New Haven, CT: The 2022 Faxon Law New Haven Road Race, again hosting the USATF 20K Championships, boasts a number of the Country’s top runners. With a prize purse of nearly $40,000, this year’s field features five Olympians, four past 20K Champions and fastest U.S. female marathoner ever. The event takes place on Labor Day, September 5 on the New Haven Green. The Faxon Law New Haven Road Race has hosted the 20K National Championship since 1992.
Last year’s Faxon Law New Haven 20K Champion, Massachusetts’s Erika Kemp heads a very deep women’s race field. Kemp will be fighting for the top spot with Flagstaff’s Aliphine Tuliamuk (2021 U.S. Marathon Olympian and 2016 New Haven 20K Champ) and Virginia’s Keira D’Amato who set the U.S. Marathon record this year in Houston. D’Amato also recently finished 8th in last month’s World Championship Marathon in Eugene. Flagstaff’s Kim Conley (2-time U.S. Olympian) and Provo’s Makena Morley (2nd in last year’s 20K) are also expected to finish near the top. Flagstaff’s Diego Estrada, past Mexican Olympian and current U.S. citizen, is also expected to do well.
On the men’s side, 2016, 2018, 2019 20K Champion and U.S. Olympian (2016), Leonard Korir (Colorado Springs) heads a stellar men’s race field. Korir is expected to be challenged by Jared Ward (Provo, UT), Sam Chelenga (Colorado Springs) and Provo’s Clayton Young and Conner Mantz. Ward won the 2015 Faxon Law New Haven 20K and finished 6th in the Rio Olympic Marathon. Chelenga has run in New Haven and has finished 2nd twice and third once. Young and Mantz are both recent BYU graduates and both have been NCAA Champions (Young – Track 10,000 and Mantz – Cross-Country 2x).
The Ryan Shay Memorial Award will be awarded to the top male and female 20K finishers. Ryan Shay, 2004 New Haven 20K Champion, passed away while running the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials in New York City. The award is in recognition of Ryan’s commitment and dedication to the sport, as well as his longtime support of the New Haven Road Race. In addition to his first-place finish, Ryan competed in the event from 2004-2007.
The event’s major sponsors include, Faxon Law Group, Avelo Airlines, T-Mobile, McDermott Lexus, AVANGRID, ACES, Town Fair Tire, Corsair, Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists and the City of New Haven. To learn more about the event or to register, visitwww.newhavenroadrace.org. Early registration is encouraged and this year the event is limited to 4,500 entrants!