Rhonex Kipruto not only broke the AJC Peachtree Road Race course record Thursday, he also recorded the fastest time on American soil.
Kipruto finished the 50th running of the 10,000-meter race in 27 minutes, one second. It earned him a $50,000 prize for breaking the course record, but also further cemented his place as one of the fastest runners in the world.
“I am every happy,” Kipruto said. “Especially because when I was coming here, I was coming for course record. I’m thankful for that.”
Credit: compton@ajc.com
Credit: compton@ajc.com
The 19-year-old distance runner’s win comes off the heels of a 26:50:16 in a 10K on the track at the Diamond League Stockholm meet May 30 in Stockholm, Sweden.
Kipruto said he wasn’t thinking about the course record during the race. He knew he was confident to get the record because of his previous time. He was shooting to finish in less than 27 minutes. Even though he didn’t get it, it didn’t matter.
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While the first five kilometers were tough, Kipruto said he thought the last five were where he really hit his stride, where he was “very fast.”
His brother, Bravin Kiptoo, 17, finished second with a time of 27:29. Kipruto said it was good to see him run well.
Kipruto’s ambition is to break the world record for the 10,000-meter race, and his performance Thursday certainly helped his goal.
“I want to thank the race organizers for inviting me ... and I want to thank my coaches, for all the hard work they are doing for me.”
» RELATED: Results, photos and more from the AJC Peachtree Road Race.
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