World record holders to compete in Peachtree Road Race

Four world record-holders will lead the women’s fields at the 53rd Running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race.

In the footrace, marathon world record-holder Brigid Kosgei will face off against 5K world record-holder Senbere Teferi, while in the Shepherd’s Center Wheelchair Division newly minted 5000m world record-holder Susannah Scaroni will try to deny Tatyana McFadden, world record-holder at 100m and 400m, her ninth victory here.

All will be chasing the Peachtree event record and a potential $53,000 in bonus prize money.

Kosgei, of Kenya, is the current owner of the footrace course record, set when she won the 2019 Peachtree in 30:22 — the fastest 10K ever run, under any conditions, in the United States. Three months later, she shattered the world marathon record by running 2:14:04 at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Kosgei returns to Atlanta as a reigning Olympic marathon silver medalist for the first time since her historic run and says she’s ready to make history on the Fourth of July yet again.

"I like the course and conditions, plus there is a lot of cheering from fans," Kosgei said. "I will count on them to find more energy during the race to run faster."

To defend her record, Kosgei will have to face Ethiopia’s Teferi, who is undefeated on the roads this year. Teferi holds the world record in the road 5K for women-only events, having run 14:29 at the adidas Adizero Road to Records in Germany last year. The two-time Olympian comes to Atlanta after winning the Mastercard New York Mini 10K in 30:43 on the hills of New York City’s Central Park earlier this month.

"I have heard many good things about the Peachtree," Teferi said of her Peachtree debut. "I want to come prepared as best as possible to challenge the course record and put my name in the history of the race."

An event record bonus purse of $53,000 (for the 53rd Running) is offered to winners of the men’s and women’s open divisions and men’s and women’s Shepherd Center Wheelchair divisions. If only one athlete sets a record, he or she will take home the full amount; if more than one does so, the bonus will be divided equally.

The American field is led by Keira D’Amato, who says she’s ready to contend with Kosgei and Teferi for the victory. D’Amato finished 16th in her last Peachtree, in 2019, but since then has broken Deena Kastor’s 16-year old American marathon record, running 2:19:12 at the Chevron Houston Marathon in January; broken the U.S. 10-mile record and this month won the USATF 6K title.

"I remember in 2019, I planned to go out conservative, and then crush the hill," D’Amato said. "And I did that but there was only so much that I could make up on the hill. This time I'm going to take it out real hard."

In the Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division, McFadden – the defending champion whose eight victories here are the most of any elite athlete in any division – is hoping to add another glass peach to her trophy case. She’ll face Scaroni, winner of the 2018 Peachtree, who has returned to racing after being hit by a car in training in September. So far, the comeback has been a success: Earlier this spring, Scaroni set a world record in the 5000m on the track. Then, just this month, Scaroni won the Mastercard Mini 10K in a world-best time of 21:10.

"I think the 10K is probably my favorite road racing distance because you really can go all out," Scaroni said. "I feel like I can go and give everything I have for that entire race."

Scaroni recently won the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, shattering the event record. She and McFadden will both be chasing Manuela Schär’s 2019 course record of 21:28 to get some or all of the $53,000 record bonus. They’ll face competition from Tokyo Paralympians Jenna Fesemyer and Yen Hoang, both of the United States.

The 53rd Running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race will be held on Monday, July 4, 2022. The race begins at Atlanta’s Lenox Square and ends at Piedmont Park. It will be broadcast locally on WXIA-11Alive and streamed nationally at 11alive.com.