New York, November 3, 2018—Paul Chelimo broke the course record and Emily Sisson picked up her first win at a New York Road Runners race at the USATF 5K Championships and Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K on Saturday, November 3.

Chelimo, an Olympic silver medalist in the 5000 meters, won the men’s race in 13:45, taking one second off the former course record that was set by Nick Willis in 2013.

“It’s a good day to win,” Chelimo said. “It’s so exciting, I wasn’t going to lose it today.”

Last year’s USATF 5K Championships winner, Shadrack Kipchirchir, finished second in 13:45, and Stanley Kebenei took third in 13:53.

After finishing as runner-up twice at the United Airlines NYC Half, Emily Sisson won her first race in New York, taking the tape in the women’s race with a solo sprint to the finish in 15:38.

“It means a lot winning here today,” she said. “I came second the last two times I raced in New York, and both of those races were really good, but to finally break the tape meant a lot to me. There’s something really special about racing here.” 

Erika Kemp, who recently graduated from North Carolina State where she was an All-American, took second in the women’s race in 15:50. Olympian Amy Cragg, who was third at the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year, finished third in 15:54.

Following in the footsteps of the professional athletes were more than 10,000 runners participating in the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, including top local athletes and people visiting from around the world.

The 2018 Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K and USATF 5K Championships took place the day prior to the TCS New York City Marathon as part of the 2018 USATF Running Circuit.

Abbott is serving as both the title partner of the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line and USATF 5K Championships – both hosted by NYRR – through 2021.

The Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K annually provides TCS New York City Marathon supporters, friends and families the opportunity to join in on the thrill of marathon race week. The course begins on Manhattan’s east side by the United Nations, then takes runners along 42nd Street past historic Grand Central Terminal and up the world-famous Avenue of the Americas past Radio City Music Hall. It then passes through the rolling hills of Central Park before finishing at the iconic TCS New York City Marathon finish line.

Full results and coverage from the event can be found at www.nyrr.org. Photos from the event will be made available shortly at NYRR’s online media center. Caption and credit information is contained in the metadata and in NYRR’s online media center; credit all photos “Courtesy of NYRR” unless otherwise specified. For any specific requests, please email media@nyrr.org.

About New York Road Runners (NYRR) 

In 2018, NYRR is celebrating 60 years of helping and inspiring people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, free youth running initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners.  To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.

Release courtesy of NYRR