Team USATF Heads to World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen
American record holders across the half marathon and mile lead a star-studded Team USATF roster at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. The two-day global showcase opens Saturday with the road mile and 5K, followed by Sunday’s half marathons.
In the men’s road mile, American record holder Yared Nuguse doubles back quickly from last weekend’s World Ultimate Championships in Budapest, where he took fifth in the 1500m despite a clipped shoe with 600m to go. The 2024 Olympic bronze medalist—who set the national track mile mark of 3:43.97 in 2023—won the Diamond League 1500m in Stockholm earlier this season. Nuguse booked his ticket by edging out Vince Ciattei by just half a second at the USATF 1 Mile Championships in Des Moines. The pair arrive as massive favorites on paper, holding road bests (Nuguse at 3:51.90, Ciattei at 3:54.55) nearly six seconds clear of the rest of the field. They will contend with top international talent, including Nuguse’s teammate Ollie Hoare and Jake Heyward, fresh off a runner-up showing at the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile.
On the women’s side, 2026 World Indoor bronze medalist Addy Wiley enters as the top seed behind her 4:25.42 road best from Des Moines. Wiley, coming off a fourth-place 800m run in Budapest, is joined by steeplechase standout Gracie Hyde, who pushed Wiley to the line at nationals with a 4:25.64 personal best before taking second at Düsseldorf’s New Balance Kö Meile earlier this month. Standing in their way is Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu, a two-time World Indoor champion and Riga road-mile silver medalist fresh off a 5000m win at the Brussels Diamond League final.
The men’s 5K promises an electrifying showdown between France’s Jimmy Gressier and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who arrives in peak form after winning the 5000m in Budapest. Reigning U.S. 5K champion Drew Hunter leads the American contingent alongside 2025 World Indoor finalist Dylan Jacobs. In the women’s 5K, Olympic steeplechase silver medalist Courtney Frerichs continues her resurgent road campaign alongside Allie Ostrander, who steps in for the injured Karissa Schweizer. They face a daunting international duo in Budapest champion Likina Amebaw of Ethiopia and Kenya’s Caroline Nyaga, the fourth-fastest 5K runner in history.
Sunday’s action turns to the half marathon, featuring six American women. National record holder Weini Kelati (1:06:04) headlines the squad as a final tune-up before her New York City Marathon debut this November. She is joined by Jess McClain, who clocked 2:20:30 at Boston—the fastest time ever run by an American woman on the course—alongside national 25K champion Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat. Following a course-marking mishap at the U.S. half marathon championships, Carrie Ellwood and Annie Rodenfels will also race in USA jerseys as non-scoring competitors. The undisputed favorite, however, is Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich, who owns the second- and third-fastest times in history with back-to-back Valencia titles (1:03:04 and 1:03:08).
The men’s race marks the return of American marathon record holder Conner Mantz. Sidelined for most of 2026 by injuries, Mantz is healthy and testing his fitness before heading to New York. He is backed by U.S. champion Wesley Kiptoo, two-time Olympic steeplechaser Hillary Bor, and breakout star Ahmed Muhamed, who took third behind Kiptoo and Bor in March.
U.S. fans will need to set an early alarm: Saturday’s coverage begins with the mile at 4:10 a.m. ET and the 5K at 8:10 a.m. ET. Sunday’s women’s half marathon starts at 3:10 a.m. ET, followed by the men at 3:45 a.m. ET. The entire championship will stream live on Peacock.
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