Defending champs, legends of sport return for iconic 10K’s 43rd year
Defending Bellin Run champions Risper Gesabwa and Brendan Gregg will headline a stellar field of elite athletes competing in the 43rd annual 10K event.
Gesabwa broke the tape in 2018 to capture a record-setting sixth Bellin Run title, followed closely by 2017 champ Kaitlin Gregg Goodman. Gregg Goodman also finished a close second to Gesabwa in 2016, meaning their 2019 rematch will be one to watch.
On the men’s side, Brendan Gregg (brother of Kaitlin Gregg Goodman) will attempt to capture a second consecutive Bellin Run victory after winning the event in his 2018 debut. Gregg will be challenged by past Bellin Run champ Meb Keflezighi, who was second in 2018 despite having officially retired from running in 2017; and 2018 third-place finisher and 2016 Olympic marathoner Jared Ward.
The 2019 Bellin Run elite field will also include a number of notable veteran athletes, many of whom have stood atop the winner’s podium in past years. They include:
- Uta Pippig of Colorado: Female champion, 1995
- Pippig is a former Olympian who became a world-renowned runner as she won three consecutive Boston Marathons and also won the New York City Marathon.
- Joan Samuelson of Maine: Female champion, 1992, 1991, 1988, 1986
- Samuelson is a former U.S. Olympian who won the women’s marathon gold in 1984. Samuelson also has enjoyed success at non-marathon distances, winning the prestigious Falmouth Road Race (7.1 miles) a total of six times, breaking the course record on four of those occasions. She continues to set Bellin Run age group records, most recently smashing the ages 60-64 mark by running 40:17 in 2017.
- Bill Rodgers of Massachusetts: Male champion, 1978
- Rodgers is perhaps best known for his four victories in the Boston Marathon, including three straight victories at Boston (1978-1980) and winning the New York City Marathon.
Although stocked with a significant field of elite athletes, the Bellin Run welcomes runners and walkers of all levels and abilities. Registrations for last year’s event topped the 12,000 mark. Registration is available online at bellinrun.com.
The registration fee for the Bellin Run is $30 per person through Saturday, June 1, when it increases to $35. In-person registration at the Friday, June 7 expo in Astor Park is $40.
The half-mile Children’s Run (ages 10 and younger) will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, June 7. The registration fee is $12 per participant through June 6, when online registration ends. In-person registration on Friday, June 7 will be $15 per participant.