From the Collegiate Running Association:
$10,000
Prize Purse Reserved for College Students
November 28, 2018 - RICHMOND,
VA – The Collegiate
Running Association announced today the Richmond Sports Backers Ukrop’s
Monument Avenue 10k presented by Kroger will serve as host to the organization’s 2019 Collegiate 10K
Road Race National
Championships. This will mark the sixth consecutive year the best
and
brightest college
students will
turn their focus to Richmond as a destination for the annual event.
Named one of the best
races in the country by USA Today, Richmond’s biggest block party will be the
place to be on April 13th. With 25,000 participants and over 2,000
college students expected, you’re bound to be entertained by the costumed
runners, Spirit Groups, live music, and the beautiful, flat course. If you are looking for more of a challenge
you can chase the $10,000 in prize money reserved for the top finishing college
students participating in the Collegiate 10K
Road Race National
Championships.
“The Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K turns
twenty in 2019 and we could not be more excited to be part of the celebration.
This event is one of the
biggest and best road races in the U.S. and we
could not be more thrilled
to extend our partnership
with this event and the
Richmond Sports Backers to bring college
athletes to Richmond,” said Collegiate
Running Association co- founder Steve Taylor. “The Ukrop’s Monument
Avenue 10K has been a
cornerstone for our national championships and a destination for college students, both top college
runners and social runners, for the
past five years. We are dedicated
to helping it grow
and look forward to continuing our partnership to support the Kids Run RVA
program. Last year college students
visited local schools with participating teams training for the Virginia 529
Kids Run. We will expand our support of
this program in 2019 leading up to the Ukrop’s 10K. The amazing
opportunities for runners, both
social and competitive, are what make
this event so special.”
Over 13,000 college
students have registered for Collegiate Running Association events, including the Monument Avenue 10k, over the last five years, and there has been
a substantial
elite presence at the front of
the fields as well. On the men’s
side, 2016 Olympic
Games 5K Silver medalist Paul Chelimo, who
captured the first
U.S. Olympic medal in the event since the 1968 Olympic
Games, won back in 2014; Joe Gray, the 2016 World
Mountain Running Champion,
won in 2015. Kellyn
Johnson, a two-time champion
on the women’s side (2014 & 2015), finished 4th in the 2016 Olympic
Trials in the 10,000m and 6th in the 2016 U.S.
Olympic Trials
Marathon. And last year’s champions,
Bethany Sachtleben (2:31:19) and Matthew McDonald (2:14:05) recently achieved
the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials “A” Standard at the California
International Marathon.
“Our Collegiate Running Association mission is to create
new opportunities for all college students who enjoy running and
active, healthy lifestyles,” said Collegiate Running Association co-founder, Jon Molz. “Our vision includes elite runners, club runners, and social runners all converging at the same road, mountain
and trail running events. Since the first year our dream has become reality at the Ukrop’s
Monument Avenue 10k and we could not be more excited and dedicated
to this event and
everything it offers participants. This is not just a
race, it’s a huge social event with an electric
atmosphere.”
