| WASHINGTON, DC – (April 15, 2026) – It was a beautiful, cool, sunny Sunday morning, April 12 at the third stop of the 2025-26 PRRO Circuit hosted by the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in the Nation’s Capital. Both Open races came down to closely contested, exciting finishes as Mohammed El Youssfi, 28, of Morocco and Asayech Ayichew, 21, of Ethiopia held off challengers for the wins in 46 minutes, 17 seconds and 50:37, respectively, and earning $6000 each plus a $1000 time bonus for sub-52 minutes by Ayichew. For El Youssfi, it was his second straight PRRO Circuit victory after winning the Gate River Run 15K on March 7. In the men’s race, American Graydon Morris, 24, from Chapel Hill, NC, finished just behind El Youssfi as runner-up in 46:18, while in the women’s race, Joy Cheptoyek of Uganda was second in 50:41, edging American Emma Grace Hurley, 28, from Indianapolis, who took third (50:42). For the fourth straight year, the event served as the USATF 10 Mile Championships, and Morris and Hurley won their first national titles. The Cherry Blossom champions also earned automatic eligibility to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 29th PRRO Championship presented by the Quad-City Times Bix 7 on Saturday, July 25, 2026 in Davenport, IA. At the 53rd event edition, the top finishers were awarded $82,350 ($32,000 in the international division, $48,600 in the U.S. division and time bonus incentives – top two women sub-52 minutes – totaling $1750). Graydon Morris and Emma Grace Hurley pocketed the most individual prize money, $13,000 ($3000 second place, $10,000 national champion) and $12,500 ($2500 third place, $10,000 national champion) each. After the Cherry Blossom race, for possible PRRO Super Bonus qualification, the PRRO Circuit points leaders are: for men, Wesley Kiptoo (KEN), Mezgebu Sime (ETH) & Graydon Morris (USA), and for women, Everlyn Kemboi (KEN), with 10 and 23 points, each respectively. Current point standings can be found HERE. “With highly competitive, down to the final stretch races, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile produced a wonderful swan song to its longstanding Event Director Phil Stewart,” said PRRO President Don Kardong. “In addition, the race winners, Mohammed El Youssfi and Asayech Ayichew, earned automatic berths to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the PRRO Championship hosted by Bix 7 in July, and the 2-10 finishers scored valuable PRRO Circuit points for Super Bonus qualification rankings.” This year’s event celebrated Phil Stewart, who will retire as Event Director after being at the CUCB helm since 1991. An event record 20,083 finishers (old record, 19,607 from 2025) completed the 10 Mile course in the Nation’s Capital on a flat, fast course that passes by all the major DC monuments and the legendary Japanese cherry trees in the annual “Runner’s Rite of Spring”. In addition, on Saturday, April 11, there were 6,683 finishers in the accompanying 5K. Both races were sold-out. Complete race results HERE. The next PRRO Circuit stop is the 50th Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K in Spokane, WA on Sunday, May 3. The PRRO Circuit showcases world class competition at six 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 Steamboat Classic 4 Mile in Peoria, IL, the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY and the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, IA. The 2025-26 PRRO Circuit offers more than $440,000 in guaranteed prize money overall with $148,100 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. THE PRRO CIRCUIT 2025-26 SCHEDULE Quad-City Times Bix 7, July 26, 2025, Davenport, IA $50,000 in prize money WINNERS: Alex Maier*, USA, 32:02 and Vibian Chepkirui*, Kenya, 36:41 Gate River Run 15K, March 7, 2026, Jacksonville, FL $72,000 in prize money ($23,000 U.S. prize money) plus $5000 Equalizer gender race and World, U.S. & course record bonus money WINNERS: Mohammed El Youssfi*, Morocco, 43:26 and Chloe Herbiet*, Belgium, 47:58 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, April 12, 2026, Washington, DC $80,600 in prize money ($48,600 U.S. prize money) plus performance bonuses WINNERS: Mohammed El Youssfi*, Morocco, 46:17 and Asayech Ayichew*, Ethiopia, 50:37 50th Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 3, 2026, Spokane, WA $81,000 in prize money ($20,000 U.S. prize money) Steamboat Classic 4 Mile, June 6, 2026, Peoria, IL $43,200 in U.S. prize money Boilermaker 15K, July 12, 2026, Utica, NY $65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money) THE 29th PRRO CHAMPIONSHIP Quad-City Times Bix 7, July 25, 2026, Davenport, IA $50,000 in prize money as well as: $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus to male or female Bix winners who are either defending PRRO Champions, have won any of the PRRO Circuit 2025-26 races or finished top 5 in the points system (Super Bonus split if both eligible male and female win) $2500 to male or female Championship winners who have not won any races on the 2025-26 Circuit $1500 to eligible PRRO event champions, males and females, finishing in places 2-10 *Qualified to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2026 PRRO Championship. 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 in 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 Circuit points system (2-10 finishers score points at each current Circuit race; except, 2-5 finishers score at a U.S.-only Circuit race). To-date, PRRO Circuit events have produced 18 world and 24 U.S. road records, awarded more than $9 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 $218,500 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 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. |
