Reigning champion and 17-time NCAA All-American Edward Cheserek headlines men’s race; Olympians Kim Conley and Dom Scott lead women’s elite fields
36-Year Southern California Running Tradition Returns with over 6,000 runners on Sunday, May 22
Carlsbad, CA – May 19, 2022 – One by one, America’s most famous road races have returned after being waylaid by COVID. The Boston Marathon, Peachtree Road Race, New York City Marathon.
Familiar images unfolded. Runners excitedly talked to friends and strangers in corrals. Spectators delivering high-fives. Medals draped around necks.
Bolder Boulder, Bay to Breakers, the Los Angeles Marathon.
Come Sunday, the last of the United States’ iconic road races returns after a three-year pandemic hiatus when the Carlsbad 5000 presented by National University celebrates its 36th running. Over 6,000 runners and joggers will enjoy the splash of the surf and clean salt air along the traffic-free Pacific Coast Highway 101, then sipping brews in the Pizza Port Beer Garden.
“I’m excited to return to the Carlsbad 5000,” said reigning champion Ed Cheserek of Kenya. “Last time in 2019 was a lot of fun and after everything our running community has been through since then, I’m really looking forward to being back at the beach in sunny Southern California.”
The Carlsbad 5000 is renowned as “The World’s Fastest 5K” and the moniker was earned.
Sixteen world records have been set on the seaside course, plus a slew of national records and age group bests. Olympic gold medalists Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar and Eliud Kipchoge have run Carlsbad.
So have U.S. Olympic medalists Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi. Keflezighi, the San Diego High product and only male runner in history to win the Boston and New York City marathons, plus an Olympic medal, is now co-owner of the race.
“The San Diego community is very proud of the fact that Carlsbad hosts the world’s most famous 5k race,” said San Diego Track Club coach Paul Greer, a former sub-4-minute miler. “We’re proud of the race. And local runners are endeared by the fact that Meb is involved in the event because he’s one of our own.”
Many people deserve credit for the Carlsbad 5000’s success. Chief among them are Tim Murphy, the race’s creator, Steve Scott, the former American mile record holder who designed the course, and the late Mike Long, the beloved man who built relationships with African athletes and recruited them.
When the race was first held in 1986, the 10K and marathon were road racing’s popular distances. The 5K was considered a casual fun run.
“That’s how innovative Tim was,” said Scott. “He was going to start something when there wasn’t anything there.”
Scott not only designed the course. He won the first three races.
Another plus for The ’Bad: the race fell perfectly on the calendar, with the elite runners being in peak fitness after running the World Cross Country Championships.
“The world records were produced by the quality of the fields and the expectations of running fast,” said road racing historian and announcer Toni Reavis.
It may have been three years since the Carlsbad 5000 was held live (there was a virtual race in 2020), but all the charms will be back Sunday. The custom beer garden IPAs, the ocean views, the left-hand, downhill turn onto Carlsbad Village Drive, and the sprint to the finish.
The race’s official charity is the Lucky Duck Foundation, a local non-profit dedicated to fighting homelessness in San Diego County.
“Homelessness is San Diego’s number one social issue right now, and I couldn’t be prouder to partner with Lucky Duck Foundation as an official charity of the Carlsbad 5000,” said Keflezighi.
As in the past, the Carlsbad 5000 will feature a series of age-group races, starting with the Men’s Masters at 6:55 am, the Women’s Masters at 8:00 am, Open Men at 9:15 am, Open Women at 10:08 am, Junior Carlsbad Kids Mile at 11:20 am, Junior Carlsbad Kids Half-Mile at 12:13 pm, Elite Men at 1:20 pm and Elite Women at 1:23 pm.
The morning-long races create a cheering audience for the pros.
“That’s the other thing that made the elites run fast,” said Reavis. “The crowds.”
So after a three-year pause, the Carlsbad 5000 is back. For why the race continues to maintain its iconic appeal, Reavis said, “It’s those ocean breezes, the lapping waves, the laid-back lifestyle. It is perfect for this little Southern California town which gets transformed into a race course.”
For a complete race day schedule and more, visit Carsbad5000.com.
— Elite Rosters Follow —
Elite Men
Bib Number , Name, Country, Career Highlight, Birthday
1. Edward Cheserek, KENYA, Defending Champion . 17x NCAA Champion, 02/02/1994
2. Kasey Knevelbaad, USA – Flagstaff, 13:24.98 5000M(i) Personal Best, 09/02/1996
3. Reid Buchanan, USA – Mammoth, 2019 Pan American Games 10,000m Silver, 02/03/1993
4. Jose Santana Marin, MEXICO, 2019 Pan American Marathon Silver Medal, 09/03/1989
5. Eben Mosip, KENYA, Road 5k Debut, 12/31/2002
6. James Hunt, GREAT BRITAIN, 4-time Welsh Champion, 04/28/1996
7. Dennis Kipkosgei, Kenya, 2021 Philadelphia Broad Street 10 Miler Champion, 12/20/1994
8. Sean Robertson, USA, Butler University Athlete, 09/16/2001
9. Tate Schienbein, USA – Portland, 2013 U.S. Junior Steeplechase Champion, 04/04/1994
10. Hosava Kretzmann, USA – Flagstaff, AZ, 14:15 5000m PB, 09/02/1994
11. Dylan Belles, USA – Flagstaff, AZ, 2X Olympic Trials Qualifier, 05/16/1993
12. Dylan Marx, USA, San Diego’s Fastest Marathoner, 01/14/1992
13. Steven Martinez, USA – Chula Vista, 2x U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier, 09/15/1994
14. Spencer Johnson, USA – San Diego, 14:39.09 (2022 Oxy Distance Carnival), 03/20/1995
15. August Pappas, USA – San Diego, 14:05 PB, Big Ten Indoor Track Champs, 04/10/1993
16. Dillon Breen, USA – San Diego, 14:43 Virtual Carlsbad 2020, 09/01/1992
17. Dante Capone, USA – San Diego, Phd Student at Scripps Institute, 11/07/1996
18. Jack Bruce, AUSTRALIA, 13:28.57 5000m Best on Track, 08/31/1994
Elite Women
Bib Number , Name, Country, Career, Highlight, Birthday
20. Kim Conley, USA, One of America’s best 5000m runners, 03/14/1986
21. Dominique Scott, SOUTH AFRICA, Two-time Olympian, 05/24/1992
22. Grace Barnett, USA – Mammoth, Silver at 2021 USATF 5k Championships, 05/29/1995
23. Carina Viljoen SOUTH AFRICA, 5k Road Racing Debut, 04/15/1997
24. Ayla Granados, USA – Castro Valley, 15:53 Personal best, 09/18/1991
25. Biruktayit Degefa, ETHIOPIA, 2022 Crescent City 10k Champion, 09/09/1990
26. Andrea Ramirez Limon, MEXICO, 2021 National 10000m Champion, 11/05/1992
27. Claire Green, USA – San Francisco, NCAA All-American, 05/12/1996
28. Caren Maiyo, KENYA, 5k Road Debut. 7th At 2022 Houston Half Marathon, 04/17/1997
29. Nina Zarina, RUSSIA, California resident, 3rd at the 2021 LA Marathon, 03/17/1987
30. Emily Gallin, USA – Malibu, Finished 4th 2022 LA Marathon, 10/30/1984
31. Lauren Floris, – USA – Oak Park, 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier, 07/07/1990
32. Sara Mostatabi, USA – Los Angeles, 09/27/1993
33. Ashley Maton, – USA – Toledo, 16.37 PR at U.S. Road 5k Championships, 11/20/1993
34. Judy Cherotich. KENYA, 16:50 PR
35. Lindsey Sickler, USA – Reno, 16:59 PR, 09/05/1997
36. Megan Cunningham, USA – Flagstaff, 15:53 Track Best 5000M, 03/01/1995
37. Jeannette Mathieu, USA – San Francisco, 2020 Olympic Trials Qualifier, 04/19/1990
38. Bre Guzman, USA – San Diego, 17:37 5k/ 36:00 Road 10k PR, 10/30/1992
39. Aubrey Martin, USA – San Diego, 17:33 5k /1:19 Half Personal Best, 10/10/1997
40. Chloe Gustafson, USA – San Diego, Division II – NCAA All-American, 11/10/1992
41. Sammi Groce, USA – San Diego, 2021 Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Winner, 04/29/1994
42. Kristi Gayagoy, USA – San Diego, 17:06 PR
43. Annie Roberts, USA – San Diego, 16:58 5k, 07/10/1996
44. Alexa Yatauro, USA – San Diego, 17:40 5k, 10/18/1995
45. Jessica Watychowicz, USA – Colorado Springs, 15:47.51 5000m Track PB, 02/27/1991
About the Carlsbad 5000
The Carlsbad 5000 annually attracts amateur, competitive and professional runners from around the world. The 36th running of the iconic race will take place on the weekend of May 21-22, 2021. The inaugural 1986 event helped establish the 5K as a standard road running distance, and today, the 5K is the most popular distance in the United States. Throughout its history, the Carlsbad 5000 has seen 16 World records and eight U.S. records, as well as numerous national and age group marks. Race day begins at 7:00 am with the Masters Men (40 years old and over), the first of seven races to take place on Sunday. The “Party by the Sea” gets started as soon as the first runners cross the finish line with participants 21 and older celebrating in the Pizza Port beer garden with two complimentary craft brews and runners of all ages rocking out to live music on the streets of the Carlsbad Village. Further information about the Carlsbad 5000 can be found online at Carlsbad5000.com and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
