Winners Crowned In 83rd Manchester Road Race

MANCHESTER, CT — Two elite runners traveled a fair distance to spend Thanksgiving morning on the hilly streets of Manchester, with the goal in mind of claiming victory in the Manchester Road Race, the nation's oldest "5-mile" road race.

Eric Jenkins of Portland, Ore. made up about a 5-second deficit in the final mile to cross the finish line first in 21 minutes, 19 seconds, just three seconds off the mark established in frigid conditions last year by Edward Cheserek. The defending champion placed second this time around.

Jenkins, 28, was the 2015 NCAA Division 1 indoor track and field champion in both the 3,000 and 5,000 meter races, competing for the University of Oregon. He began his college career at Northeastern University in Boston.

In the women's division, Kenyan Edna Kiplagat, who now lives in Boulder, Colo., covered the course, which actually measures 4.748 miles, in 24:30. The 40-year-old elite marathon runner boasts a resume which includes victories in the 2010 New York City Marathon and the 2017 Boston Marathon.

More than 11,000 official entrants participated in the 83rd running of the race.

The men's leaders at the halfway mark, just before turning from Highland Street onto Porter Street. (Tim Jensen/Patch Media Corp.)

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This story includes race course coverage by Patch editors Tim Jensen and Chris Dehnel.