RESOURCES FOR RACE DIRECTORS

Three Peachtree Runners Vie for $35,000 PRRO Circuit Bonus
Chepkurui, Harroufi, Kitwara in the Running for First PRRO Circuit Payout

The male and female champions of this weekend’s The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race will each be awarded $15,000, but if the top male is Ridouane Harroufi or Sammy Kitwara, or if the female is Lineth Chepkurui, the winner will also claim an additional $35,000 bonus—or at least half of that amount—paid by the PRRO Championship Circuit.

Under rules of the 2008-2009 Professional Road Running Organization Circuit (PRRO Circuit), an athlete who wins one of the first four PRRO Circuit events, and finishes first at the PRRO Championship at the AJC Peachtree Road Race, can claim the PRRO Circuit Bonus, which has grown to $35,000 since its inception in 2003. The bonus will be split if an eligible male and female both win the Championship at Peachtree. If no eligible athlete wins, then the bonus will rollover to the 2010 Championship and be worth $40,000.

“It’s really exciting to have three athletes in contention for the bonus,” says PRRO President Don Kardong. “Peachtree is one of the signature events on the US racing scene, and this year the winner may be rewarded for a victory there with a hefty $50,000 paycheck.”

“The addition of the PRRO bonus has made the AJC Peachtree Road Race one of the most lucrative non-marathon road races of 2009,” stated Tracey Russell, Executive Director of the Atlanta Track Club. “And the three athletes eligible for the bonus add further depth and excitement to the world-class field set to toe the line on the Fourth of July.”

The 2008-2009 PRRO Circuit included the Utica Boilermaker on July 13, 2008; the World’s Best 10K in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 1, 2009; the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile in Washington, DC on April 5, 2009; the Lilac Bloomsday 12K in Spokane, WA on May 3, 2009;and the PRRO Championship at the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, GA on July 4, 2009. Sammy Kitwara of Kenya qualified to compete for the bonus by winning the World’s Best 10K, while Morocco’s Ridouane Harroufi qualified by winning the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile. Kenyan Lineth Chepkurui won both the Credit Union Cherry Blossom and Lilac Bloomsday Run, either of which would have qualified her to compete for the bonus.

The PRRO Circuit offers world-class competition for athletes of all nations in events shorter than the marathon distance. The circuit has shown its commitment to a drug-free sport by funding mandatory drug testing for elite athletes at all the PRRO Circuit events. The testing is carried out by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

A summary of results from the 2008-2009 PRRO Circuit to date appears below.

2008-2009 Events and Results (to date):

Boilermaker 15K, July 13, 2008, Utica, NY. Men’s winner: Terefe Maregu, Ethiopia, 44:17. Women’s winner: Ashu Rabo Kasim, Ethiopia, 50:39

World’s Best 10K, March 1, 2009, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Men’s winner: Sammy Kitwara, Kenya, 27:26. Women’s winner: Vivian Cheruiyot, Kenya, 31:12

Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, April 5, 2009, Washington, DC. Men’s winner: Riduoane Harroufi, Morocco, 45:56. Women’s winner: Lineth Chepkurui, Kenya, 53:32.

Lilac Bloomsday 12K, May 3, 2009, Spokane, WA. Men’s winner: John Yuda, Tanzania, 34:36. Women's winner: Lineth Chepkurui, Kenya, 38:37.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race (2008-2009 PRRO Championship), July 4, 2009, Atlanta, GA.