Anthony Rotich and Shannon Rowbury Win USATF 5 km Championships at Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K

New York, November 2, 2019—U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program member Anthony Rotich and three-time Olympian Shannon Rowbury won the USA Track & Field (USATF) 5 km Championships at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K in Central Park on Saturday.

In his first visit to New York, Rotich  raced to the finish line in 13:48, outsprinting a pack of four others to cross the line first just three seconds short of the course record. Aaron Templeton took second place in 13:48, followed by Eric Jenkins in third in 13:50.

“This is my first time running here, I just became a U.S. citizen earlier this year, and now this win is the biggest race and win of my career so far,” Rotich said.

In the women’s race, Rowbury held off Jessica Tonn to capture her first 5K national title in 15:43, with Tonn coming second in 15:44 followed by Olympian Emily Infeld in third in 15:47.

“Knowing that I had all of these women right behind me, it’s an important challenge to work through mentally because you can either freak out that you’re surrounded by people or you can use it to kind of focus yourself and direct your energy towards execution,” Rowbury said of her finish.

The 2019 Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K and USA Track & Field (USATF) 5 km Championships took place the day prior to the TCS New York City Marathon as part of the 2019 USATF Running Circuit, featuring a $60,000 prize purse – the largest of any 5K race in the world.

Following in the footsteps of the professional athletes were runners participating in the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, including top local athletes and runners visiting from around the world. There were 10,329* total finishers in the race.

Abbott, the title sponsor of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, served as the sponsor of the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K for the fourth consecutive year. Abbott, a global healthcare company, helps people live fully with life-changing technology and celebrates what’s possible with good health.

The Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K annually provides TCS New York City Marathon supporters, friends and families the opportunity to join in on the thrill of marathon race week. The course begins on Manhattan’s east side by the United Nations, then takes runners along 42nd Street past historic Grand Central Terminal and up the world-famous Avenue of the Americas past Radio City Music Hall. It then passes through the rolling hills of Central Park before finishing at the iconic TCS New York City Marathon finish line.

*Total finisher number subject to change. Any changes will be updated in the online version of this press release at nyrr.org/mediacenter.

About New York Road Runners (NYRR)

NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners.  To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.