World Class Fields Announced for B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile
Defending champions Buze Diriba and Hagos Gebrhiwet join American record holder Ben True to lead full slate of B.A.A. races on Saturday
Photo: from 2018, top-25 15:00 runners Nick Roche of Oregon, The BAA’s Brian Harvey, Heartbreaker’s Conor Cashin and BAA’s Conor Reck approach the course’s final turn onto Charles St. Photo by FitzFoto/NERunner
BOSTON – The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today announced an elite field of world class competitors for the 2019 B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile, to be held on Saturday, April 13, two days prior to the 2019 Boston Marathon®. Defending champions Hagos Gebrhiwet and Buze Diriba, both of Ethiopia, return to defend their 2018 titles, as American record holder Ben True will look to earn his fifth B.A.A. 5K crown.
Following the B.A.A. 5K, milers from near and far will gather to take part in the B.A.A. Invitational Mile finishing at the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street. The B.A.A. Invitational Mile will also include Middle School 1K races and Scholastic Mile races featuring youth athletes from the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon course.
A detailed start list and schedule of events for both the B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile can be found below.
B.A.A. 5K – SATURDAY, APRIL 13 | 8:00 a.m., Boston Common
Last year, Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet and Buze Diriba earned hard-fought victories after sprinting down Charles Street to win the B.A.A. 5K. Gebrhiwet fended off four-time winner Ben True and Boston’s own Tommy Curtin at the line, with all three recording the same finish time of 13:42. True and Curtin return with hopes of shuffling the standings; True set an American record of 13:20 en route to winning the 2017 B.A.A. 5K title. Gebrhiwet – an Olympic bronze medalist – has the fastest 5,000-meter time of the field at 12:45.82.
Among other men’s contenders are reigning B.A.A. Invitational Mile and U.S. Indoor 2 mile champion Drew Hunter; Falmouth Road Race winner Ben Flanagan; NCAA Cross Country champion Justyn Knight; and European Championships medalist Chris O’Hare. B.A.A. 10K champions Stephen Sambu and Gabriel Geay will toe the line as well.
On the women’s side, Diriba is looking to join Molly Huddle as the only three-time consecutive champion in B.A.A. 5K history. Last year, Diriba covered the 3.1-mile course through Boston’s Back Bay in 15:22, a mere second up on Fotyen Tesfay and two seconds ahead of Monicah Ngige. Diriba, Ngige, fourth place finisher Gotytom Gebreslase, and fifth placer Molly Seidel are the top returners from a year ago. Seidel, a four-time NCAA champion while at Notre Dame, will look to score a win in her home city. From Ethiopia is two-time world championships silver medalist Senbere Teferi, owning a lifetime best of 14:23.33 on the track. Also entered is Kim Conley, a two-time Olympian at 5,000 meters for the United States.
The B.A.A. High Performance team will be well represented on home turf with Jacob Thomson and Trevor Dunbar competing for the men, and Erika Kemp, Dana Giordano, Kaitlin Goodman, Elaina Tabb, and Katie Matthews racing for the women. Kemp is coming off a victory at the USA 15K Championships in Jacksonville in March.
The men’s event record for the B.A.A. 5K stands at 13:20, set by Ben True in 2017, while the women’s event record is 14:50 run by Molly Huddle in 2015.
This year’s B.A.A. 5K will also feature the largest and strongest wheelchair field in race history, bringing together national champions from around the world. Defending B.A.A. 5K champions Jose Argenes Jimenez Hernandez of Costa Rica and Vanessa de Souza of Brazil return, as does B.A.A. 10K winner and Massachusetts-native Katrina Gerhard. A full list of entrants can be found below.
B.A.A. 5K MEN’S ELITE FIELD
NAME
AGE
COUNTRY
ROAD 5K PB
TRACK 5000M PB
Hagos Gebrhiwet
24
Ethiopia
13:14
12:45.82
Ben True
33
USA/NH
13:20 (AR)
13:02.74
David Bett
26
Kenya
N/A
13:06.06
Stephen Sambu
30
Kenya
13:21
13:13.74 (Indoor)
Clement Langat
27
Kenya
13:41
13:15.81
Justyn Knight
22
Canada
N/A
13:17.51
Gabriel Geay
22
Tanzania
N/A
13:20.35
Ambrose Bore
23
Kenya
N/A
13:20.39
Tommy Curtin
25
USA/MA
13:42
13:23.11
Alfred Barkach
22
Kenya
N/A
13:25.30
Trevor Dunbar
27
USA/MA
13:55
13:26.27
Jacob Thomson
24
USA/MA
14:15
13:34.50
Willy Fink
25
USA/VA
14:07
13:39.05
Chris O’Hare
28
GBR
13:46
13:42.00
Ben Flanagan
24
Canada
13:57
13:48.58 (Indoor)
Scott Smith
32
USA/AZ
13:51
13:49.38
Drew Hunter
21
USA/CO
13:56
13:49.56
B.A.A. 5K WOMEN’S ELITE FIELD
NAME
AGE
COUNTRY
ROAD 5K PB
TRACK 5000M PB
Buze Diriba
25
Ethiopia
14:54
14:50.02
Senbere Teferi
23
Ethiopia
15:43
14:23.33
Gotytom Gebreslase
24
Ethiopia
15:17
14:57.33
Laura Thweatt
30
USA/CO
15:52
15:04.98
Ann Mwangi
30
Kenya
N/A
15:05.34
Kim Conley
33
USA/CA
15:29
15:08.61
Molly Seidel
24
USA/MA
15:33
15:15.21 (Indoor)
Kaitlin Goodman
31
USA/RI
16:01
15:29.89
Hawi Feysa
20
Ethiopia
N/A
15:31.50
Elaina Tabb
27
USA/MA
15:59
15:32.49
Katie Matthews
28
USA/MA
15:50
15:32.89
Mary Munanu
24
Kenya
16:04
15:36.74
Erika Kemp
24
USA/MA
15:50
15:41.23
Lindsey Scherf
32
USA/NY
16:10
15:42.81 (Indoor)
Dana Giordano
25
USA/MA
15:47
15:53.96
Monicah Ngige
25
Kenya
15:24
15:58.5
B.A.A. 5K MEN’S WHEELCHAIR FIELD
NAME
AGE
COUNTRY
Jose Argenes Jimenez Hernandez
36
Costa Rica
Joey Gibbs
22
USA/IL
Brendan Quinn
27
USA/IL
Tiaan Bosch
39
South Africa
Fidel Aguilar Zepeda
41
Mexico
Christian Clemmons
24
USA/IL
Tony Nogueira
51
USA/NJ
Johnboy Smith
29
Great Britain
Francisco Sanclemente
30
Colombia
B.A.A. 5K WOMEN’S WHEELCHAIR FIELD
NAME
AGE
COUNTRY
Vanessa De Souza
29
Brazil
Katrina Gerhard
22
USA/IL
Michelle Wheeler
32
USA/PA
Eliza Ault-Connell
37
Australia
Margriet van den Broek
45
Netherlands
Jenna Fesemyer
22
USA/IL
Yen Hoang
22
USA/IL
Carla Trodella
37
USA/MA
B.A.A. 5K PRIZE STRUCTURE (Equal for both men and women)
PLACE
OPEN
MASTERS
WHEELCHAIR
1
$7,500
$300
$300
2
$4,000
$200
$200
3
$2,500
$100
$100
4
$1,500
5
$1,000
6
$750
7
$600
8
$400
9
$300
10
$200
GRAND TOTAL: $39,900
B.A.A. INVITATIONAL MILE – SATURDAY, APRIL 13 | 10:30 a.m., Boylston Street
The B.A.A.’s signature unicorn uniform will also be racing in the B.A.A. Invitational Mile, where Mike Marsella and John Simons vie for the title. Simons placed second a year ago in 4:09. They will be joined on the line by German national champion Sam Parsons, world indoor championships finalist Julian Oakley, 3:54-miler Robert Domanic, and Eric Avila, who finished second at the U.S. Indoor National Championships in the two mile.
Ben Groleau, a native of Framingham and the course record holder for the B.A.A. Scholastic Mile, will race the B.A.A. Invitational Mile, becoming the first athlete to have competed in both levels of the event. Groleau won the B.A.A. Scholastic Mile twice while attending Framingham High School; this past January he broke the four-minute mile barrier by running 3:58.93.
The women’s B.A.A. Invitational Mile field is highlighted by Heather Kampf, a four-time USA road mile champion, and Shannon Osika, runner-up at last year’s event. Emily Lipari, 2018 national champion in the road mile, and Helen Schlachtenhaufen are also entered, along with former Arkansas Razorbacks Nikki Hiltz and Therese Haiss.
The men’s and women’s event records for the B.A.A. Invitational Mile are 4:03.3 (Nick Willis, 2013) and 4:33.7 (Nicole Sifuentes, 2017).
B.A.A. INVITATIONAL MILE MEN’S ELITE FIELD
NAME
AGE
COUNTRY
ROAD MILE PB
TRACK MILE PB
Robert Domanic
24
USA/VA
4:01
3:54.73
Eric Avila
29
USA/CA
3:56
3:55.43
Julian Oakley
25
NZL/RI
4:05
3:55.10 (Indoor)
James Randon
24
USA/MA
N/A
3:58.07 (Indoor)
Ben Groleau
25
USA/MA
N/A
3:58.93
John Simons
28
USA/MA
4:09
3:58.95
Mike Marsella
24
USA/MA
N/A
3:59.13 (Indoor)
Sam Parsons
24
Germany
3:58
3:59.70
Jeff Thies
25
USA/OR
4:14
3:59.89 (Indoor)
B.A.A. INVITATIONAL MILE WOMEN’S ELITE FIELD
NAME
AGE
COUNTRY
ROAD MILE PB
TRACK MILE PB
Shannon Osika
25
USA/MI
4:21
4:25:47
Heather Kampf
32
USA/MN
4:21
4:27.23
Helen Schlachtenhaufen
24
USA/MA
4:30
4:27.09
Emily Lipari
26
USA/WA
4:22
4:28.62
Nikki Hiltz
24
USA/CA
4:38
4:31.42 (Indoor)
Therese Haiss
23
USA/CA
4:39
4:34.54 (Indoor)
Emily Oren
25
USA/MI
4:37
4:35.48 (Indoor)
Ashley Stinson
25
USA/CO
4:36
4:35.62 (Indoor)
B.A.A. INVITATIONAL MILE PRIZE STRUCTURE (Equal for both men and women)
PLACE
OPEN
1
$3,000
2
$2,000
3
$1,500
4
$750
5
$500
GRAND TOTAL: $14,500
B.A.A. YOUTH RACES – SATURDAY, APRIL 13 | 10:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m., Boylston Street
The B.A.A. Invitational Mile also features a quartet of scholastic races ranging from 1K to one mile. The first two races showcases middle school age students from the eight cities and towns of the Boston Marathon course – Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston. The girls’ and boys’ Middle School 1K races include runners between sixth and eighth grade and finish at the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street.
Following the Middle School 1K races is the Scholastic Mile, which features girls’ and boys’ races for high school students from the eight cities and towns of the Boston Marathon course. The Scholastic Mile follows the same three-lap, USATF-certified course the professional mile athletes run, finishing at the Boston Marathon finish line.
Completing the day is the B.A.A. Relay Challenge, an event that brings more than 20 schools and 1,000 student-athletes from around Greater Boston together. For the 23rd straight year, the B.A.A. Relay Challenge introduces young people to the benefits of running, teamwork, and active lifestyles. The B.A.A. Relay Challenge is held on Boylston Street between Clarendon and Dartmouth Streets.
SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2019: SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
8:00 a.m. B.A.A. 5K, Boston Common
10:30 a.m. Girls’ B.A.A. Middle School 1K, Boston Marathon Finish Line
10:40 a.m. Boys’ B.A.A. Middle School 1K, Boston Marathon Finish Line
10:55 a.m. Girls’ B.A.A. Scholastic Mile, Boston Marathon Finish Line
11:05 a.m. Boys’ B.A.A. Scholastic Mile, Boston Marathon Finish Line
11:20 a.m. Men’s B.A.A. Invitational Mile, Boston Marathon Finish Line
11:30 a.m. Women’s B.A.A. Invitational Mile, Boston Marathon Finish Line
1:00 p.m. B.A.A. Relay Challenge
ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.’s Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. More than 60,000 runners will participate in B.A.A. events in 2019. The 123rd Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 15, 2019. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org.