WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patience paid off for two first time national champions at Sunday’s USATF 10 Mile Championships at the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington, D.C. Emma Grace Hurley (Indianapolis, IN) and Graydon Morris (Chapel Hill, NC) both bided their time in deep packs before making the decisive move late in the race that would take them to the title.
While American 10-mile records fell at last year’s Cherry Blossom, this year’s event played out very differently on both the men’s and women’s side. In the opening miles, it became clear that these would be tactical affairs and despite near perfect conditions, the records set by Alex Maier and Taylor Roe in 2025 were in no danger.
The women’s race went off first, heading onto the National Mall from the Washington Monument. With seemingly no one eager to control the pace, a pack of 14 women led by Hurley, came through the 5K mark together in 16:09. Over the course of the next three miles, the group slowly dwindled until only six remained together at the 10K mark. On Hains Point, it was three Americans - Hurley, Weini Kelati (Flagstaff, AZ) and Karissa Schweizer (Portland, OR) - along with three international athletes beginning to pick up the pace, clicking off the race’s first sub 5:00 mile at mile six.
Approaching 15K, Schweizer, running the longest race of her accomplished career, was a few steps back and Kelati, Hurley, Joy Cheptoyek (UGA) and Asayech Ayichew (ETH) were trading duties up front. With the finish in sight, Hurley made her last move on Kelati, the former U.S. 10 Mile record holder, and opened up a kick with Cheptoek and Ayichew. Ayichew claimed the overall victory in 50:47 with Cheptoyek second in 50:51. Hurley was third overall, but first American in 50:52. Kelati took second American and fourth overall in 50:46 and Schweizer held on for the third American spot and sixth overall in 50:55.
Hurley, who will represent the United States at the 2026 World Road Running Championships, wasn’t just rewarded for her patience in today’s race. Prior to today, she had finished on the podium at 10 U.S. road championships, but never tasted victory.
“No one can make anymore jokes about how I’m always second or third,” Hurley said with a smile after the race. “I really didn’t want to leave it to the last K. So, at that point I was just trying to cover any moves and if it lagged, get it back on track.”
While the pack in the women’s race was big, the men’s pack was even bigger and another case of no one wanting to set the pace. At the 5K, more than 25 runners were bunched together with no clear leader taking them through a relatively pedestrian 14:36 on this flat, fast course. Even at 10K not much had changed with miles averaging in the high 4:40s. Boulder’s Aiden Reed often found himself in the lead with Jack Aho (Charlotte, NC), Cole Sprout (Eugene, OR), Graydon Morris and Benjamin Eidenschink (Niwott, CO), all taking turns before tucking back in.
The race didn’t truly start until the eighth mile when the leaders - Morris, Sprout, Keiran Tuntivate (THA) and Mohammed El Youssfi (MAR) dropped a 4:33 mile. The next mile was a 4:25 and the sprint was on. Turning toward the finish with the Washington Monument dead ahead, El Youssfi and Morris gapped the other three contenders and came to the finish tape within one stride of each other. El Youssfi nabbed the win in 46:17 with Morris one second behind in 46:18. Sprout, whose training partner Charles Hicks won last year’s race, finished second American and fourth overall in 46:35. Reed was the third American and fifth overall finisher in 46:38.
“I felt good in the moment and decided to just trust my gut, make a break and see who would go with it,” Morris said of his defining move in the closing mile. Morris is the twin brother of U.S. 2K Cross Country Champion and world indoor 1500m finalist Gracie Morris. He told USATF.tv, his first national title only fuels their friendly, family competition. “We have been competitive since we were little kids. I don’t want her to outdo me. So, I stepped it up and added a title to my name. It’s awesome.”
The USATF 10 Mile Championship is the second event on the USATF Running Circuit. The next event is the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships in Des Moines, IA.