(c) 2024 Race Outcomes Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission. MANCHESTER, CONN. (28-Nov) -– Weini Kelati received her fourth straight Manchester Highway Race right here this morning, three years after her first run on the 4.737-mile course. She is now the one lady to win New England’s second largest highway race 4 consecutive instances.Kelati, 27, an Olympian who lives and trains in Flagstaff, Ariz., received as we speak’s 88th annual Thanksgiving Day race in 23:14, 19 seconds off her file she set in 2021.
Andrew Colley from the ZAP Endurance crew in Blowing Rock, N.C. received the lads’s race for the primary time in 21:09 after ending fourth in 2022 whereas operating the fourth-fastest time in race historical past (21:07).
There have been over 12,000 entrants however fairly a couple of no-shows as a result of wet and chilly climate with temperatures within the excessive 30s at race begin and the group watching the race was additionally down this 12 months.
Kelati led wire to wire, pacing off the lads round her, as she has executed in her three different victories.
“It feels nice,” Kelati stated. “That is my first race of the season. I took a break after the Olympics. I wasn’t certain what to anticipate however I do know I used to be in actually good condition.
“I used to be joyful, with these circumstances. I hoped to run a bit of quicker.”
Solely Amy Rudolph, who received 5 instances between 1995-2002, has extra victories than Kelati at Manchester. Kelati is tied with Judi St. Hilaire, who received 4 instances between 1985-92.
Annie Rodenfels of Newton, Mass., completed second (24:05) and Florencia Borelli of Argentina third (24:16).
Kelati had taken a break after the Olympics, the place she completed eighth within the 10,000 meters, and went again to go to her household in Eritrea however her baggage together with her operating gear by no means arrived so she took three further weeks off. It didn’t appear to hassle her Thursday.
“It doesn’t take me a very long time to get match so I wasn’t fearful about it,” she stated.
The lads’s pack took the primary mile out in 4:28 and the group thinned out a bit as they tackled the Highland Road hill. After Kenyan Olympian Edwin Kurgat and Evert Silva completed in a lifeless warmth on the King of the Hill mark (Kurgat was deemed the winner and awarded the $1,000 bonus), Colley got here into play.
He took the lead down the Porter Road hill, citing his browsing background and the way he wasn’t afraid to fall – “I simply let gravity take me,” he stated.
However Colley had realized from his 2022 race to not take the lead too early as a result of the end line at Manchester is deceptively far-off after he turned the nook from East Middle Road to Foremost Road. When Kurgat surged again into the lead once more at Mile 4, Colley remained affected person.
“I assumed, ‘This can be a little early to be going,’” Colley stated. “I did this two years in the past and paid the results. I promised my coach I wouldn’t do something til Foremost Road.”
He continued: “I did it a bit of early however I might inform the others had been fading and I needed to capitalize and actually take the wind out of their sails. I used to be slipping far and wide. The traction on my sneakers isn’t nice. However I used to be having enjoyable on the market.”
Colley handed Kurgat after the ultimate flip onto Foremost Road and held on, even lengthening the lead. With 100 meters to go, Eduardo Herrera of Mexico handed Kurgat, his Below Armour/Darkish Sky Elite teammate, to complete second in 21:15. Kurgat completed third (21:19).
Herrera stated he got here to the Thanksgiving Day race as a result of Kelati, one other Darkish Sky teammate, had talked it up.
“I didn’t know what to totally anticipate,” Herrera stated. “I’ve solely executed highway races in Boston. It was good to come back out to Manchester and get the complete expertise. I didn’t assume the (Highland Road) hill was going to be that unhealthy. However yeah, operating full pace up the hill – it undoubtedly received to me. It’s fairly exhausting. I felt like I used to be revving the engine lots going up the hill.”
However he nonetheless had sufficient within the tank to knock off his teammate on the finish.
“I talked to individuals in regards to the race they usually stated the easiest way to interrupt away from the group was to run the downhill,” Herrera stated. “I wasn’t with the pack on the high of the hill. I made a comeback on the downhill. I caught up with the group. It was motivating to see Edwin with me as nicely. On the 4 mile mark, he did a surge I couldn’t cowl.”
He added: “As soon as he made that surge, I used to be like, ‘Oh, I received to have one thing for the end.’ It’s my first Thanksgiving race. It was such a very good expertise.”