Defending Women's Champ Seeking 5th Straight Title At Manchester Road Race

MANCHESTER, CT — Olympian Weini Kelati will be back in Manchester on Thanksgiving morning to not only defend her road race title, but attempt a fifth-consecutive win.

The commitment of Kelati, the course record holder at the Manchester Road Race, was announced Monday. The 28-year-old long distance running star from Flagstaff, AZ, set the MRR women's course record of 22:55 during her first victory in 2021. She has broken the tape in Manchester every year since then, and also holds the MRR records for most consecutive wins by a female athlete.

A fifth victory this November will tie Kelati with Olympian Amy Rudolph for the record of most women's championships won at the road race. Rudolph won the event five times non-consecutively between 1995 and 2002.

"Weini is an amazing runner who has turned in thrilling performances every time she’s raced in Manchester," said Dr. Tris Carta, the president of the Manchester Road Race Committee. "We are so pleased to announce that she’s returning this Thanksgiving."

Kelati won the race last year in 23:14, the second fastest time run by a woman on the 4.737-mile Manchester course. Known for running with the men's leader pack during the race, she placed 18th overall at the MRR in 2021, 19th in 2023, and 21st last year.

A native of Eritrea who immigrated to the United States when she was in her teens, Kelati won four national championships and was a 13-time All-American in track and cross country at the University of New Mexico. She competed for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympic games and finished eighth in the 10,000-meter finals.

Kelati set the American record of 1:06:09 for the half marathon in Houston last January. Her other personal bests include times of 30:33.82 in the 10,000 meters and 14:35.43 in the 5,000 meters.

Former Boston Marathon champion Amby Burfoot holds the MRR records for most wins (9) and most consecutive victories (7), which he earned over a 10-year stretch between 1968 and 1977. Olympic marathoner Johnny Kelley won the road race six times between 1951 and 1962.

The 89th Manchester Road Race will be held at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27, 2025). One of America’s largest and most popular Thanksgiving Day runs, it is run on a 4.737-mile loop course through the town’s central streets that starts and finishes on Main Street, in front of St.James Church.

More details and on-line registration are available 24 hours a day at www.manchestrerroadrace.com.