth at the TCS New York City Marathon in 2022, Matthew McDonald, who two sub-2:11 marathons in 2022 at the Boston Marathon and Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and Brian Shrader, who claimed tenth place in January at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon.

Olympian Ward, who has been relatively quiet over the past few seasons, ran to a 14th place finish at the USATF Cross Country Championships last month, while placing 11th at the TCS New York City Marathon last fall. He’s joined by other veteran road runners in Colin Bennie, Tyler Jermann, Colin Mickow, Shadrack Biwott, and Tyler McCandless.

In the women’s race, top talent is ready to shine bright, following the lead of Tuliamuk. The HOKA Northern Arizona Elite runner was incredibly selective with her racing schedule in 2022 and the results were strong. Tuliamuk claimed the USATF 25 km title, placed fifth at the USATF 10 Mile Championships, and ended her season with a seventh place finish at the TCS New York City Marathon in a new personal best of 2:26:18.

Tuliamuk’s chief competition up front should come from Seidel and Rojas. Since earning Olympic bronze in the marathon and followed by a fourth place finish at the TCS New York City Marathon in 2021, Seidel has sought consistency. She only raced four times in 2022, her most recent performance being a 16th place finish at the BAA Half Marathon in November. When healthy, Seidel cannot be overlooked, and her being on the start list Sunday bodes well.

Meanwhile, Rojas has been a model of consistency over the past few seasons. In 2022, Rojas placed tenth at both the Boston Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon, while claiming third place overall in the USATF Running Circuit overall standings, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the USATF 10 km Championships and third place at the USATF 20 km Championships.

Paige Wood should also be eyeing victory on Sunday. Wood won the USATF Marathon Championship title at the California International Marathon in an impressive 2:26:02 and enters her 2023 campaign seeking to build off her marathon victory.

Other notable entries including Katja Goldring, who placed fifth at the USATF Marathon Championships in December, Molly Grabill, who claimed fifth at the USATF 5 km Championships and placed tenth at the USATF 10,000m Championships, along with veterans Bridget Lyons Belyeu and Lauren Paquette.

On demand race videos, results, and post-race interviews will be available shortly after the race in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com. Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #USARC.

About the USATF Running Circuit

The USATF Running Circuit is a USATF road series featuring USATF championships from one mile through the marathon and consistently attracts the best American distance runners with more than $500,000 to be awarded in total prize money. A total of $76,500 in prize money will be awarded at the USATF Half Marathon Championships.

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USATF Running Circuit race. For the USATF Half Marathon Championships, scoring is set as 22.5 for first, 18 for second, 15 for third, 10.5 , 9, 7.5, 6, 4.5, 3 and 1.5, with those earning the most points receiving prize money at the end of the series.

The mission of the USATF Running Circuit is to showcase, support and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USATF Running Circuit and its races have provided over $7 million to U.S. distance runners.

Contributed by Scott Bush