Kurgat Sets Record, Kelati Makes It a 5-Peat In 89th Manchester Road Race

MANCHESTER, CT — Edwin Kurgat set a new course record and Weini Kelati won her fifth straight title as they captured the men's and women's divisions in the 89th Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day.

Both hail from Flagstaff, AZ, by way of Kenya and Eritrea, respectively.

Kurgat and Kelati also won King and Queen of the Hill honors. More than 12,000 runners participated in the 2025 edition of the race and about 30,000 spectators lined Manchester's central streets.

The crowd was as boisterous as any in recent memory.

Kurgat, who took third place last year in Manchester, came onto the 4-mile mark — a straightaway after a curve — at a blistering pace, slightly ahead of England's David Mullarkey, despite a headwind that was 7 mph sustained with gust of up to 25 mph.

After the grueling downhill finish on Main Street, it was Kurgat to first break the tape in 20:54, making him the first to dip below the 21-minute mark on the 4.737-mile course. The previous course record was 21:04, run by Connor Mantz in 2022.

Kelati, running with the men, broke out to a lead of 49 seconds over Great Britain's Hannah Nuttall at the 4-mile mark and cruised to another win (50 seconds ahead of Nuttall), this time in 23:16.

Kelati holds the course record for the women with a time of 22:55, set in 2021. Her time this year represents the second-fastest for a woman. Kelati owns the four fastest women's times ever in the race.

Kelati tied the record for most wins in Manchester with the great Amy Rudolph.