Wednesday, April 11, 2018

2018 Collegiate 10K Road Race Championships Preview

Start of the 2017 Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K
This weekend the Collegiate Running Association (CRA) will welcome nearly 2,000 college students to Richmond, Virginia for the 5th annual Collegiate 10K Road Race Championships which will be held within the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K presented by Kroger. The races have excellent quality and we are excited to see the competition.

The event isn't just about having fast folks up front...Those college students will be chasing a national title, CRA All-America honors and $10,000 in prize money reserved specifically for college students. This is a race for sure...however, it's also known as "Richmond's largest block party". It's a happening...an event for everyone.  Live bands along the course...citizens from amazingly diverse backgrounds come together on this day and become a mass of people with a common goal and destination--the finish line.  It's exciting and inspiring.  It really is an event you should experience for yourself.

Here's a race preview from the CRA:


Collegiate Running Association welcoming nearly 2,000 college students to 2018 Collegiate 10k Road Race Championships

April 10, 2018 - RICHMOND, VA The Collegiate Running Association and the city of Richmond are set to welcome nearly 2,000 college students as part of the 5th annual Collegiate 10k Road Race National Championship event, held within the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k presented by Kroger. A $10,000 prize purse is set aside for the top ten men’s and women’s collegiate finishers.

2017 champions Rachel Ward (University of Virginia / Ragged Mountain Racing) and Ryan Hagen (Mary Baldwin University / VT Elite) are both returning this year to defend their titles, and will be joined by a mix of competitive and social running college students from across the country. In all, about 24,000 runners are scheduled to compete this weekend and with a beautiful forecast in Richmond, the competition is sure to be fun. This is truly Richmond’s biggest block party and has something for everyone.

“We are excited to continue partnering with the Monument Avenue 10k for the fifth consecutive year,” said co-founder Jon Molz. “Nearly 2,000 college students have entered to run this year and over the previous four years a combined total of 11,000 college students have participated in our championships.”

The entry list for the collegiate 10k championship boasts perhaps the strongest men’s and women’s fields since the first annual 10k Championships in 2014. A slew of undergraduate and graduate runners, along with a handful of strong local runners, should make for a deep and competitive field. The women’s field will also be powerful up front, led by four U.S. Olympic Team Trials qualifiers.

"On behalf of college students everywhere we want to thank the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K, Sports Backers, and the event partners for their support of this amazing event,” said Collegiate Running Association president Steve Taylor.We formed the Collegiate Running Association in order to create new opportunities for all college students who enjoy running, and to provide a unique and competitive experience for some of the top athletes taking classes around the country. This event provides an avenue for emerging runners who are continuing their education to earn financial rewards to help offset their higher education expenses. It’s been a bridge to success for many student-athletes, including the 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist in the 5000m, Paul Chelimo, and 2016 World Mountain Running Champion and 2017 World Snowshoe Running Champion, Joe Gray. It has also provided an outstanding experience for social college runners who want to experience the city of Richmond.”

2017 champion, Rachel Ward (University of Virginia / Ragged Mountain Racing), returns...

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