By Wealthy Sands, @thatrichsands.bsky.social
(c) 2024 Race Outcomes Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
Along with the general prize cash, the race gives bonuses of $10,000 for a world report and $5,000 for a USA report. The present world data are 3:51.3 by Nice Britain’’ Elliot Giles, set this previous September, and 4:20.98 by Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji whereas successful the 2023 World Athletics Highway Working title. Yared Nuguse (3:51.9) and Nikki Hiltz (4:28.0) maintain the U.S. data.
“The rise in prize cash within the Kalakaua Merrie Mile acknowledges the unimaginable contributions that world-class athletes have made to this unimaginable occasion,” stated Dr. Jim Barahal, president of the Honolulu Marathon Affiliation, which places on the race. “As we start a brand new period of this occasion with a worldwide streaming broadcast, we need to reward and proceed to work with the highest athletes on this planet for a few years to come back.”
The race was first held in 2016 at the side of the Honolulu Marathon and has shortly change into a well-liked occasion, attracting Olympians and worldwide stars from all over the world. 9 months after successful final 12 months’s race, Nuguse received the bronze medal within the 1500-meter Olympic competitors in Paris.
“I actually love bringing athletes all the way down to Honolulu for the KMM; it’s the easiest way to finish our 12 months and have fun a profitable 12 months,” stated coach and agent Stephen Haas, representing 5 athletes racing this 12 months. “The Honolulu Marathon crew actually has helped my athletes develop within the sport by offering them an important alternative to race among the finest athletes on this planet down right here yearly. We’re enthusiastic about this 12 months’s race and have been trying ahead to placing on present for everybody popping out to look at.”
The race incorporates a World Athletics-certified out-and-back course alongside Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki. Along with the skilled area, about 2,500 citizen runners will take part. A dwell stream will start at 7:30 a.m. native time on Saturday (12:30 pm Japanese time) on the Honolulu Marathon’s YouTube channel (12:30 p.m. EST).
Hiltz –the reigning USA Monitor & Area indoor and outside champion within the 1500 meters– will line up at this 12 months’s Merrie Mile after ending fifth general final 12 months. The ladies’s area additionally consists of Susan Ejore-Sanders of Kenya, who positioned sixth within the 1500m on the Paris Olympics (one spot forward of Hiltz), in addition to American Olympians Emily Mackay, Heather MacLean and Weini Kelati; Irish Olympian Sophie O’Sullivan, and Japanese Olympian Nozomi Tanaka. Rounding out the sector is Sinclaire Johnson, the 2022 U.S. champion within the 1500, who completed fourth on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Chasing them within the males’s area are a number of Olympians, together with Individuals Hobbs Kessler (the 2023 World Athletics street mile champion), Bryce Hoppel and Nico Younger; Australian Oliver Hoare; and Neil Gourley of Nice Britain, the 2022 Merrie Mile winner. Additionally within the combine can be Australia’s Jack Anstey, Kenya’s Festus Lagat, and final 12 months’s runner-up, Vince Ciattei, who completed fourth within the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.
“The Kalakaua Merrie Mile is one among my favourite occasions of the 12 months. There isn’t a higher athlete expertise anyplace,” stated Ciattei. “For the occasion organizers to extend the prize cash on high of every part else they do for us on race week is an incredible funding within the sport. Final 12 months, I regarded ahead to my first probability on the Merrie Mile all fall, and coming again and competing for increased prize cash this 12 months was much more motivating.”
