Klecker to give the half another shot, running US Champs in Atlanta hoping to qualify for Worlds + Kelati & 20k prizes

wejo wrote:

The US Half Champs are in Atlanta March 2nd and they've got a nice chunk of change for the winners ($20k), plus qualifying spots for the World Road Running Champs in San Diego are on the line for the top 3.

As a results the fields have attracted 1 guy for sure who might not usually run this, Joe Klecker, who will be giving the half another shot. American record holder Weini Kelati leads the women.

And to make Worlds in the 5k or mile you need to run the US Roach champs in those events as they are the qualifiers.

US Half Fields and Preview article from RRW
WOMEN –
Weini Kelati, 1:06:09
Sara Hall (40+), 1:07:15
Annie Frisbie, 1:07:34
Amanda Vestri, 1:07:35
Dakotah Popehn, 1:08:04
Emma Grace Hurley, 1:08:26
Emily Venters, 1:08:48
Taylor Roe, 1:08:48
Nell Rojas, 1:08:52
Paige Wood, 1:09:20
Margareta Montoya, 1:09:26
Jessica Gockley-Day, 1:09:37
Lauren Hagans, 1:09:41
Aubrey Frentheway, 1:09:42
Molly Bookmyer, 1:09:44
Stephanie Bruce, 1:09:55
Makena Morley, 1:09:57
Jacqueline Gaughan, 1:10:01
Megan Hasz, 1:10:13
Kellyn Taylor, 1:10:16
Amy Davis-Green, 1:10:27
Katherine Izzo, 1:10:45
Carrie Ellwood, 1:10:47
Anne-Marie Blaney, 1:10:54
Amber Zimmerman, 1:10:58
Tristin Colley, 1:11:21
Annamaria Kostarellis, 1:11:22
Jessica McClain, 1:12:05
Samantha Drop, 1:13:33
Veronica Eder, 1:13:46
Danielle Jordan, 1:14:05
Tayler Tuttle, 1:14:13
Ashley Heidenrich, 1:14:45
Tessa Barrett, 1:14:37
Patricia Terry, 1:14:58
Skylar Boogerd, 1:15:19
Ryann Helmers, 1:15:32
Nicole Lane, 1:16:21
Madeline Block, 1:16:26
Lucy Dobbs, 1:16:41
Kir Selert, 1:22:25
Gabi Rooker, Debut
Rebecca Schmitt, Debut
Elizabeth Chikotas, Debut
Amanda Beach, Debut
Alyssa Bloomquist, Debut
Tabor Hemming, Debut
Piper Atnip, Debut
MEN –
Leonard Korir, 59:52
Teshome Mekonen, 1:00:02
Hillary Bor, 1:00:20
Biya Simbassa, 1:00:37
Andrew Colley, 1:00:47
Alex Maier, 1:00:51
Clayton Young, 1:00:52
Reed Fischer, 1:00:47
Ryan Ford, 1:00:59
Frank Lara, 1:01:00
Joe Klecker, 1:01:06
Sydney Gidabuday, 1:01:09
Daniel Mesfun, 1:01:13
Nico Montanez, 1:01:13
Shadrack Kipchirchir, 1:01:16
Matthew Richtman, 1:01:20
Afewerki Zeru, 1:01:21
Futsum Zienasellassie, 1:01:21
Colin Mickow, 1:01:41
Patrick Smyth, 1:02:01
Robert Miranda, 1:02:09
Isai Rodriguez, 1:02:20
Jacob Thomson, 1:02:26
Jason Weitzel, 1:02:28
Joel Reichow, 1:02:30
Ryan Johnson, 1:02:31
Nathan Martin, 1:02:36
Anthony Raftis, 1:02:46
Colin Bennie, 1:02:46
Aidan Reed, 1:02:49
Joseph Trojan, 1:02:50
Ahmed Muhumed, 1:03:15
Collin Buck, 1:03:17
Habtamu Cheney, 1:03:19
Nadir Yusuf, 1:03:23
Jackson Siddall, 1:03:24
Jack Mastandrea, 1:03:42
Ben Olson, 1:03:43
Tyler Day, 1:03:48
Nicholas Hauger, 1:03:49
Thomas Brady, 1:03:55
Jacob Bertelsen, 1:04:12
Andrew Kaye, 1:04:14
Tai Smith, 1:04:45
Blake Buysse, 1:05:02
Cole Hoff, 1:05:35
Thomas Madden, 1:05:41
Micah Meindertsma, 1:05:49
Brian Masterson, 1:05:50
Cameron Bensley, 1:06:54
Hosava Kretzmann, 1:06:55
Riley Nedrow, Debut
Robert Swoboda, Debut
Christopher Maxon, Debut
Brandon Olden, Debut
Evans Kibet, Debut

Link:www.letsrun.com/news/2025/02/rrw-with-...

Hot Takes wrote:

HobbleCreek24 wrote:

I really have a hard time understanding Biya Simbassa. I mean, nothing (except Tokyo) is off the table with signing up for US Road Champs. I'm not sure the mechanics of it but he could still theoretically enter Boston or London. I just haven't heard any news on that front.

But I find his lack of a spring major marathon disturbing. Perhaps he simply prefers road racing to marathoning. I don't know.

Right now CJ is the 3rd guy in for the US to Tokyo world championships. CJ is pretty far ahead of Biya due to the massive 65 bonus points from Chicago. I think it's dumb that CJ gets 65 bonus points for a 2:08:17 at Chicago (they only pay out 5 international athletes and don't get very deep of fields) but Valencia Biya didn't get anything because it's not a WMM even though they have way deeper fields. Biya ran 2:06:53 there. Nothing against CJ, but Biya could show up to and win Grandma's Marathon and run yet another PR of 2:06:20 and CJ would still be ranked above Biya. A course that CJ himself has run multiple times and never ran under 2:10.. The bonus points are a bit much. Running 2:08 and not even being on the podium shouldn't be better than a 2:06 victory somewhere else.