Defending Champions Hagos Gebrhiwet and Buze Diriba Return to B.A.A. 5K

By Adam Kopet

The 2018 champions of the B.A.A. 5K will return to Boston April 13 to defend their titles, according to race organizers.

Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia won the 2018 race, holding off Americans Ben True and Tommy Curtin, with all three timed in 13:42. True is a four-time winner of the race and holds the American road 5K record at 13:20. Both Americans return for this year's race.

However, since last year's event, Gebrhiwet has gone on to run 12:45.82 for 5,000 meters on the track. That ranks him as the fifth fastest performer of all-time.

Drew Hunter, Justyn Knight and Ben Flanagan are also entered in the race.

Buze Diriba, also of Ethiopia, looks to win twice in one week for the second year in a row. Last year, Diriba won the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run and the B.A.A. 5K in the span of seven days. She is once again entered in both races. She won last year's 5K in 15:22.

Ethiopia's Senbere Teferi could be in position to keep Diriba from winning her third consecutive B.A.A. 5K. Earlier this year she won the RAK Half Marathon, running 1:05:45 in her half marathon debut. She also holds a 14:23.33 5,000-meter personal best on the track.

The top Americans entered include Laura Thweatt, Kim Conley and Molly Seidel.

In addition to the 5K race, there is also a men's and women's Invitational Mile.

The men's race features Robert Domanic, Eric Avila and New Zealand's Julian Oakley, all of whom have run under 3:56 for the mile on the track.

The women's race features four-time USATF Road 1 Mile champion Heather Kampf, as well as strong milers Shannon Osika, Helen Schlachtenhaufen and Emily Lipari. All four women have run under 4:29 for the mile on the track.

For a full list of elite athletes competing in the B.A.A. 5K and Invitational Mile, see the B.A.A. press release.