Weini Kelati and Drew Hunter Aim to Defend Titles at 2022 USATF 5K Championships on Saturday, November 5

More than 10,000 runners to follow in footsteps of professional athletes by racing the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K

New York, October 27, 2022 – Weini Kelati and Drew Hunter will return to New York aiming to defend their titles at the 2022 USA Track & Field (USATF) 5K Championships at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K on Saturday, November 5. The event will take place in Midtown Manhattan the day prior to the TCS New York City Marathon and will be broadcast live on USATF.TV. Abbott will return as the title partner of the event which features a $78,000 prize purse – the largest of any 5K race in the world.

At the last USATF 5K Championships in Central Park in 2021, two-time NCAA champion Kelati smashed the event record, taking the tape in 15:18 to win her first U.S. title. Since then, she has gone on to finish in the top three in the Millrose Games 3,000 meters, and second at both the USATF Cross Country Championships and B.A.A. 5K. She will be challenged for the women’s title by Olympic and World Championships medalist Jenny Simpson, World Championships medalist Emily Infeld, and national champions Katie Follett, Erika Kemp, Emily Lipari, Natosha Rogers, and Taylor Werner.

“Last year’s USATF 5K Championships for me marked my first U.S. title of my career, five months after becoming a U.S. citizen, and what started all the success I’ve had over the past year,” Kelati said. “I’m excited to return to Central Park to compete against the best athletes across the country and defend my title.”

Hunter, who last year jumped into the lead with 100 meters remaining to win the men’s race in 13:53 and claim his second national title, will also return. He will line up this year alongside Olympians Hillary Bor and Mason Ferlic, and two-time NCAA champion Abdihamid Nur.

“I’ll never forget the thrill of breaking the tape last year, beating Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz by seven tenths of second – that was such an incredible feeling,” Hunter said. “I cannot wait to see what magic happens in Central Park this year.”

Following in the footsteps of the professional athletes will be more than 10,000 runners participating in the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, including top local athletes and many runners participating in the marathon the following day.

Abbott, the title sponsor of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, will be the sponsor of the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K for the sixth time. Abbott, a global healthcare leader, helps people live more fully with life-changing technology and celebrate what’s possible with good health.

The Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K annually provides TCS New York City Marathon supporters, friends and families the opportunity to join in on the thrill of marathon race week. The course begins on Manhattan’s east side by the United Nations, then takes runners along 42nd Street past historic Grand Central Terminal and up the world-famous Avenue of the Americas past Radio City Music Hall. It then passes through the rolling hills of Central Park before finishing at the iconic TCS New York City Marathon finish line.

The Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K and USATF 5K Championships will be broadcast live via USATF.TV. The broadcast is scheduled to begin at 8:20am ET with the first race starting at 8:30am ET.

USATF 5K Championships – Men’s Field

Women

About New York Road Runners (NYRR)

NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, virtual races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features a wide population of runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.