Elite Field Stacked for 2017 Manchester Road Race

MANCHESTER, CT — Here is a look at the elite runners who have committed to the 2017 Manchester road race.

The 81st edition of the Manchester Road Race will start at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23). The
race starts and finishes on Main Street in Manchester, in front of St. James Church.

On-line registration and more details about the race are available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.

Check out a description of the elite field, courtesy of the Manchester Road Race Committee:

MEN’S DIVISION

BERNARD LAGAT: Five-time Olympian Bernard Lagat is one of the world’s greatest distance runners.
Lagat, 42, was born in Kenya but competes now for the United States. He won a bronze medal in the
1500 meters at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and a silver medal in that event four years later at the
Athens Olympics. Lagat has also won four World Championships and holds several American distance
records. He is making his first appearance at the MRR. Lagat has run the 1500 meters in 3:26.34, which
is the second fastest time ever run for that distance. He holds national records in the 3000 meters
(7:29) and 5000 meters (12:53.60). Lagat has run a 1:02.33 half marathon. He set a master’s world
record for the 10,000 meters (27:49) at the 2016 Payton Jordan Invitational Track Meet. Lagat lives in
Arizona.

PAUL CHELIMO: Chelimo, 26, is an Olympic silver medalist who competes for the U.S. Army World Class
Athlete Program. He finished fourth at last year’s MRR with a time of 21:36. An All-American runner at
the University of North Carolina, Chelimo won the bronze medal this summer in the 5000 meters at the
World Championships in London. He was the silver medalist in that event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro
Olympic Games. Originally from Kenya, Chelimo is stationed with the Army in Colorado Springs,
Colorado. He placed fourth this month at the USTAF 5K Championship in New York City. His personal
best times are: 1500 meters (3:39.33); 3000 meters (7:31.51); and 5000 meters (13:03.90).

DONN CABRAL: Cabral, 27, is a two-time member of the U.S. Olympic team and the 2012 NCAA
Champion in the 3000 meters steeplechase. He was raised in Glastonbury and lives in Hartford where he
is attending the University of Connecticut Law School. Cabral was the runner-up at the 2015 MRR and
had six other top-10 Thanksgiving Day finishes here. He ran his fastest time of the Manchester loop
(21:33) in 2012 when he placed third. The Princeton University All-American was eighth at last year’s
MRR in 21:51. Cabral placed eighth in the 3000 meters steeplechase finals at the 2012 London and 2016
Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. His fastest time for the steeplechase is 8:13, and he has run the 3000
meters in 7:47. Cabral won the Great Cow Harbor 10K Road Race in Long Island in September with a
time of 29:24.

WILL GEOGHEGAN: Geoghegan, 25, was the 2015 MRR Champion. He beat Donn Cabral by two
seconds that year with a winning time of 21:34. Geoghegan, who lives in Brunswick, Maine, was an AllAmerican at Dartmouth College and the University of Oregon. He ran a personal best time of 3:56 in the
mile earlier this year at the Adrian Martinez Classic. Geoghegan’s other personal records include times
of 7:45 for 3000 meters and 13:17 for 5000 meters.

HASSAN MEAD: Mead, who is 28 years old, was born in Somalia and immigrated to the United States in
2000. He was an eight-time All-American at the University of Minnesota and a member of the 2016 U.S.
Olympic Team. As a collegian, Mead placed seventh in the 5000 meters at the 2010 NCAA Indoor
Championships and fourth in that event at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Mead was the silver

medalist in the 5000 meters at the 2016 USTAF Championships and won the 10,000 meters at this year’s
USTAF Championships. He ran a personal record time of 27:32 for the 10,000 meters this summer at the
World Championship in London. His other fastest times include: 1500 meters (3:37); 3000 meters
(7:38.51) and 5000 meters (13:02).

KEMOY CAMPBELL: Campbell, 26, is a Jamaican Olympian who now lives in Allston, Massachusetts. He
finished in 12th place here last Thanksgiving with a time of 21:56. Campbell won the 3000
meters in 7:44 this year at the Adrian Martinez Classic. He finished 10th in the 5000 meters in
August at the World Championships in London. His personal bests include: 1500 meters (3:41);
3000 meters (7:40); 5000 meters (13:14); and 10,000 meters (28:06).

CHRIS THOMPSON: Thompson, 36, turned in a solid 21:35 effort when he finished third at the 2016

MRR. He trailed winner Ben True and runner-up Leonard Korir, who were both timed in 21:31. True and
Korir are not competing in the race this year, and the versatile runner from Great Britain is aiming to
move up the prize list. Thompson won the silver medal in the 10,000 meters at the 2010 European
Championships. He has run best times of 3:41 for 1500 meters, 7:43 for 3000 meters, 13:11 for 5000
meters and 27:27 for 10,000 meters. Thompson, who resides in Hampshire,England, has also run the
half marathon in 1:01.

SAM McENTEE: McEntee is an Australian Olympian. He competed at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic
Games in the 5000 meters. McEntee was a six-time All-American at Villanova University, where he won
four individual Big East Conference championships. The 25-year-old McEntee has personal best times of
3:36.81 in the 1500 meters, 7:41 in the 3000 meters and 13:17 in the 5000 meters. He set his personal
record in the 5000 meters in May when he finished second in that event at the Payton Jordan
Invitational Meet in Stanford, California. McEntee now lives in Sleepy Hollow, New York.

JOE STILIN: Stilin, an All-American runner at both Princeton University and the University of Texas, is
making his fourth Thanksgiving Day visit to Manchester. He finished seventh here at the 2015 MRR
(22:03), 11th in 2014 (22:11) and 17th in 2013 (22:55). The 27-year-old Stilin competes for the ZAP FitnessReebok Team from Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Stilin has run personal best times of 3:39 for 1500
meters, 3:58 for the mile, 7:49 for 3000 meters, and 13:32 for 5000 meters.

MATT McCLINTOCK: McClintock, 23, finished in 11th place at last year’s MRR in 21:56. He was a three-time
All-American at Purdue University. McClintock ran a 13:49 5000 meters at the Raleigh Relays in
March, and finished second in the 10,000 meters at the Portland Track Festival in June. McClintock was
also the fifth place finisher at the 2016 United States 10-Mile Championship. He is a member of the ZAP
Fitness-Reebok team and lives in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

MARTIN HEHIR: Hehir is making his second appearance at the MRR. The 23-year-old former Syracuse
University All-American finished 11th here in 2015 (22:23). Hehir was the runner-up in September at the
Philadelphia Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon (1:04). He ran personal best times of 28:08 for 10,000 meters
in March and 13:29 for 5000 meters in May. Hehir helped Syracuse win the NCAA Division 1 Cross
Country Championship in 2015. He placed seventh in the 10,000 meters at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Hehir lives in Philadelphia.

BRIAN SHRADER: Shrader, 26, set an American record of 34:10 when he won the United States 12-
Kilometer Championship in 2014. He was an All-American competitor for Northern Arizona University.
Shrader turned in a personal best time of 8:32 for the 3000 meters steeplechase last summer at the
USATF Championships in Sacramento. He ran other personal record times this year in the two-mile run
(8:35) and the 3000 meters (7:54).

LUIS VARGAS: Vargas, 24, ran well in August at the seven-mile Falmouth Road Race. He placed third

with a time of 52:53. Originally from Mexico, Vargas competed for Elon University and North Carolina
State University, earning All-American status at both schools. Vargas ran the 3000 meters in 7:54 and
the 5000 meters in 13:47 as a collegian. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

JULIAN OAKLEY: Oakley, 24, finished second to Jordan Mann by one second at the CVS Downtown 5K
Road Race in Providence in September with a time of 14:34. He was an All-American runner for Coach
Ray Treacy at Providence College. Born in New Zealand, Oakley ran a personal best time of 7:52 for
3000 meters at a meet in Cork, Ireland in July. His other personal records include a 3:41 1500 meters
and 3:57 mile.

JORDAN MANN: Mann, 24, posted a time of 14:33 to win the CVS Downtown 5K Road Race in
Providence in September. He finished 22nd at last year’s MRR with a time of 22:55. Mann ran at Brown
University and also competed for one year at Providence College while attending graduate school there.
Mann, who lives in Providence, has run personal best times of 7:57 for 3000 meters, 8:36.73 for the
3000 meters steeplechase and 13:53 for 5000 meters.

SHANE QUINN: Will he start another Irish Connection? Quinn, who is originally from Waterford,
Ireland, is the son of Irish Olympian and Providence College star Brendan Quinn, who tied for second
place at the 1981 MRR. Quinn, 24, followed his Dad to P.C., and was an All-American runner for Coach
Ray Treacy. Quinn ran a personal best of 14:09 in a five-kilometer road race in Boston last April. His
other personal records include times of 13:48 for 5000 meters and 29:30 for 10,000 meters. Quinn
resides in Providence.

THOMAS TOTH: A Canadian distance competitor who now lives in Plaistow, New Hampshire, Toth
finished 14th at the 2015 MRR in 23:09. He was an All-American at Cameron University and represented
Canada at the 2017 World Championships in London. Toth, 26, won the Canadian Half Marathon
Championship. He ran his best time for that event---1:04---at the 2016 Houston Half Marathon. Toth
was clocked in 2:18 for the marathon this April at the Hamburg Marathon.

TOMMY CURTIN: Curtin was an All-American runner at Virginia Tech. He is 24 years old. Curtin placed
fourth in the 5000 meters at the 2016 NCAA Championships. He has run personal best times this year of
7:45 for 3000 meters and 13:25 for 5000 meters. Curtin placed fifth in the 5000 meters in June (13:26) at
the Portland Track Festival in Oregon. Curtin had a strong second place finish (13:58) at the USATF 5K
National Championship road race in New York City on November 4th. He lives in Quincy, Massachusetts.

KIRUBEL ERASSA: Erassa, 24, was a seven time All-American at Oklahoma State University. He was the
silver medalist in the indoor 3000 meters at the NCAA Championships in 2014. He also won the Great
Edinburgh International Cross Country Challenge in 2012. Erassa, who was raised in Georgia and now
resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has run the 1500 meters in 3:39 and the mile in 3:58. He won the
5000 meters at the Portland Track Festival in June with a personal record time of 13:23. Erassa finished
third in 13:58 at the USATF 5K National Championship road race in New York City on November 4.

BRANDON DOUGHTY: Doughty, 24, was an All-American runner and Big XII Conference steeplechase
champion at the University of Oklahoma. He was the runner-up at the Armagh 5K Road Race in
Northern Ireland last February. Doughty ran a personal best time of 7:47 and placed fourth in the 3000
meters at the Adrian Martinez Classic in May. He also ran a personal record time of 8:37 for the 3000
meters steeplechase at a race in Ireland in July. Doughty lives in Blowing Rock, North Carolina and
competes for the ZAP-Fitness Reebok team.

MATTHEW BLUNDEN: Blunden, 37, is a long distance runner from Great Britain who now lives in Destin,
Florida. He served as a corporal in the Royal Air Force. Blunden placed 13th at the 2010 Florence
Marathon. Blunden has personal records of 14:41 for 5000 meters, 31:59 for 10,000 meters and 2:26 for
the marathon.

TYLER RAYMOND: Raymond, 23, lives in Terryville and was an all-conference competitor at Central
Connecticut State University. He posted a time of 1:09 in the half marathon competition at last month’s
Hartford Marathon. Raymond’s other personal bests include a 15:03 5000 meters and a 30:38 10,000
meters.

NICK AQUILA: Aguila, 28, was captain of the University of Connecticut track team. He now lives in
Manchester, New Hampshire and is an assistant coach at Southern New Hampshire University. He
placed 24th at the 2015 MRR in 24:01. Last April, Aguila was timed in 2:29 at the Boston Marathon and
was the first New Hampshire finisher. He has run a 31:21 10,000 meters, and a 1:08 half marathon.

JOHN BUSQUE: Busque is a Manchester resident and former University of Hartford star who had a
strong showing at the 2015 MRR. He placed 17th and was timed in 23:16. Busque, who is 25 and has a
doctorate in physical therapy, placed fourth last month at the Hartford Half Marathon in 1:04. He also
won the Bridge of Flowers 10K Road Race in Vermont this year in 31:38.

MATT GIANNINO: Giannino is 25 and was an All-American runner at the Rochester Institute of
Technology. He lives in Broomfield, Colorado. He has run the 1500 meters in 3:48 and was timed in
14:15 for the 5000 meters at the 2015 Penn Relays. Both are personal records. Earlier this year he ran a
5K road race in Denver in 14:00.

WOMEN’S DIVISION

MOLLY HUDDLE: Huddle, 33, has won 25 national running titles. She holds the American record of
30:13.17 for 10,000 meters. She bettered the prior record held by Shalane Flanagan when she placed
sixth in the 10,000 meters at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Huddle’s personal best time of
14:42 for the 5000 meters was previously a national record for that event. In her marathon debut,
Huddle was timed in 2:28.13 at the 2016 New York City Marathon. Earlier this year, Huddle beat training
partner Emily Sisson by two seconds to win the NYRR Half Marathon in 1:08.19. Huddle was a 10-time
All-American at Notre Dame. On November 4th, Huddle won the USATF 5K National Championship in
New York City in the course record time of 15:24. This will be her second visit to the road race. She
placed fourth at the 2007 MRR in 25:06. Huddle lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

DESIREE LINDEN: Linden, 34, placed fifth in 25:26 at the 2013 MRR, when she was known as Desiree
Davila. An All-American at Arizona State University, Linden represented the United States at two
Olympics. Linden finished 7th in the marathon at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games and was fourth
last April at the Boston Marathon. She was also the runner-up at the 2016 US Half Marathon
Championship. In 2011, Linden ran the fastest time ever by an American woman at the Boston
Marathon when she placed second in 2:22:38. Linden has run the half marathon in 1:10, and has a
personal best time of 31:37 for 10,000 meters. She lives in Washington, Michigan.

LIV WESTPHAL: Westphal, 23, is a French long distance runner who earned All-American honors at
Boston College. She holds the national record in France for the 5000 meters (15:28.71) and is also the
French Under-23 record holder in four events. Westphal beat Amy Van Alstine and Mary Cain to win the
Mayor’s Cup Cross Country Championship last year at Franklin Park in Boston in 16:53. Her other
personal best times include times of 4:26 for 1500 meters, 9:08 for 3000 meters, and 33:42 for 10,000
meters. Westphal lives in Boston.

MOLLY SEIDEL: Seidel, who is 23, won four individual NCAA titles (indoor3000 meters, indoor and
outdoor 5000 meters, and outdoor 10,000 meters) when she competed for the University of Notre
Dame. Seidel’s winning time of 15:15 for the 5000 meters at the 2016 NCAA outdoor championships is a
personal best. She also has a personal records of 33:18.37 for 10,000 meters. Seidel finished second to
Molly Huddle on November 4th at the USATF 5K National Championship Road Race in New York City. Her
time was 15:35. Seidel lives in Watertown, Massachusetts.

AISLING CUFFE: Cuffe, 24, finished second in both the indoor and outdoor the 5000 meters at the 2014
NCAA Championships when she competed for Stanford University. She now lives in Providence and
competes professionally for Saucony. Cuffe is coached by Ray Treacy. Cuffe has run the 1500 meters in
4:19, the 3000 meters in 9:15, and the 5000 meters in15:11. This is her first Manchester appearance.

LINDSAY FLANAGAN: Flanagan, 26, won the silver medal in the marathon at the 2015 Pan American
Games in Toronto. She was an All-American runner at University of Washington and now runs
professionally for Nike. She won the 2017 Hyannis Half Marathon and finished 11th last April at the
Boston Marathon. She also represented the United States in the marathon at the 2017 World
Championships in London. A resident of Boulder, Colorado, Flanagan has personal best times of 32:22
for 10,000 meters, 1:12 for the half marathon and 2:29 for the marathon.

EILISH McCOLGAN: McColgan, who turns 27 on November 25th, is a British Olympian from Scotland. She
placed fifth at last year’s MRR in 24:39. McColgan ran for Great Britain in the 2012 and the 2016
Olympics and owns the Scottish record of 9:35 for the 3000 meter steeplechase. She won the bronze
medal in the 3000 meters at the 2017 European Indoor Championships. McColgan finished fifth in June
at the 5th Avenue Mile in New York City with a time of 4:20. She ran personal record times this year in
three events: 1500 meters (4:01); 3000 meters (8:31); and 5000 meters (14:48). McColgan has also run
10,000 meters in 32:10. She is the daughter of Olympic silver medalist Liz McColgan.

BUSE DIRIBA: Diribia, 23, is an Ethiopian long distance runner. She won the junior World Cross Country
Championship in 2011 and the junior World Championship in the 5000 meters the following year. A
veteran road racer, Diriba finished first at the 2016 Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon In Philadelphia with a
personal best time of 1:11, and was the runner-up at the 2015 Peachtree 10-K Road Race in Atlanta. She
ran a personal best time for 10 kilometers (31:37) in June at a race in Boston. Her other personal bests
include times of 4:10 for 1500 meters, 8:39 for 3000 meters, 14:50.02 for 5000 meters, and 9:40 for two
miles.

MADDIE VAN BEEK: This is Van Beek’s third straight Thanksgiving Day run in Manchester. She finished
seventh last year in 25:09 and placed fourth at the 2015 MRR with a time of 25:04. Van Beek, who is 26,
was an All-American runner at North Dakota State University. She has run personal best times this year
in the 3000 meters (9:20) and the 5000 meters (16:00). She posted her best time in the 3000 meters
steeplechase (9:47) in 2016. Van Beek finished sixth at the 2017 U.S 25-Kilometer Road Race
Championship.

KATIE MATTHEWS: Matthews, 27, grew up in Rocky Hill and was an All-American competitor at Boston
University. She has had four prior top-20 finishes here. She placed 19th last Thanksgiving in 27:34.
Matthews turned in her best performance on the Manchester loop when she finished seventh at the
2015 MRR with a 25:19 clocking. Matthews, who competes for the Boston Athletic Association, has
personal bests of 15:32 for 5000 meters, 32:23 for 10,000 meters and 1:11 for the half marathon. She
finished in 9th place last January at the Houston Half Marathon in 1:12.

EMILY DURGIN: Durgin, who is 23, was an all-conference runner at the University of Connecticut. She
won the 10,000 meters at the Penn Relays this year with a personal best time of 33:49. Durgin also won
both the 5000 meters and the 10,000 meters at the 2017 American Outdoor Track and Field
Championship. Her other best times are a 9:21 for 3000 meters and 16:05 for 5000 meters. Originally
from Standish, Maine, Durgin resides in Brighton, Massachusetts.

JOANNA THOMPSON: Thompson, 25, was an All-American competitor at North Carolina State
University. She lives in Blowing Rock, North Carolina and competes for the ZAP Fitness-Reebok team.
Thompson finished 12th at the 2016 MRR with a time of 25:24. She had a strong run last year at the
Peachtree 10-K (34:20). Her personal best times include a 4:26 1500 meters and a 16:03 5000 meters.
ROSA MORIELLO: Moriello is 25 and lives in East Berlin, Connecticut. She was a standout runner at
Boston University. Moriello finished 7th at the Boston Mayor’s Cup 5K cross country championship on
October 20th. Earlier this year she also won the Newport 10K road race in Jersey City, New Jersey (34:17)
and placed 5th in the 3000 meters at the Adrian Martinez Classic (9:06). Moriello’s personal records
include times of 33:42 for 10,000 meters and 34:11 for a 10-kilometer road race.

KATRINA COOGAN: Coogan, 24, won All-American honors 11 times when she competed for
Georgetown University. She was the fourth place finisher in the indoor 3000 meters (9:01) at the 2015
NCAA Championships. Coogan also ran a personal best time of 15:34 for 5000 meters at the 2015 Payton
Jordan Invitational Meet. She finished second (4:34) at the High Street Mile in Newburyport,
Massachusetts earlier this year. Coogan, who is the daughter of Olympians Mark and Gwyn Coogan,
lives in Exeter, New Hampshire. She is coached by her father.

LIANNE FARBER: Farber, 25, attended the University of North Carolina, where she initially was a walkon
member of the cross country team and later became an All-American runner. Farber ran a personal
best time of 4:11 for 1500 meters at a meet in Portland, Oregon in June. A native of Newport, New
York, Farber also has personal records of 4:33 for the mile, 9:14.04 for 3000 meters and 16:05 for 5000
meters. Farber now lives in Brighton, Massachusetts. She competes professionally for Nike and is
coached by Mark Coogan.

Photo: The 2016 Manchester Road Race; Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel