WORLD BEST AND USA TITLE FOR TAYLOR ROE AT CHERRY BLOSSOM 10-MILE
By David Monti, @d9monti.bsky.social
(c) 2025 Race Outcomes Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (06-Apr) — It was an excellent day for Puma Elite Operating’s Taylor Roe on the 52nd Credit score Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile right here this morning.
Very, superb.
The 24 year-old former Oklahoma State star not solely received her second nationwide highway operating title in 36 days, but in addition ran a world greatest for an all-women’s race (49:53; earlier greatest 50:32), smashed the earlier USATF document of 51:23, crushed the occasion document of 51:14, and likewise set a brand new nationwide 10-Ok (30:56) and 15-Ok (46:24) information en route. She additionally earned $30,000 in prize and bonus cash: $10,000 for the USA title, $6,000 for the general title, $1,000 for sub-52:00, $5,000 for a world greatest, $5,000 for a nationwide document, and $3,000 for an occasion document.
“That’s not what we talked about at this time with my coach,” a shocked Roe informed reporters. “Like, what we talked about? That’s precisely *not* what was presupposed to occur. I feel sooner or later I dedicated to a tempo, and you already know, I simply needed to decide to it, imagine in it.”
That tempo started at 5:04 for the primary mile, however rapidly went right down to 4:58 for the following. Roe led coaching accomplice Fiona O’Keeffe, plus challengers Emma Grace Hurley, and Ethiopia’s Adane Anmaw. Roe held that sub-5:00 tempo by means of 5 miles (24:52), and by that time she was already alone. She had handed her coach, Alistair Cragg, who yelled at her, “simply go!” as she glided by.
“I knew form of the tempo I used to be operating,” Roe defined. “I knew if someone’s going to return get me they’re going to have to start out operating low-4:50’s. And if, you already know, they try this? Props to them.”
However no one did. With simply the lead truck, a number of spectators, and the gorgeous cherry timber in full bloom on Hains Level for firm, Roe blasted by means of 10-Ok in 30:56, then ran mile-7 in 4:57, mile-8 in 4:58, and mile-9 in 5:02. Her type regarded precisely the identical as within the first mile.
“I form of knew if I maintained that tempo, keep composed, it was going to be laborious to return again on me,” she mentioned.
Roe rolled to the end alone, and even had time to pose for photographs earlier than Anmaw took second (51:00), Hurley bought third (51:04), and O’Keeffe bought fourth (51:49). Each Anmaw and Hurley achieved private bests.
“I knew that at this time was going to be grindy and undoubtedly gritty coming off going out to the West Coast and operating a ten,000,” mentioned Roe, who ran a private greatest 30:58.66 at The TEN in San Juan Capistrano final Saturday. “As we speak wasn’t going to be, like, contemporary legs.”
The lads’s race was filled with surprises, not least of which was {that a} well-liked British athlete received the USA title.
Charles Hicks, the 2022 NCAA Cross Nation Championships winner for Stanford College who now represents Nike, was a part of a four-man break at 15-Ok together with nationwide highway operating champions Alex Maier, Hillary Bor and Biya Simbassa. Hicks –who additionally has USA citizenship and was eligible to run in these nationwide championships as a result of the race didn’t perform as a Staff USATF choice race– confirmed the perfect pace within the last kilometer and received in a brand new occasion document of 45:14. Maier took second in 45:15 (a brand new USA document; Hicks shouldn’t be but eligible to set USA information), Simbassa took third in 45:23, and Bor bought fourth in 45:30. Defending champion Wesley Kiptoo of Kenya completed fifth in 45:55.
Hicks, who was operating his first highway race, entered these championships after his coach, Jerry Schumacher, noticed that he was coming into good type and the race would supply a superb health check.
“Speaking to Jerry earlier than this he’s like, let’s see how we go, plan the season from right here,” Hicks informed reporters. “I’m unsure we are able to actually do significantly better than that, although. So, I’d anticipate to see me on the roads a bit bit extra.”
Hicks is within the course of of fixing his allegiance from Nice Britain to america (he’s nonetheless listed as “Nice Britain & Northern Eire” with World Athletics). He spent the primary 12 years of his life in England, then moved to Florida the place he lived till he went off to Stanford. USATF officers who had been readily available on the race verified that Hicks was eligible to compete in these championships, who praised Maier –the reigning USA half-marathon champion– for making the race.
“All credit score to Alex Maier,” mentioned Hicks, whose lengthy darkish hair was matted with sweat. “Alex Maier simply took that race. I imply, I used to be able to fall off on that backstretch the place he was catching the tail wind. He went straight out, pulling away.”
Maier, Bor, Kiptoo, Hicks and Simbassa had been all timed in 28:07/28:08 at 10-Ok, however a slight headwind on the journey again to the beginning/end line helped Hicks who bought a second wind.
“Then we got here round, went into the wind, and I felt the tempo slow-up,” Hicks continued. “Obtained my legs beneath me. I feel I made an excellent tactical push for more often than not there, and it simply paid off.”
Hicks earned a complete of $20,000 ($10,000 for the nationwide title, $6,000 for the general title, $1,000 for sub-46:00, and $3,000 for the occasion document. Maier earned $13,750 as a result of he bought credit score for the nationwide document.
“He’s all the time an animal, critically,” Maier mentioned of Hicks, an athlete he competed in opposition to throughout his NCAA profession. “Going again to school, watching him win it on our dwelling course (in 2022 the place Maier completed fifth). I used to be like, man, that man’s robust.”
Effectively behind the leaders, 75 year-old Bennett Seaside of Alexandria, Virginia, completed his 52nd consecutive Cherry Blossom, the one runner to realize that feat. He was clocked in 2:30:54 (web).
A document 19,920 runners completed the race.
