INDIANAPOLIS -- Winning the Manchester Road Race for a record-tying fifth year in a row, Weini Kelati (Flagstaff, AZ/USATF Arizona) earned recognition as the 42nd USATF Athlete of the Week award winner for 2025.
Holder of the course record of 22:55 that she set when she first won the race in 2021, Kelati rocketed to the lead early in the 7.623km race and was first at the top of Highland Street to earn "Queen of the Hill" recognition and the accompanying prize money as she clocked 9:47 for that checkpoint.
At the four-mile split, Kelati was 49 seconds ahead of Great Britain's Hannah Nuttall in 19:42, and she kept that lead through the finish to win by 50 seconds in 23:18. Kelati, the eighth-place finisher in the 10,000 at the Paris Olympic Games, tied Amy Rudolph's record for most wins at the race. Other top performances from last week:
Nora Cary bettered the American women's age 70-74 record in the 8K road run with a 34:14 at the Ashenfelter 8K in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Her time is almost a minute faster than her own pending American record of 35:11 that was set in May. Now in its 24th year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week when there are high-level competitions and features the athlete on USATF.org. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.
2025 Winners: January 15, Zariel Macchia; January 22, Conner Mantz; January 29, Katelyn Tuohy; February 5, Ethan Strand; February 12, Yared Nuguse; February 19, Grant Fisher; February 26, Josh Hoey; March 5, Heather MacLean; March 12, Cole Boone; March 19, Isabella Whittaker; March 26, Claire Bryant; April 2, Curtis Thompson; April 9, Taylor Roe; April 16, Valarie Allman; April 23, Jane Hedengren; April 30, Kaitlin Bounds; May 6, Masai Russell; May 13, Lynna Irby-Jackson; May 20, Jaydin Blackwell; May 27, Jonah Koech; June 3, Anna Hall; June 10, Jane Hedengren; June 17, Nico Young; June 24, Cooper Lutkenhaus; July 1, Chase Jackson; July 8, Rudy Winkler; July 15, Quincy Wilson; July 22, Sinclaire Johnson; August 5, Cooper Lutkenhaus; August 19, Curtis Thompson; August 26, Nikki Hiltz; September 2, Cordell Tinch; September 9, Conner Mantz; September 30, Jaydin Blackwell; October 7, Annie Carey; October 14, Conner Mantz; October 21, Jane Hedengren; October 28, Tara Dower; November 4, Jenny Hitchings; November 11, Anne Flower; November 25, Rocky Hansen; December 1, Weini Kelati.
We welcome your nominations!
To nominate an athlete for USATF Athlete of the Week, please send a detailed email about their performance to communications@usatf.org.
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