MANCHESTER, Connecticut — The Manchester Road Race men’s race has a new champion. Morgan Beadlescomb dethroned defending champion Connor Mantz at the line.
Mantz, who won the 2022 Manchester Road Race, came in second place.
"The course was awesome. It's like a cross-country course on the road," Beadlescomb said after the race. "We've got the hills, it's a challenge. The wind was a little bit high today, but it was a great race."
Beadlescomb time on Thursday came in at 21:12, about 6 seconds from the record.
Before the race, Beadlescomb said he wanted to win after coming in second place behind Mantz by fewer than 1 second.
"I am already excited for next Thanksgiving. I love coming here," he said. "I came here last year. I had a great time. The energy is amazing."
In the women’s race, two-time defending champion Weini Kelati won her third consecutive Manchester Road Race, smoking the competition around her.
"This is amazing," Kelati said after the race. "To come back here is amazing."
Much like in her last two races, Kelati went out fast, pacing herself with the elite men’s competition and no other woman could match her pace. She said that as an aggressive racer, she enjoys that the men and women race at the same time because she can use it to her advantage.
"I took the opportunity to follow the guys and it worked," Kelati said.
Kelati won with a time of 23:21, beating her time from 2022. She still holds the record for the fastest course time of 22:55, which she set in 2021.
Annie Rodenfels, of Newton, Massachusetts, came in second place with a time of 23:59. Emily Durgin, from Flagstaff, Arizona, came in third with a time of 24:06.
The race within the race – the King and Queen of the Hill competition – was won by Mantz and Kelati, who won an extra $1,000 each.
PHOTOS: 87th Manchester Road Race
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