Biya Simbassa, who trains in Flagstaff and formerly was coached by Ryan Hall, won the Great Cow Harbor 10K, which serves as the USATF 10K Road Championships, on Saturday.
Simbassa was locked in a two-man battle with Olympian Hillary Bor on the streets of Northport, N.Y., on Long Island for most of the race, as the two dropped Sam Chelanga and Kirubel Erassa in the fourth mile, a downhill stretch.
But Simbassa was too strong and pulled away from Bor to easily take the victory and the $8,000 prize money in 28:18. Bor was second, six seconds back, and Chelenga hung on for third. Simbassa holds the course record of 28:13, which he set in winning the USATF title in 2022.
Afewerki Zeru, who runs for McKirdy Trained, finished sixth in 29:10.
This was the first victory in 2024 for Simbassa on the USATF road racing circuit, but he’s had a productive spring and summer. Two weeks ago, he finished third at the USATF 20K Road Championships in New Haven, and a few weeks before that was fourth at the Beach to Beacon in Maine. Other highlights recently for Simbassa: fifth at both the Bolder Boulder in Colorado and the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, D.C.
After Saturday’s race, Simbassa told Dave Monti of Race Results Weekly that the hills on Long Island and his knowledge of the course helped him beat Bor.
“This course can be tricky,” he told Monti. “If you take a lead, make sure you don’t go back because there is no place you can take a break. … It’s been a while (since) I won (a national) title. You know, every year I set a goal at the end of the year, I want to win one national championship. So, today’s comeback and win here is just a blessing.”
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