Overall, $92,600 awarded including $27,500 PRRO bonus money; Quad City-Times Bix 7 opens 2025-26 PRRO Circuit, July 26 in Davenport, IA |
| UTICA, NY – (July 17, 2025) – The PRRO Circuit, America’s Classic Road Races™, held its 28th PRRO Championship hosted by the 48th Boilermaker 15K presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield on Sunday morning, July 13 in Utica, NY. On a warm, sunny race day, John Korir and Veronica Loleo, both from Kenya, won their races and their first PRRO crowns in 42 minutes, 44 seconds and 49:37, respectively. The pair split the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus by eligibility of winning a PRRO Circuit 2024-25 race (Korir, Boilermaker 15K 2024, and Loleo, Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K 2025), and then, taking PRRO titles. In addition, each earned $7000 Open first place prize money for a total payout of $17,000 each. The men’s race came down to defending champion Korir and countryman Hillary Kipkoech before Korir, 28, pulled away at mile 8 on the 9.3 mile course and the 2025 Boston Marathon champion went unchallenged to the tape in 42:44 followed by Kipkoech in 43:08. Top American was Biya Simbassa of Flagstaff, AZ, who took third, crossing the finish line in 43:28. An exciting women’s race, between Loleo and defending champion Grace Loibach Nawowuna, wasn’t decided until the final home stretch with Loleo, 27, prevailing, 49:37 to 49:40. Jessie Cardin from Lake Orion, MI finished fifth as first U.S. woman in 50:28. The PRRO Circuit also awarded a $1500 bonus each to the following five 2024-25 PRRO Event Champions who finished in places 2-10 at Boilermaker. THREE MEN 4th, 43:36, Wesley Kiptoo, Kenya (Quad City-Times Bix 7 2024 and Gate River Run 15K 2025) 5th, 43:37, Patrick Kiprop, Kenya (Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K 2025) 6th, 43:39, Charles Hicks, USA / OR (Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile 2025) TWO WOMEN 2nd, 49:40, Grace Loibach Nawowuna, Kenya (Boilermaker 15K 2024) 4th, 50:23, Rachael Chebet, Uganda (Quad City-Times Bix 7 2024) BONUS TOTAL = $7500 Overall, at the Boilermaker 15K, hosting its fifth PRRO Championship (also, 2014-16 and 2022), a prize money total of $92,600 was awarded: race purse of $65,100 including $14,500 for U.S. athletes and $27,500 PRRO Championship bonus money. “It was wonderful to see the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus claimed. Congratulations to John Korir and Veronica Loleo for their PRRO titles and accompanying $10,000 bonus each as well as to the five 2024-25 PRRO event champions who earned a $1500 bonus each for their top 10 finish,” said Don Kardong, PRRO Circuit President. The 2025 PRRO Championship titlists at Boilermaker also earned automatic berths to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 29th PRRO Championship presented by the Quad City-Times Bix 7 on July 25, 2026. The bonus resets to $10,000 the year after it has been won and grows by $5000 each year it is unclaimed. The 51st Quad City-Times Bix 7 also opens the 2025-26 PRRO Circuit on Saturday, July 26 in Davenport, IA. On Sunday at Boilermaker, there were 8,472 finishers in the sold-out 15K and 3,970 5K finishers, also sold-out. On Saturday, July 12, more than 1,700 participated in the Walk and Kids Run. Find complete results, including race prize money awarded HERE. The PRRO Circuit showcases world class competition at five of America’s Classic Road Races™, the Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville, FL, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, DC, the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K in Spokane, WA, the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY and the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, IA. The 2024-25 PRRO Circuit offers more than $400,000 in guaranteed prize money overall with $113,600 for U.S. athletes. The PRRO Circuit, a nationwide series of premier non-marathon road racing events, is organized and promoted by the Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO), an alliance of race directors. SUMMARY OF COMPLETED EVENTS ON THE 2024-25 PRRO CIRCUIT Boilermaker 15K, July 14, 2024, Utica, NY $65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money) WINNERS: John Korir, Kenya, 42:11 and Grace Loibach Nawowuna, Kenya, 49:18 50th Quad-City Times Bix 7, July 27, 2024, Davenport, IA $50,000 in prize money WINNERS: Wesley Kiptoo, Kenya, 32:27 and Rachael Chebet, Uganda, 36:11 Gate River Run 15K, March 1, 2025, Jacksonville, FL $57,000 in prize money ($16,000 U.S. prize money) plus $5000 Equalizer gender race and World, U.S. & course record bonus money WINNERS: Wesley Kiptoo, Kenya, 42:10 (event record) and Calli Hauger-Thackery, Great Britain, 47:24 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, April 6, 2025, Washington, DC $80,600 in prize money ($48,600 U.S. prize money) plus performance bonuses WINNERS: Charles Hicks, USA, 45:14 (event record) and Taylor Roe, USA, 49:53 (World Best & event record) Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 4, 2025, Spokane, WA $81,000 in prize money ($20,000 U.S. prize money) WINNERS: Patrick Kiprop, Kenya, 34:08 and Veronica Loleo, Kenya, 38:02 (event record) THE 28th PRRO CHAMPIONSHIP Boilermaker 15K, July 13, 2025, Utica, NY $65,100 in race prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money) plus $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus (split) and $7500 PRRO Event Champions Bonus money paid out CHAMPIONS: John Korir, Kenya, 42:44 and Veronica Loleo, Kenya, 49:37 With their 2025 PRRO Championship titles at Boilermaker, John Korir and Veronica Loleo were the first two athletes eligible to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2026 PRRO Championship hosted by the Quad-City Times Bix 7 next July. In pursuit of the Super Bonus, the pair will join the winners of the 2025-26 Circuit events as well as the top 5 per gender in the PRRO Championship points system (2-10 finishers score points at each current Circuit race). To-date, PRRO Circuit events have produced 18 world and 22 U.S. road records, awarded more than $8.8 million in prize money and seen more than 2.8 million runners cross their finish lines. In addition, since 1996, the PRRO Championship race has paid out more than $2.2 million including $216,000 in PRRO Championship bonus money. PRRO Championship and Circuit Year The PRRO Circuit, launched in 1995, starts and finishes the Circuit Year at the same event that will also host the season-ending PRRO Championship race. The reigning titlists of the PRRO Championship, the event winners on the current Circuit and the top 5 in the PRRO Super Bonus points system are eligible to compete for the PRRO Super Bonus at the PRRO Championship. Visit PRRO.org for more information, including its history and past champions, as well as how to join the PRRO Circuit. |