MAIER, ROE WIN USATF HALF-MARATHON TITLES IN DRAMATIC FASHION
By David Monti, @d9monti.bsky.social
(c) 2025 Race Outcomes Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
ATLANTA (02-Mar) — In near-freezing temperatures with biting winds, Alex Maier and Taylor Roe of North Carolina-based Puma Elite Working gained the USATF Half-Marathon Championships this morning in dramatic trend. The previous Oklahoma State All-People survived quick, early paces of their respective races, then used their energy to drag away from their remaining rivals within the remaining miles. Each athletes gained their first nationwide titles, $20,000 in prize cash, and assured berths on Staff USATF for the World Athletics Highway Working Championships in San Diego in September.
“They did OK,” joked their coach Alistair Cragg. “For 2 children at this stage they acted like outdated veterans on the market. It was nice; enjoyable to see.”
KELATI BLOWS OPEN WOMEN’S RACE
Nationwide half-marathon file holder Weini Kelati (Beneath Armour / Darkish Sky Distance), made the primary large transfer within the girls’s race. After following the stable early tempo set by Emily Venters (Nike) who went by way of 5 km in 16:15, Kelati surged within the sixth mile, splitting 10 km in 32:03 with an eight-second lead over Roe, Emma Grace Hurley (Asics / Heartland TC), Amanda Vestri (Brooks / ZAP Endurance), and Jess McClain (Brooks).
“Fairly decisive transfer,” stated 2004 Olympian Carrie Tollefson on the race broadcast.
Certainly, it seemed like Kelati –whose private better of 1:06:09 was over a minute sooner than some other lady within the area– would run away with the race. However within the eighth mile, Roe and Hurley started to work collectively to reel her in.
“Taylor received transferring and I went together with her,” Hurley advised Race Outcomes Weekly. “She type of made a remark to me, like, ‘let’s go attempt to catch her,’ so we tried to select it up and achieve on Weini.” She added: “It was superior to be chasing her.”
Forty-three minutes and 5 seconds into the race, Roe and Hurley caught Kelati. The trio ran collectively solely briefly earlier than Roe pressed the tempo and he or she and Hurley started to drag away. By the 15 km level (47:50) Hurley had simply run a 15:39 5-kilometer section with Roe only one second behind. Kelati was eight seconds again, and Vestri was working alone in fourth place after pulling away from Venters.
Hurley –who grew up in close by Roswell and previously represented the Atlanta Monitor Membership– knew the course higher than Roe, and made good use of the various quick hills within the latter phases of the race. She constructed a small hole on Roe, however the 2023 Huge 12 5000m champion had extra within the tank. Roe pulled even with Hurley, then started to get away. She felt assured in her health primarily based on the coaching she had carried out together with her group which incorporates Fiona O’Keeffe, the 2024 USA Olympic Staff Trials Marathon champion.
“I practice with among the greatest folks, greatest on the earth, greatest within the U.S.,” Roe stated in her post-race broadcast interview. “I got here in with confidence. What my opponents are going to do to me at present is nothing I haven’t confronted in apply.”
Roe ran alone to the end within the Dwelling Depot Yard adjoining to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and broke the tape in a championships file of 1:07:22. She smashed her private greatest by almost a minute and a half, and made her first nationwide staff.
“It’s excellent news, nevertheless it’s dangerous information that I’ve to run one other half-marathon,” Roe stated with fun. She added: “I’m actually glad, grateful.”
Hurley, who solely completed 89th on the NCAA Cross Nation Championships in her senior 12 months at Furman College, held on to second place and completed in an enormous private better of 1:07:35. Like Roe, at present’s race was solely Hurley’s second half-marathon and he or she thought that she received her ways almost proper.
“I’ll have gone a bit early, though I feel typically within the race if you happen to’re feeling good it’s OK to take a bit little bit of a danger,” Hurley advised Race Outcomes Weekly. She continued: “It was so particular to be on the market at present.”
Kelati struggled within the remaining kilometers of the race, and was handed by Vestri, McClain and Venters (she completed sixth in 1:09:07). Vestri held on for third, and in her third half-marathon clinched her first nationwide staff berth in 1:08:17. She was very joyful together with her race.
“By the grace of God,” Vestri stated, when requested how she maintained her composure within the remaining phases of at present’s competitors. “That was the one factor I used to be holding on to in the direction of the tip. I used to be like, God, simply get me by way of this. Miles eight to 12 I used to be struggling fairly dangerous.”
McClain completed fourth, the identical place as in final 12 months’s USA Olympic Staff Trials Marathon. However the 33 year-old from Phoenix was happy with a brand new private better of 1:08:37 whereas in the course of her mileage-heavy Boston Marathon build-up.
“It’s OK,” stated McClain, who had hassle getting her phrases out as a result of her jaw was so chilly. “I might a lot relatively take fourth than Amanda. I’m joyful.” She added: “I felt actually good on the hills; that’s a superb signal for Boston.”
Given the chilly temperatures, robust winds, and hilly course, it was exceptional that the primary ten girls broke 1:10.
BOR TAKES IT OUT HARD
Two-time Olympic steeplechaser Hillary Bor (Hoka) acknowledged his intentions early within the males’s race, going proper to the entrance from the gun. He clicked off the primary two miles in 4:37 and 4:28, respectively, and constructed up a small lead. However by the 5 km level (14:06) the principle pack of Teshome Mekonen (On), Nate Martin (Asics), Joe Klecker (On Athletics Membership), Andrew Colley (ZAP Endurance), Ahmed Muhumed (Hoka NAZ Elite), Shadrack Kipchirchir (Puma / American Distance Mission), and Maier had been with him once more.
“You understand I seemed on the entries and I knew there have been plenty of 10-Ok guys,” Bor advised Race Outcomes Weekly. “I didn’t need it to return all the way down to a kick.” He added: “I knew if I used to be going to make the staff I needed to run my very own race.”
Bor, Martin, Mekonen and Muhumed received away within the fourth mile, however the chase pack –led by Colley– closed them down only a mile later. Bor was nonetheless main on the 10 km level (28:27), however the pack had grown to 9: Bor, Mekonen, Muhumed, Martin, Colley, Klecker, Maier, Kipchirchir, and Ryan Ford (ZAP Endurance). Bor determined to place in one other transfer, and he and Mekonen began pulling away from the sphere within the eighth mile, however then he backed off his tempo once more.
“I used to be anticipating somebody to return with me,” stated Bor. “Once I received to mile seven I didn’t wish to run all of the second half on my own. I slowed down, waited for the crew and run with the group.
By the 15 km mark (42:55) solely Klecker, Martin and Mekonen had been dropped. That’s when Maier asserted himself. He received on the entrance, and began to drag the sphere single-file. Solely Bor and Kipchirchir may keep together with his tempo. Like his teammate Roe, he was feeling assured.
“I imply, I knew I used to be able to it,” stated the 24 year-old Maier. “I didn’t wish to put an excessive amount of stress on myself coming into it. I’m nonetheless comparatively new to marathons, half-marathons. I felt like I used to be in a superb place fitness-wise.”
With a few mile to go, Maier dropped each Bor and Kipchirchir. He ran unchallenged to the end, breaking Publix-branded end tape in 1:00:48, a three-second private greatest.
“It was about going out and working my greatest race,” stated Maier, who loved the hilly course. “It jogs my memory plenty of Oklahoma State, coaching on our cross nation course. Our cross nation course is tremendous hilly, proper? So, I really feel like I used to be very in my ingredient at present.”
Kipchirchir edged Bor for second, 1:00:58 to 1:00:59. Kipchirchir, the 2022 USATF cross nation champion, received a private greatest. Bor was disenchanted to not get the victory.
“I needed to win,” Bor advised reporters. “Each time I begin on the road I wish to win. However, on the finish of the day I ran my race, I made the staff, and I’m glad for Shaddy. This can be a robust man. It’s good to compete.”
Muhumed took fourth in 1:01:03, a private greatest, and Colley –who did plenty of the work mid-race– was fifth in 1:01:09. He had hoped to make the staff after recovering from a virus and coaching nicely.
“I didn’t actually have any expectations for a way it will run out,” Colley advised Race Outcomes Weekly. “The glutes began seizing up when all people began transferring and I attempted to simply keep targeted and keep watch over them. I received nearer, however by the point I began feeling good once more it was gone.”
PHOTO: Taylor successful the 2025 USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta (picture by Jane Monti for Race Outcomes Weekly)
PHOTO: Amanda Vestri (third), Taylor Roe (first) and Emma Grace Hurley (second) had been the rostrum finishers on the 2025 USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta (picture by Jane Monti for Race Outcomes Weekly)
PHOTO: Shadrack Kipchirchir (second), Alex Maier (first) and Hillary Bor (third) had been the rostrum finishers on the 2025 USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta (picture by Jane Monti for Race Outcomes Weekly)
PHOTO: Alex Maier successful the 2025 USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta (picture by Jane Monti for Race Outcomes Weekly)
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