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SPOKANE, WA – (May 7, 2025) – At the 49th Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, on a beautiful sunny, cool, ideal for racing, Sunday morning on May 4, Kenyans Patrick Kiprop and Veronica Loleo won their respective races in dominant fashion, clocking 34 minutes, 8 seconds and 38:02; the latter, a women’s course record. At the fifth stop on the 2024-25 PRRO Circuit, America’s Classic Road Races™, the Bloomsday champions also earned automatic eligibility to compete for the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 28th PRRO Championship hosted by the Boilermaker 15K on July 13, 2025 in Utica, NY.
In the women’s race, by the crest of famed Doomsday Hill on mile 5, Loleo, barring collapse, was headed unchallenged to the finish line. The only question was how fast would the 27-year-old run in her Bloomsday debut; the answer, a course record, just bettering by one second, the previous record of 38:03, set in 2016 by Cynthia Limo of Kenya. Adane Anmaw of Ethiopia was the runner-up in 38:14, closely followed by defending champion Sarah Naibei of Kenya with the same time (46 seconds faster than last year) and Aubrey Frentheway, who finished fourth in 38:15, top female American.
For the men, Kiprop, 26, who recently competed for the University of Arkansas and made his road racing debut at Bloomsday, broke away from the pack at the 4 mile mark and never looked back. He cruised to the finish line 35 seconds ahead of countryman Mike Kamau who ran 34:43 for second. American Futsum Zienasellassie took third in 34:51.
In addition, at Bloomsday, the final points for the PRRO Super Bonus points system were awarded for the 2-10 finishers. The top 5 scorers overall from the five 2024-25 Circuit events – to be announced soon – have also qualified to compete for the Super Bonus at the 2025 PRRO Championship.
Overall, the race paid out $81,000 in prize money, including $20,000 U.S. prize money and $7000 to each Open race champion.
“Bloomsday 2025, the last PRRO Circuit race before the upcoming PRRO Championship at the Boilermaker 15K, was something special with ideal weather and fast times, highlighted by Veronica Loleo’s course record. In addition, each race champion received an automatic PRRO Super Bonus qualification berth and the 2-10 finishers earned the final Super Bonus points,” said PRRO President and Bloomsday founder Don Kardong.
At the annual spring 7.46 mile road race, which fosters health, fitness and the community spirit of the Lilac City, more than 30,000 runners and walkers completed the iconic course that weaves across the Spokane River gorge before finishing above awe-inspiring falls in downtown Spokane.
For complete 2025 race results, go to: bloomsdayrun.org
The PRRO Circuit showcases world class competition at five of America’s Classic Road Races™, the Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville, FL, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, DC, the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K in Spokane, WA, the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY and the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, IA. The 2024-25 PRRO Circuit offers more than $400,000 in guaranteed prize money overall with $113,600 for U.S. athletes. The PRRO Circuit, a nationwide series of premier non-marathon road racing events, is organized and promoted by the Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO), an alliance of race directors.
Schedule and PRRO Super Bonus event qualifiers below:
THE PRRO CIRCUIT 2024-25 SCHEDULE
Boilermaker 15K, July 14, 2024, Utica, NY
$65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money)
WINNERS: John Korir*, Kenya, 42:11 and Grace Loibach Nawowuna*, Kenya, 49:18
50th Quad-City Times Bix 7, July 27, 2024, Davenport, IA
$50,000 in prize money
WINNERS: Wesley Kiptoo*, Kenya, 32:27 and Rachael Chebet*, Uganda, 36:11
Gate River Run 15K, March 1, 2025, Jacksonville, FL
$57,000 in prize money ($16,000 U.S. prize money) plus $5000 Equalizer gender race and World, U.S. & course record bonus money
WINNERS: Wesley Kiptoo*, Kenya, 42:10 (event record) and Calli Hauger-Thackery*, Great Britain, 47:24
Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, April 6, 2025, Washington, DC
$80,600 in prize money ($48,600 U.S. prize money) plus performance bonuses
WINNERS: Charles Hicks*, USA, 45:14 (event record) and Taylor Roe*, USA, 49:53 (World Best & event record)
Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 4, 2025, Spokane, WA
$81,000 in prize money ($20,000 U.S. prize money)
WINNERS: Patrick Kiprop*, Kenya, 34:08 and Veronica Loleo*, Kenya, 38:02 (event record)
THE 28th PRRO CHAMPIONSHIP
Boilermaker 15K, July 13, 2025, Utica, NY
$65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money) as well as:
· $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus to male or female champions who are either defending champions, have won any of the PRRO Circuit 2024-25 races or finished top 5 in the points system (split if both eligible male and female win)
· $2500 to male or female championship winners who have not won any races on the 2024-25 Circuit
· $1500 to eligible PRRO event champions, males and females, finishing in places 2-10
* = Automatically qualified to compete for the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2025 PRRO Championship
Reigning PRRO champions Tebello Ramakongoana and Sarah Naibei, who won the 2024 PRRO Championship at the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, were the first two athletes to earn a chance to compete for the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2025 PRRO Championship. In pursuit of the Super Bonus, the pair join the nine qualified athletes who have won 2024-25 Circuit events and the top 5 per gender in the points system.
Only current PRRO Circuit event champions are eligible for the PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus ($1500 for eligible athletes who do not win the PRRO Championship but do finish in places 2-10 at the PRRO Championship).
If the male and/or female winners of this summer’s PRRO Championship at Boilermaker have not won any of the events on the current Circuit, they will be awarded $2500 each as the PRRO Championship winners in addition to the prize money at the PRRO Championship event.
To-date, PRRO Circuit events have produced 18 world and 22 U.S. road records, awarded more than $8.7 million in prize money and seen more than 2.7 million runners cross their finish lines. In addition, since 1996, the PRRO Championship race has paid out more than $2.2 million including $188,500 in PRRO Championship bonus money.
PRRO Championship and Circuit Year
The PRRO Circuit, launched in 1995, starts and finishes the Circuit Year at the same event that will also host the season-ending PRRO Championship race. The reigning titlists of the PRRO Championship, the event winners on the current Circuit and the top 5 in the PRRO Super Bonus points system are eligible to compete for the PRRO Super Bonus at the PRRO Championship.
Visit PRRO.org for more information, including its history and past champions, as well as how to join the PRRO Circuit.
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