Tolland Runners to Join Olympians in an Ultra-Elite Field for the 2016 Manchester Road Race

MANCHESTER, CT — Runners of all abilities from all over the region will accompany a field stacked with elite runners for the 80th edition of the Manchester Road Race this Thanksgiving. Several Olympians and world-class athletes are running in 2016.

The field was announced on Thursday at the annual Earl Yost Press Conference at Manchester Country Club.

Olympic Silver Medalist Galen Rupp will compete this year, organizers announced on Thursday. Rupp, 30, was second in the Rio Olympic Marathon over the summer and won silver in the 10,000 meters at the 2012 London Games. He holds the U.S. record at 10,000 meters with a time of 26:44.33 and was the first to win eight straight national titles at the distance. He has run a 3:50.92 indoor mile and is trained for former marathon great Alberto Salazar in Oregon.

Logistical details on the Manchester Road Race are available on the MRR's web site, ManchesterRoadRace.com.

The race will be run on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24) at 10 a.m. The Race starts and finishes on Main Street in Manchester, in front of St. James Church. On-line registration information is available at the MRR web site.

Here is a look at the rest of the 2016 field:

MALE ELITE RUNNERS

WILL GEOGHEGAN: Geoghegan, 24, is the defending Manchester Road Race Champion. He won last year’s road race in his first attempt here with a time of 21:34, a two-second victory over runner-up Donn Cabral. Originally from Maine, Geoghegan starred both at Dartmouth College, and during a fifth year at the University of Oregon. He ran a 3:57.53 mile last year. Geoghegan’s other personal records include times of 3:40.05 for 1500 meters (set this year); 7:45.71 for 3000 meters; and 13:17.58 for 5000 meters.

PAUL CHELIMO: The Kenya-born Chelimo competes for the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program and won a silver medal in the 5000 meters (13:03.09) at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Before joining the Army, Chelimo, 25, was an All-American competitor for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He finished second in the NCAA 5000 meters championships in 2012 and 2013. In addition to his personal record time in the 5000 meters finals in Rio, Chelimo has individual bests of 3:39.33 in the 1500 meters and 7:37.98 in the 3000 meters. All of the Olympic silver medalist’s personal best times were recorded this summer.

AARON BRAUN: Braun, 29, is a MRR former champion who co-owns the 21:19.37 course record that was originally set in 1995 by Phillimon Hanneck of Zimbabwe. Braun, a 16-time All-American at Adams State College in Colorado, ran that time when he won the 2012 MRR. In subsequent Thanksgiving Day appearances here, he placed second in 2013 (21:40); seventh in 2014 (22:00) and fourth last year (21:48). Braun’s personal best times include: 13:20 for 5000 meters; 27:41 for 10,000 meters; and 101:38 for the half-marathon.

HILLARY BOR: Bor, 26, placed seventh in the 3000 meters steeplechase finals at 2016 Rio Olympic Games with a time of 8:22.74. Originally from Kenya, he also competes for the U.S. Army. Bor was an All-American runner at Iowa State University. He placed fourth in the steeplechase at the 2008 NCAA championships, finished second in that event at the 2009 NCAA meet, and was third in 2010. Bor teamed with his brothers Emmanuel and Julius to win the team title for the U. S. Army at the 2016 All-Armed Forces Cross Country Championships. Bor ran his personal best time of 8:13 for the 3000 meters steeplechase in September. His other PRs include times of 3:44.30 in the 1500 meters and 14:03.45 in the 5000 meters.

LEONARD KORRIR: The 29-year-old Korrir is also a US. Olympian and member of the Army World Class Athlete Program. Korrir finished in 14th place in the 10,000 meters at last summer’s Rio Olympic Games with a time of 27:35.65. He was an eight-time All-American runner at Iona College. While in college, Korrir won the NCAA indoor 5000 meters championship and outdoor 10,000 meters title in 2011. Korrir won the 2016 New York City Half Marathon, and placed fifth during September at the CVS Downtown 5K Road Race in Providence. Korirr has run the 5000 meters in 13:15.45, the 10,000 meters in 27:39.40, and the half-marathon in 101:06.

DONN CABRAL: Cabral, 26, is a two-time Olympian and eight-time All-American who was the NCAA steeplechase champion in 2012, while competing for Princeton University. Cabral finished eighth in the 3000 meters steeplechase finals at last summer’s Rio Olympics. He also placed eighth in that event at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Cabral ran his fastest time in the steeplechase (8:13.37) in 2015. He also has a personal best of 13:22.19 in the 5000 meters. Raised in Glastonbury, Cabral has already notched six top-25 finishes at the MRR. Cabral finished second at last year’s MRR (and won the race’s King of the Hill competition) with a 21:36 effort. He recorded his fastest time on the Manchester loop (21:33) when he placed third at the 2012 MRR.

BEN TRUE: A former MRR champion, True won All-American honors as both a runner and as a Nordic skier when he studied at Dartmouth College. True, 30, finished fifth in the 5000 meters (13:36) this past July at the U.S. Olympic Trials. He won the Beach to Beacon 10K Race in Cape Elizabeth, Maine (the first American runner to do so) in August with a time of 28:17. True won the 2014 MRR in 21:34 and was the runner-up here in 2010 (21:43). His personal records include times of 7:36.59 in the 3000 meters, 13:02.74 in the 5000 meters, and 27:41.17 in the 10,000 meters.

SCOTT FAUBLE: Fauble, 25, just missed an Olympic berth last July when he finished fourth at the United States Olympic Trials in the 10,000 meters with a time of 28:45.53. A resident of Flagstaff, Arizona, Fauble was an All-American runner at the University of Portland and now competes for the Northern Arizona Elite Team. His personal records include: 3000 meters (8:05.62); 10,000 meters (28:00.43); and the half marathon (1:03.06). Fauble placed second at the U.S. Half-Marathon Championship at Portland, Oregon last April.

JOHNNEY GREGOREK: Gregorek, 25, was an All-American at Columbia University, and competed during a fifth year of eligibility at the University of Oregon. Originally from Seekonk, Massachusetts, he is the son of four-time MRR Champion John Gregorek. Gregorek ran a 3:55.57 mile on July 22, 2016 at a race in Dublin, Ireland. One week later, he recorded his personal best time of 3:36.04 for 1500 meters at a meet in Eugene, Oregon. Gregorek finished 15th at last year’s MRR in his first Thanksgiving Day appearance in Manchester.

KEMOY CAMPBELL: Campbell, 25, competed for Jamaica in the 5000 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He is the Jamaican national champion in that event and holds multiple national distance event records in his country. Campbell was an All-American runner at the University of Texas, and won the NCAA 3000 meters championship in 2013. Campbell’s personal bests include times of 3:41 for 1500 meters, 7:40.79 for 3000 meters and 13:20.39 for 5000 meters.

DANIEL WINN: Winn, who is 25 years old, finished in sixth place at last year’s MRR with a 22:00 clocking. An All-American at the University of Oregon, he now lives in Boston and competes for the Boston Athletic Association’s High Performance Team. Winn clocked his personal best time of 3:37.56 in the 1500 meters in 2015. He ran the mile in 3:56.73 on July 22, 2016 during a race in Dublin, Ireland.

CHRIS THOMPSON: Thompson, 35, is an elite distance runner from Great Britain who now trains in Eugene, Oregon. He was the silver medalist in the 10,000 meters at the 2010 European Championships. Thompson has recovered from injuries that plagued him in recent years. He won the inaugural 10-mile Great Donnington Run in England on June 26th in 29:54. Thompson finished seventh last August at the Falmouth Road Race. He has personal best times of 27:27.36 for the 10,000 meters and 1:01.23 in the half-marathon.

GRAHAM CRAWFORD: Crawford was an All-American runner at North Carolina State University. Crawford made an impressive debut as a professional earlier this year when he won the Atlanta Dream Mile in 3:58.45. His personal best time for the mile is 3:56.05. Crawford also ran a personal record time of 3:37.08 for the 1500 meters on June 16th at a meet in Princeton, New Jersey.

MATT McCLINTOCK: McClintock, 23, was a three-time All-American at Purdue who won the 2015 Big 10 Conference Cross Country Championship. A native of Athens, Maine, McClintock now competes for the ZAP Fitness/Reebok Elite Team based out of Blowing Rock, North Carolina. McClintock has personal best times of 13:50 for 5000 meters and 28:54 for 10,000 meters. McClintock finished second at the 8K Boston Mayor’s Cross Country Meet on October 12th with a time of 24:01.

JOHNNY CRAIN: The 26-year-old Crain won All-American status four times at North Central College before joining the ZAP Fitness/Reebok elite squad. He placed fifth at the 2015 U.S.A. Half-Marathon Championship in Houston with a personal best time for that event of 1:03.21. Crain competed in the 10,000 meters at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. His personal record for the 10,000 meters distance is 28:26.

ELKANAH KIBET: Kibet, 30, competes for the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program. He placed 13th at the 2015 MRR in his first appearance here with a time of 22:48. Originally from Kenya, he is stationed in Fayettville, North Carolina. Kibet was an All-American at Auburn University and enlisted in the Army in 2013. He finished in 7th place at the 2015 Chicago Marathon in 2:11:31, a personal best time. He has also run the 5000 meters in13:53.

AARON NELSON: Nelson is a 2016 graduate of the University of Washington, where he was a four-time All-American and a two-time PAC 12 Conference Champion in the 3000 meters steeplechase. He is 24 years old, and lives in Blowing Rock, North Carolina where he runs for ZAP Fitness/Reebok. Nelson has run personal best times of 8:39.58 for the 3000 meters steeplechase, 13:42 for 5000 meters and 28:44 for 10,000 meters. He placed third on October 12th at the Boston Mayor’s Cup Cross Country Meet.

PARDON NDHLOVU: Ndhlovu, 27, competed for Zimbabwe at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He finished 41st in the marathon with a time of 2:17.48. Ndhlovu was a four-time All-American in track at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. He is also a member of the ZAP Fitness/Reebok elite team. Ndhlovu ran his fastest marathon last year in Houston when he was timed in 2:16.52.

TRAVIS MAHONEY: Mahoney, 26, is an elite steeplechase runner. He was an All-American track and cross country performer at Temple University and competes now for the New Jersey/New York Track Club. Mahoney ran an Olympic standard time of 8:27.08 in the steeplechase earlier this year. His other personal times include: mile (3:58.61); 1500 meters (3:45.40); and 3000 meters (7:52.09).

WILLIE MILAM: Milam graduated in 2015 from Gonzaga University, where he held multiple school records. He lives in Boulder, Colorado and trains with the Roots Running Project. His personal records include: 1500 meters (3:45); 3000 meters (8:08) and 5000 meters (13:53). Milam won a half-marathon race in Redmond, Washington this past March in 1:07.57.

HENRY STERLING: Sterling is 25 and was a standout steeplechase and cross country runner at Dartmouth College. He now competes for the New England Distance Team. Sterling’s personal record for the 3000 meters steeplechase is 8:39.37. He also has personal bests of 4:03.33 in the mile, and 8:00.9 in the 3000 meters. In 2015, Sterling won the USATF New England Cross Country Championship at Franklin Park in Boston with a time of 30:16.

KYLE MERBER: Merber, 26, set the Ivy League record for the indoor mile (3:58.52) in 2010 while competing for Columbia University. He also ran at the University of Texas while in graduate school, and is now a member of the New Jersey Track Club. Merber was a member of the United States Distance Medley Relay Team that set the world record of 9:15.50 for that event in 2015 at the IAFF World Relays in the Bahamas. He has personal best times of 3:34:54 in the 1500 meters and 3:54.57 in the mile.

JAKE SIENKO: A Rhode Island native, Sienko, 24, competed for Columbia University and represented the United States at the 2011 North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Cross Country Championships. The New England Distance Team member ran a half-marathon in Houston last year in 1:04.35. He bettered that time with a seventh-place finish at the 2016 Jacksonville Half-Marathon, where he recorded a personal best of 1:04.26.

JIM SPISAK: Spisak, 26, was a distance star at Duquesne University. He now competes for the New England Distance Team. Spisak finished in sixth place at the 2016 Houston Half-Marathon in 1:02.26, a personal record. He won the 8K Boston Mayor’s Cup Cross Country Meet on October 12th with a time of 23:27. Spisak’s other best times include: 5000 meters (13:36.20); 10,000 meters (28:20.65) and 10-miles (46:59).

STEVE MANGAN: Mangan, 24, was the Ivy League champion in the 1500 meters and the mile when he competed at Dartmouth College. Mangan ran a personal record 3:58.29 mile last year, and completed a 1:10:37 half-marathon on October 29th in Falmouth, Mass. His other personal best times include a 1:51.58 effort in the 800 meters and a 3:41.69 clocking in the 1500 meters.

ERIC BLAKE: Blake, 36, is a nationally-ranked mountain runner. He finished second at this year’s Mount Washington Road Race in a personal best time of 59:49. He was third at the 2016 Pike’s Peak Ascent. Blake holds the world record (2:21.40) for the fastest marathon time run on a treadmill. Blake’s finished 24th at the 2013 MRR in 23:47. Blake is also the head cross country and track coach at Central Connecticut State University. He lives in West Hartford.

JOHN BUSQUE: Busque is a 24-year-old Manchester resident who starred at Manchester High School and the University of Hartford. He finished in 17th place at last year’s MRR in 23:15, and is aiming to eclipse the course standard of 22:59 for Manchester runners that Steve Gates set in 1980. Busque ran a half-marathon in 1:08 earlier this year, and won the Silks and Satins 5K Road Race in Saratoga Springs, New York in July.

FEMALE ELITE RUNNERS

EMILY SISSON: Sisson, 25, is a an 11-time Providence College All-American who won three individual NCAA titles and set the national collegiate record for the indoor 5000 meters while competing for the Friars. She is having a great year on the road racing circuit. Sisson won USATF 10K Championship last month in Boston in 31:47. In September, she placed second at the CVS Downtown 5K Road Race in Providence with a time of 15:42. Sisson’s personal records include times of 8:52 for 3000 meters, 15:12 for 5000 meters and 31:38 for 10,000 meters.

EILISH McCOLGAN: McColgan, who will celebrate her 26th birthday on November 25th, is a middle distance runner from Scotland who competed for Great Britain at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. The daughter of Olympic Silver medalist Liz McColgan, Eilish is the Scotish champion in the steeplechase. She reached the 5000 meters finals at the Rio Olympic Games. McColgan ran her personal best time of 15:05 for 5000 meters at a race in Brussels on September 9th. Her other personal bests are times of 4:03.74 for 1500 meters, 8:43.27 for 3000 meters, and 9:35.82 for the 3000 meters steeplechase.

EDNA KIPLAGAT: The 37-year-old Kiplagat is a world-famous marathoner from Kenya. She won the New York City and Los Angeles Marathons in 2010. Kiplagat was also a two-time champion at the London Marathon (2012 and 2013). She ran a personal best of 31:06 for a 10-Kilometer road race on June 26, 2016 in Boston. Kiplagat recorded her personal record time of 2:19:50 when she won the London Marathon for the first time in 2012. She has also run the half-marathon in 1:07:57.

HANNAH DAVIDSON: Davidson, 26, placed fifth at the 2015 MRR with a time of 25:08. Originally from Saratoga Springs, New York, Davidson starred at Providence College, and at the University of Tennessee as a graduate student. Davidson placed seventh last month at the USATF 10K Championship in Boston in 33:36. Her personal best times include: 1500 meters (4:25); 3000 meters (9:38.68) and 5000 meters (16:02).

EMMA BATES: Bates, 24, had an impressive run at last year’s MRR. She finished in third place with a time of 24:44. Now a resident of Brighton, Mass., Bates was a 12-time All-American and the 2014 NCAA 10,000 meters champion when she competed for Boise State University. Her fastest efforts include times of 15:32.66 in the 5000 meters and 32:13.28 for 10,000 meters. Bates finished ninth this past summer at the Falmouth Road Race with a time of 38:48 for the seven mile distance.

ASHLEY HIGGINSON: Higginson, 27, won the gold medal in the 3000 meters steeplechase at the 2015 Pan American Games. An All-American runner at Princeton University and a graduate of Rutgers Law School, Higginson finished ninth in the steeplechase at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. Her personal records include times of 9:27:59 for the 3000 meters steeplechase and 15:18.53 for 5000 meters. Higginson has run in Manchester twice previously. She finished ninth at the 2011 MRR (25:36) and was eighth here in 2012 (25:21). Higginson placed 13th in the Fifth Avenue Mile last summer in the personal best time of 4:26.

MADDIE VAN BEEK: Van Beek is 35 years old and lives in Fargo, North Dakota. She finished fourth at last year’s MRR in 25:04. Van Beek was an All-American performer at North Dakota State University. She recorded her personal best time for the 3000 meters (9:47) on June 12th. Van Beek had a solid fifth-place run at the U.S. 20K Championship in May. Her time was 1:08.30. She also finished fifth at the CVS Downtown 5K Road Race in Providence in September in 16:06.

AISLING CUFFE: Cuffe, 23, was a four-time All-American at Stanford University where she holds the school record for 5000 meters. She now competes for Saucony and lives in Providence Rhode, Island where she is trained by Ray Treacy. When Cuffe ran her personal best time of 15:11.13 for the 5000 meters in 2014, it was the third fastest time ever recorded for that event by a collegian. She ran a personal record time of 4:36.23 for the mile last July at a meet in Dublin, Ireland.

AMY VAN ALSTINE: Van Alstine, 29, had a standout collegiate career at the University of Richmond. She now competes professionally for the Northern Arizona Elite Team and lives in Flagstaff. She was the U.S.A Cross Country Champion in 2014, and placed second last month at the Boston Mayor’s Cup Cross Country Championship. This will be Van Alstine’s fourth appearance at the MRR. She placed 13th last year (26:18), was sixth in 2013 (25:33), and had her best effort in 2012 when she finished fifth (24:53). Van Alstine has personal bests of 32:52.74 for 10,000 meters and 49:49 for the 10-Kilometers (road).

KATIE MATTHEWS: Matthews, who is formerly from Rocky Hill, Connecticut, was a five-time All-American runner at Boston University. She finished in seventh place at last year’s MRR in 25:19. Matthews also finished eighth here in 2013 (25:39) and in 13th place in 2012 (26:09). Matthews, 26, was the ninth-place finisher last month at the Tufts 10K for Women Road Race with a time of 32:23. She has run personal bests of 15:32.89 for 5000 meters and 32:23.43 for 10,000 meters.

SARAH CROUCH: Crouch, 27, won All-American honors 13 times at Western Washington University. Crouch was the eighth-place finisher at last year’s MRR in 25:25. Thus far during 2016, Crouch placed 12th at the Boston Marathon and sixth at the Chicago Marathon. Her fastest time for that event is 2:32:44. Crouch, who competes for Reebok, has other personal record times of 32:37.22 for 10,000 meters and 1:12:12 for the half-marathon.

KAROLINA JARZYNSKA: Jarzynska is a 35-year-old marathon runner from Poland who now trains in Alamosa, Colorado. She placed sixth at the 2015 MRR with a time of 25:09. Jarzynska finished second at the 2014 Osaka, Japan Marathon in a personal record time of 2:26:31. She has also run a personal best time of 31:43 for 10,000 meters.

SARAH PAGANO: The 25-year-old Pagano was a standout at Syracuse University and now competes for the Boston Athletic Association. She ran a 1:12.27 half-marathon in Houston in January. Pagano finished in fourth place at the CVS Downtown 5K Road Race (15:55) in Providence, and was the runner-up at the Tufts 10K for Women Road Race (32:31) last month. Pagano has personal best times of 15:32.89 for 5000 meters and 32:16.03 for 10,000 meters, both set this year.

MARGO MALONE: Malone, 23, was a standout distance competitor at Syracuse University. She ran the 10,000 meters in 32:29 at the 2015 Stanford Invitational Meet. Malone lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts and competes for the Boston Athletic Association.

JORDAN HASAY: Hasay, 25, is the U.S. 10-Mile Champion. She won that title last month in Minneapolis with a time of 52:49. Hasay also had a strong performance at the CVS Downtown 5K race in September where she placed third in 15:48. She won All-American honors 18 times at the University of Oregon. Hasay has personal best times of 15:28.56 for 5000 meters and 31:39.67 for 10,000 meters.

JOANNA THOMPSON: Thompson was a three-time All-American at North Carolina State University. She is 24 years old and competes for ZAP Fitness/Reebok. She ran a 1:14.08 half-marathon at the Philadelphia Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon Championship in 2015. Thompson has also run the 10,000 meters in 33:07.27.

MARY CAIN: Just 20 years old, Cain won the IAAF World Junior 3000 meters Championship race in Oregon in 2014. Formerly coached by former Boston Marathon winner Alberto Salazar in Oregon, Cain recently relocated to New York City. Cain’s fastest times include: 1500 meters (4:04:62); 3000 meters (8:58.48); and 5000 meters (15:45.46). Cain placed third on October 12th at the 5K Boston Mayor’s Cup Cross Country Meet with a time of 17:08.

NICOLETTE MATEESCU: Mateescu, 22, graduated this year from Rider University, where she held the school records for the 3000 and 5000 meters events. Mateescu finished fourth on September 18th at the Philadelphia Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon in 1: 18.58. She set personal records this year of 9:58.22 for 3000 meters, 16:49.31 for 5000 meters, and 34:45.34 for 10, 000 meters.

MARGARET CONNELLY: Connelly competed for Brown University and as a graduate student during a fifth year of eligibility at Iowa State University. Regarded as an up-and-coming road racer, Connelly lives in Boulder, Colorado where she trains with the Roots Running Project. She has run personal best times of 9:08 for 3000 meters and 16:08 for 5000 meters.

KATIE DiCAMILLO: DiCamillo, 29, was a standout performer for Coach Ray Treacy at Providence College. She now competes for New Balance. DiCamillo ran a 1:12.50 half-marathon last year in Philadelphia. Her other personal records include times of 4:21 for 1500 meters, 16:03.48 for 5000 meters and 32:31.97 for 10,000 meters.

SARAH GROFF TRUE: True, 34, is a two-time Olympian. She represented the United States in the triathlon at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. She finished fourth in that event in at the 2012 London Olympiad. A graduate of Middlebury College and a resident of Hanover, New Hampshire, True placed 15th at the 2014 MRR with a time of 25:55. She is married to Ben True, the 2014 MRR champion.

LEAH ROSENFELD: The 28-year-old Rosenfeld was a standout runner at Penn State University. Originally from Ridgefield, Connecticut, she now trains in Flagstaff, Arizona. Rosenfeld ran a personal record time of 4:22 for 1500 meters at the 2014 Payton Jordan Invitational Meet in California. She turned in a solid 36:46 effort during a 10-Kilometer road race in Boston last month. Rosenfeld also ran a 1:20.43 half-marathon in Las Vegas this year.

ANNEMARIE TUXBURY: Tuxbury, 22, was a long distance runner at Bryant University, where she earned All-New England Conference honors. She lives in New Hartford, Connecticut. Tuxbury was the first Connecticut finisher at last month’s Hartford Half-Marathon. She placed fifth there in 1:18:34. Tuxbury also turned in strong efforts during 2016 at the Faxon Law New Haven Road Race and the U.S. Mountain Running Championships.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel