Boilermaker 15K: Jemal Yimer Mekonnen, Rosemary Wanjiru take home titles
With clear skies and a perfect temperature, the Boilermaker 15K returned Sunday morning.
About halfway through the race, two runners on the men’s side, Jemal Yimer Mekonnen of Ethiopia and Edwin Kimutai of Kenya pushed ahead and engaged in a back-and-forth battle.
Mekonnen pulled ahead just after mile nine and crossed the finish line first, winning the 2022 Boilermaker 15K in 42:38, two seconds ahead of Kimutai. Mekonnen’s time set a Boilermaker record.
On the female side, Kenyan Rosemary Wanjiru gained the crown with a time of 48:54. Fellow Kenyan Veronica Nyaru Wanjiru finished 20 seconds behind Rosemary and claimed second.
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Database:Utica Boilermaker race results from 2015-2022
Here’s what happened:
Elite runners’ control 15K
Over 7,500 runners laced up their shoes for the spectacle and near the starting line, it was a carnival-like atmosphere.
Once the runners gathered and the horn sounded, a small group of elites, competing for the first time since 2019, separated themselves from the pack.
The crowd along Culver Avenue was sparse in parts but picked up steam near Mohawk Valley Community College, where Kimutai took a big early lead.
However, once the race reached Valley View Golf Course and Conkling Park, Mekonnen caught up. The scene through the park felt serene, as crowds of residents were smaller than years past.
When the two reached the Utica Zoo, it became a battle.
Kumutai said he is used to that, as the two ran together in 2018.
At Murnane Field, Mekonnen collected the lead for the first time and as crowd size increased near Utica University, so did the intensity.
Once the race reached its closing stretch, Mekonnen cemented his win.
“He waited until there was 600 meters to go, and then he used the downhill as his kick,” Mekonnen’s translator said.
On the women’s side, Rosemary earned the lead early and held it the rest of the way. She also claimed the Pro Series Super Bonus due to winning the 2019 Lilac Bloomsday 12K.
She said the super bonus prize motivated her throughout the race.
Carrie Vernon, the top American women, finished in fifth overall.
Vernon trains in Boulder, Colorado, so she’s accustomed to running with elevation. However, she said the hilly terrain, especially in Conkling Park, proved taxing.
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The top American on the men’s side, Sam Chelanga crossed third and appeared early-on to have a shot but lost pace in the golf course.
“It happened pretty quickly,” Chelanga said. “I wish I could keep up with them, but those guys are so talented.”
Chelanga placed in fourth for much of the race before running ahead of Kenyan Shadrack Kimini Korir.
“It was really tough, but it took a lot of resilience,” he said. “I had to dig deep and play some mind games to beat him.”
The Boilermaker distinguishes itself from other top road races by the community support, which impressed Chelanga who sprinted in the race for the first time.
“The locals really value it,” he said. “People are proud, and everybody’s out there cheering. You can tell it’s a good tradition. I’m always proud when people love their community.”
Other race day highlights
As the large stream of mainly local runners came through around the halfway mark, one pair stood out.
William Smith, a 57-year-old from Gloversville, finished the race in 1:43:33.
Smith, who is blind, completed the 15K with Lisa Swedin from Jonestown.
Smith had competed in the 5K with his guide dog, Ed, but said he decided to vie for the 15K because he loves challenges.
“People say about blindness ‘he can’t do that,’ but I love it,” Smith said.
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This wasn’t Smith’s longest race. He performed in a half Ironman triathlon last year.
Although, Smith said the crowds made this race extra imposing.
“My goal was to get 1:15, and my brother, who has run in this race 24 times, said no way,” he said. “The people slowed me down, but the runners were great. They cheered me on and guided me in the right direction.”
After two hours, the last trove of runners came through the finish line, now littered with cups and cleaning crews.
Not many fans remained in the last half-mile along Court Street, but the ones who did encouraged participants with calls of “less than five minutes to go, keep pushing.”
The runners left at this point mainly walked, but some turned on the jets for the downhill approach where a feeling of satisfaction and a pint of Saranac beer awaited them.
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Savannah Boucher, a New Hartford native, who won last year’s female race and finished 14th among women said the race always holds a special place in her heart.
“There’s such nostalgia to it,” she said. “It’s our Super Bowl and such an integral part of our community. For me, it’s a deep part of who I am and my roots as a runner. It’s what I love about running.”
Noah Ram is a sports reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Noah Ram at nram@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Boilermaker 15K: Jemal Yimer Mekonnen, Rosemary Wanjiru win titles
