Murphy, Lipari Look at Add to USATF 1 Mile Road Championship Legacies

USATF Release

DES MOINES, Iowa – Two-time Olympic Clayton Murphy and two-time USATF 1 Mile Road champion Emily Lipari look at add to their championship legacies Tuesday evening at the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships presented by Toyota in Des Moines, hosted by the Grand Blue Mile. 

The USATF 1 Mile Road Championships are the third stop on the 2022 USATF Running Circuit presented by Toyota. Fans can tune-in for the live broadcast beginning at 6:00pm CT on USATF.TV with a +PLUS subscription.

Murphy enters Tuesday’s contest looking to re-capture the  magic of 2017, when the middle distance standout won the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships. Murphy placed third at the event in 2021, which helped guide his build-up to winning the 800m at the U.S. Olympic Trials – Track and Field, while becoming a finalist in the event at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

While Murphy enters as the pre-race favorite, he’ll have plenty of competition challenging him for the win. Vincent Ciattei is having a terrific 2022 campaign. The Oregon Track Club Elite standout has run 3:36.29 for 1500m this season, while placing fifth in the 1500 at the USATF Indoor Championships. Ciattei seeks to build off of his tenth place finish in the 1500m at last summer’s U.S. Olympic Trials.

Shane Streich is another name to watch up top. The Atlanta Track Club runner placed third in the BAA Mile earlier in the month, while placing third in the 800m at the USATF Indoor Championships.

Olympian Hillary Bor seeks to showcase his speed in Des Moines. After winning the 3000m steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials last summer, then competing at the Olympic Games, Bor is off to a fine start to his season, having run 13:10.98 for 5000m indoors. Bor also placed third at the USATF 15 km Championships in March.

Other top contenders on the men’s side include Colin Albert, who placed sixth at the 2021 USATF 1 Mile Road Championships and sixth in the BAA Mile earlier this month, veteran Ben Blankenship, who won the 2016 USATF 1 Mile Road Championships and finished seventh at the USATF Cross Country Championships earlier this year, as well as Willy Fink, who placed eighth in the 3000m at the USATF Indoor Championships.

In the women’s race, Emily Lipari brings a wealth of USATF 1 Mile Road Championships experience, as well as recent mile success. Lipari is a two-time champion at the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships, having won the title in 2020 and 2018. The Boston-based runner placed third at the BAA Mile earlier this month and seems poised to challenge for the win in Des Moines once more.

Olympian Abbey Cooper, who has had a quiet start to her 2022 campaign, is also entered. Cooper finished fourth in the 5000m at the U.S. Olympic Trials last summer and continues to be one of America’s finest distance runners. She’ll test her talent on the roads and in a shorter distance, but should offer plenty of competition to those athletes up front.

Katie Follett is also entered in Tuesday’s contest. The veteran won the USATF 1 Mile Road Championship title in 2017, while having four top five finishes to her name in the event, including a fifth place finish in 2020.

Tracksmith teammates Alexina Wilson and Samantha George will vie for top three finishes. Wilson, in particular, brings a wealth of experience, owning numerous top ten finishes at the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships, while also being a finalist in the 3000m steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials last summer.

Other top contenders in the women’s field include Anna Connor, former NCAA 1500m champion Karisa Nelson, and rising middle distance talent Emily Richards. 

On demand race videos, results, and post-race interviews will be available shortly after the race in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com. Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #USARC.

About the USATF Running Circuit

The USATF Running Circuit is a USATF road series featuring USATF championships from one mile through the marathon and consistently attracts the best American distance runners with more than $500,000 to be awarded in total prize money. A total of $25,000 in prize money will be awarded at the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships.

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USATF Running Circuit race. For the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships, scoring is set as 15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7 ,6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1, with those earning the most points receiving prize money at the end of the series.

The mission of the USATF Running Circuit is to showcase, support and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USATF Running Circuit and its races have provided over $7 million to U.S. distance runners.

Contributed by Scott Bush