ATLANTA - June 27, 2024 - Two of the top road racers in the world will face off in the 55th Running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race, organizers announced today.
In his first season of competition in the U.S., Sabastian Sawe comes to Atlanta ranked as the #1 road racer in the world, based on distances from 10K to the half marathon. The 29-year-old Kenyan brings a personal best of 26:49, the second-fastest 10K time in the world last year, and the reigning World Half Marathon Champion sits on top of the 2024 leaderboard for the fastest half marathon in the world so far this year, 58:24.
In a rematch of those 2023 World Half Marathon Championships, Sawe will face Kenya's Daniel Ebenyo, 28, who earned a silver medal in that race last fall. Ebenyo was leading until Sawe drew even with a few hundred meters remaining, going on to a four-second victory. "We pushed each other to a good result," Ebenyo said afterward.
Ebenyo, the 2023 World Championships silver medalist at 10,000 meters on the track, is ranked #1 in the world for 10K on the roads. His personal best of 26:58 is second in the Peachtree field only to Sawe. Both will be making their Peachtree debuts.
Among the other top athletes in the field are Mathew Kimeli of Kenya (27:07) and Boniface Kibiwott (27:13) of Kenya and Jake Robertson of New Zealand (27:28). Returning to the Peachtree for the 10th time is American Elkanah Kibet, 41.
In the Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division, course record-holder Daniel Romanchuk of the USA will have a chance to make history as the first athlete in the men's open division to win the Peachtree seven times. Romanchuk, 25, has won Peachtree for the past six years in a row, but will have to fend off American Aaron Pike, a six-time Paralympian, and Josh Cassidy of Canada, a two-time Peachtree champion.
The field for the women's footrace is headlined by 24-year-old Emmaculate Anyango, whose 10K personal best of 28:57 makes her the second-fastest woman in history at the distance. The Kenyan is currently ranked as the #4 road racer in the world.
Jesca Chelangat (30:01) will return after finishing second here last year and will challenge Anyango.
Also returning will be Susannah Scaroni, the 2020 Paralympic gold medalist at 5,000 meters. The 33-year-old Peachtree course record-holder will be seeking her fourth win here since 2018 and third in a row. Scaroni missed the spring marathon season with an overuse injury but is apparently back to form: She set a World Record for 5,000 meters on the track in early June.
The winner of each professional division will receive $12,500.
For the first time, the Peachtree will feature an Elite High School Division, giving the best young distance runners in Georgia the chance to experience professional road racing first-hand. The field is composed of the top 20 boys and top 20 girls from the classes of 2025, 2026 and 2027 residing in Georgia who accepted an invitation from Atlanta Track Club.
The 55th Running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race will be held Thursday, July 4, in Atlanta, Georgia, with 50,000 runners and walkers making their way from Lenox Square to Piedmont Park in the world's largest 10K. The event will be livestreamed on AJC.com and on the AJC News app beginning at 6 a.m., with Lewis Johnson, Carrie Tollefson and Amanda McGrory leading the broadcast team.
The full fields of athletes - elite open, wheelchair and high school division:
Men's Open Division
Name |
Country |
10K Personal Best |
Sabastian Sawe |
KEN |
26:49 |
Daniel Ebenyo |
KEN |
26:58 |
Mathew Kimeli |
KEN |
27:07 |
Boniface Kibiwott |
KEN |
27:13 |
Hillary Kipkoech |
KEN |
27:23 |
Jake Robertson |
NZL |
27:28 |
Robert Kiprop Koech |
KEN |
27:54 |
Reuben Mosip |
KEN |
28:06 |
Josphat Kipchirchir |
KEN |
28:10 |
Hendrik Pfeiffer |
GER |
28:49 |
Johannes Motschmann |
GER |
28:51 |
Elkanah Kibet |
USA |
28:57 |
Yemane Haileselassie |
ERI |
29:01 |
Jake Riley |
USA |
29:07 |
Jack Mastandrea |
USA |
29:37 |
Jason Weitzel |
USA |
29:40 |
Eduardo Garcia |
ISV |
29:57 |
Craig Lautenslager |
NZL |
29:26 |
Robert Miranda |
USA |
29:56 |
Wilkerson Given |
USA |
30:01 |
Willy Fink |
USA |
Debut |
JP Trojan |
USA |
Debut |
Karl Thiessen |
USA |
Debut |
Nadir Yusuf |
USA |
Debut |
Debulu Ede |
ETH |
Debut |
Moath Alkhawaldeh |
JOR |
Debut |
Andrew Bowman |
USA |
Debut |
Men's Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division
Aaron Pike |
USA |
18:11 |
Daniel Romanchuk |
USA |
18:00 |
Josh Cassidy |
CAN |
18:52 |
Brian Siemann |
USA |
20:00 |
James Senbeta |
USA |
20:05 |
Rafael Botello Jiminez |
ESP |
20:10 |
Hermin Garic |
USA |
20:51 |
Wyatt Bruce Willand |
USA |
20:53 |
Aidan Gravelle |
USA |
20:54 |
Valera "Jacob" Allen |
USA |
20:58 |
Evan Correll |
USA |
22:26 |
Geert Schipper |
NED |
23:01 |
Dustin Stallberg |
USA |
21:43 |
Miguel Jimenez Vergara |
USA |
21:48 |
Peyton Gunnarson |
USA |
21:50 |
Colby Higgins |
USA |
22:05 |
Laurens Molina |
CRC |
22:19 |
Jason Robinson |
USA |
23:08 |
Phillip Croft |
USA |
24:00 |
Pedro Gandarilla Fernandez |
MEX |
24:00 |
Matthew Porterfield |
USA |
24:59 |
Brad Smith |
USA |
27:05 |
Grant Pierce |
USA |
Women's Open Division
Emmaculate Anyango |
KEN |
28:57 |
Jesca Chelangat |
KEN |
30:01 |
Cintia Chepngeno |
KEN |
30:08 |
Vicoty Chepngeno |
KEN |
30:14 |
Irine Cheptai |
KEN |
30:16 |
Grace Loibach |
KEN |
30:27 |
Stacy Ndiwa |
KEN |
31:01 |
Cynthia Limo |
KEN |
31:27 |
Sarah Naibei |
KEN |
31:29 |
Risper Biyaki |
MEX |
31:43 |
Mestawut Fikir |
ETH |
31:45 |
Vibian Chepkurui |
KEN |
32:11 |
Aynadis Mebrit |
ETH |
32:34 |
Tristan Van Ord |
USA |
32:34 |
Atsede Bayisa |
ETH |
32:40 |
Jessie Cardin |
USA |
32:49 |
Susanna Sullivan |
USA |
32:50 |
Carrie Verdon |
USA |
33:06 |
Kasanesh Baze |
ETH |
33:10 |
Laura Labuschagne |
RSA |
33:57 |
Sydney Bowman |
USA |
34:11 |
Katie Munks |
USA |
34:13 |
Stephanie Sherman |
USA |
34:21 |
Rachel Kennedy |
USA |
35:01 |
Whitney Macon |
USA |
35:36 |
Erica Weitz |
USA |
35:42 |
Kassie Parker |
USA |
Debut |
Jasmine Fehr |
CAN |
Debut |
Marissa Lenger |
USA |
Debut |
Women's Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division
Susannah Scaroni |
USA |
21:10 |
Chelsea Stein |
USA |
24:32 |
Jenna Fesemyer |
USA |
24:50 |
Yen Hoang |
USA |
24:53 |
Hannah Babalola |
NGR |
24:55 |
Hannah Dederick |
USA |
25:30 |
Michelle Wheeler |
USA |
26:12 |
Kendall Gretsch |
USA |
27:30 |
Emelia Perry |
USA |
28:18 |
Veronica Gonzalez |
MEX |
29:48 |
Aerelie Jones |
USA |
30:55 |
Hoda Eishorbagy |
EGY |
32:33 |
Linden Williamson |
USA |
Elite High School Division
GIRLS
Name |
School |
City |
Kenley Adams |
Lambert HS |
Suwanee |
Liliana Beemer |
Evans HS |
Evans |
Zahara Bernal |
Pace Academy |
Atlanta |
Maya Davis |
Athens Academy |
Athens |
Aislynn Dunn |
Pope HS |
Marietta |
Georgy Helmers |
St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School |
Columbus |
Audrey Hotard |
Habersham Central HS |
Mt. Airy |
Josie Hutchinson |
Pope HS |
Marietta |
Maddie Jones |
Marietta HS |
Marietta |
Tess Krogman |
West Forsyth HS |
Cumming |
Emily McDonald |
Alexander HS |
Douglasville |
Weezie Moore |
Wesleyan School |
Peachtree Corners |
Mary Nesmith |
Marietta HS |
Marietta |
Clodagh O'Bryant |
North Hall HS |
Gainesville |
London Ray |
Blessed Trinity Catholic HS |
Roswell |
Olivia Resnick |
Pace Academy |
Atlanta |
Effie Ward |
Harris County HS |
Hamilton |
Kennedy Wardle |
Brookwood HS |
Snellville |
BOYS
Ethan Bridge |
Denmark HS |
Alpharetta |
Aaron Brodrick |
Oconee County HS |
Watkinsville |
Malachi Burnett |
Creekview HS |
Canton |
Riley Comstock |
Harrison HS |
Kennesaw |
Caleb Darsey |
Bleckley County HS |
Cochran |
Davis Drake |
Johnson Ferry Christian Academy |
Marietta |
Walker Elrod |
Grace Christian Academy |
Bainbridge |
| Evan Grundmeyer | Marietta HS | Marietta |
Liam Hanemann |
Marist School |
Atlanta |
Jackson Hogsed |
Lambert HS |
Suwanee |
Clint Huggins |
Harrison HS |
Kennesaw |
Dermot Maloney |
Pope HS |
Marietta |
Wood Moore |
Wesleyan HS |
Peachtree Corners |
Jameson Pifer |
Collins Hill HS |
Suwanee |
Andrew Stricklin |
Marist School |
Atlanta |
Kristopher Strong |
Stockbridge HS |
Stockbridge |
Alexander Thompson |
Brookwood HS |
Snellville |
Wyatt Windham |
Lumpkin County HS |
Dahlonega |
Ben Winn |
South Forsyth HS |
Cumming |
Bryant Young |
North Hall High School |
Gainesville |