by Larry Eder
BIG PRIZE MONEY FOR USA ATHLETES AT PEACHTREE ROAD RACE
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2014 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
(18-Mar) — American distance running got a big shot in the arm today when the Atlanta Track Club revealed a whopping $100,000 prize money purse for USA athletes at this summer’s 45th AJC Peachtree Road Race, America’s largest 10-K. The July 4th race will host the USA 10-K road running championships for the second consecutive year for both men and women.
The $100,000 prize money purse represents an increase of $40,000 from last year. The USA champions will receive $15,000 each, up from $10,000 last year.
“We’re proud that the best runners in America will again be celebrating July 4th in Atlanta,” said the Atlanta Track Club’s newly-appointed executive director, Rich Kenah, through a statement.
Peachtree, which had 55,830 finishers last year, has hosted the USA men’s 10-K championships in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013, but last year was the first time they hosted the women’s championships. Olympians Matt Tegenkamp (28:25) and Janet Bawcom (32:45) were the USA champions.
While previous editions of the Peachtree Road Race where USA championships were held still paid prize money to international athletes, this year’s will not. Kenah sees concentrating completely on home-country athletes makes more sense for a national championships, especially given the depth of talent in American distance running right now. Twenty-four American men broke 29:00 for 10,000m on the track last year, according to the Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Twenty-one USA women broke 33:19.
“Playing host to both U.S. Championship races is an honor, and focusing our entire prize purse on U.S. athletes this year seems the ideal way to showcase them at the AJC Peachtree Road Race, the largest road race in the country.”
Registration for the Peachtree Road Race begins on Saturday, March 15, and will continue until March 22. The race, which sells out every year, is capped at 60,000 entrants.
PHOTO: Matt Tegenkamp, seen here prior to the 2013 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, won the 2013 USA 10-K road running title at the AJC Peachtree Road Race (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
