By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
NORTHPORT, N.Y. (20-Sep) — On a spectacular morning for road running in this harbor-front town on Long Island’s North Shore, Ednah Kurgat and Anthony Rotich of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) won the 45th edition of the Great Cow Harbor 10-K going away. Kurgat, 34, the 2023 USATF cross country champion, broke away from her key rival just ahead of the 5-K mark and ran solo to the finish line on Main Street in 32:11. Rotich, also 34, a three-time NCAA steeplechase champion with the University of Texas at El Paso, fought off a late-race challenge from former University of Kansas star Chandler Gibbens to win in 28:27. Both athletes won $7000 in prize money, including $500 primes for leading at halfway.
ROTICH RAN SMARTER THIS YEAR
Rotich competed at this race last year when organizers hosted the USATF 10-K Championships. Although he finished fifth, he was disappointed with how he executed his race.
“I was here last year and I made some stupid moves here and there,” Rotich told Race Results Weekly. “Today I told myself I’ll be patient. When I make a move, that’s it.”
Rotich stayed tucked in the lead pack in the early going when James Quattlebaum was setting the pace. Quattlebaum split the severely downhill first mile in 4:24 with both Rotich and Gibbens right behind him. At that point the lead pack had ten athletes, but the group would whittle down to eight when the race turned up the notoriously steep James Street Hill in the second mile. Passing some of the town’s most expensive homes with expansive views of the harbor, Rotich touched the lead for the first time just ahead of the three mile mark. The former Kenyan scooped up the $500 halfway prime (14:26) and started to scoot away from the field.
“Last year I made the same move, but I realized that my body shut down after that,” Rotich said. He continued: “I told myself when I made the move at 5-K that will be it. But I was surprised that one of the guys actually followed me.”
Gibbens, who did not surge at 5-K, slowly closed-up on Rotich using the downhill on Eaton’s Neck Road, and the two athletes were together at 4 miles (18:22). Shuaib Aljabaly of Hansons-Brooks ODP was in third.
“This is like my first race in eight months, or something,” Gibbens told Race Results Weekly. “I really wanted to put myself in that front group, kind of keep them close, and try to make a move at the end.” He added: “I just wanted to keep him in touch. When he started to make that move at the 5-K mark I just wanted to keep him where I could get him within the next mile or so.”
The mostly flat fifth mile went in 4:43 (23:05) and Rotich and Gibbens were still together. Just after the five mile mark when the course turns right on to Main Street, Rotich used the little uphill there to get a jump on Gibbens. The move stuck, and within a few seconds he was 30 meters up the road.
“I knew there was still one more hill to go,” Rotich explained. “And I told myself, that is where I’m going to be making the move. I did not want it to come (to the) downhill because anybody can run downhill.”
Rotich had the final downhill to the finish all to himself. He waved once to the crowd, and when he arrived at the finish line he stopped abruptly at the tape, straightened his posture, and gave a military salute with his right hand.
“That’s for the Army,” Rotich said. “Every time you have a victory it is like that you are saluting the flag. That’s what I did today.”
Gibbens held on for second in 28:36, and former Utah Valley University athlete Habtamu Cheney passed Aljabaly to take third in 28:40. Aljabaly was fourth, another seven seconds behind, and Merga Gemeda of Minnesota Distance Elite rounded out the top five in 28:58. Quattlebaum, the early leader, was seventh in 29:10.
NO DRAMA FOR KURGAT
Kurgat was mostly worried about the threat from three-time Chevron Houston Marathon champion Biruktayit Degefa, and decided to put the former Ethiopian behind her early. She moved away from her rival late in the third mile and had a four-second lead by the 5-K point, 16:22 to 16:26. From there she only had men for company, and time-trialed to the finish line to get the win, her first of the year.
“It was pretty windy so I tried to hold on as much as I could,” Kurgat told Race Results Weekly. “Despite that, I was able to win. I know it has been a long, rough season for me, but it is good to close it with a win.”
Degefa finished second in 32:31, and third place went to Kassie Parker in 32:57. Steph Bruce, 41, finished fourth and was the top masters finisher in 33:03. Lesley Boyd rounded out the top five in 33:12.
SOLD OUT RACE
Today’s race sold out at 5000 entries in June, according to race officials. A total of 4320 athletes crossed the finish line today, down slightly from 4524 in 2024. The 2026 race is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, September 19.
PHOTO: Anthony Rotich salutes just before breaking the tape at the Great Cow Harbor 10-K (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: Ednah Kurgat winning the 2025 Cow Harbor 10-K (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: Ednah Kurgat and Anthony Rotich of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program were the winners of the 2025 Great Cow Harbor 10-K (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
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ENDS
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