Home › Race Coverage › Ayichew and El Youssfi wins 2026 CUCB 10 Miler; Hurley and Morris are USATF Champions

Ayichew and El Youssfi wins 2026 CUCB 10 Miler; Hurley and Morris are USATF Champions

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By Clay Shaw
Photography by Clay Shaw and Karen Mitchell

Washington, DC 4.12.26—Asayech Ayichew of Ethiopia had the best finish of a group of five at mile nine. The fourth place finisher at the World XC in Tallahassee ran the second fastest time ever at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in 50:37. Joy Cheptoyek of Uganda, who earned a silver medal at the Tallahassee World XC was second in 50:41. Emma Grace Hurley of Indianapolis charged hard on the uphill final kilometer to earn the USATF 10 Mile Championship in 50:42. Weini Kelati of Flagstaff, AZ was fourth and second American in 50:46. Karissa Schweizer of Portland, OR was fifth and third American in her first 10 mile race ever, in 50:55. The top five women had formed a five-woman pack on the Hains Point section of the course. Earlier in the race, at least sixteen women were in the lead pack crossing into Virginia and back. It was a solid and large elite field, with over 20,000 finishers.

Mohammed El Youssfi of Morocco won in 46:17, but his lead shrank to just one second as Graydon Morris of Chapel Hill, NC made a large charge, finishing in 46:18. Morris was the top American and won the USATF 10 Mile Championship. Kieran Tuntivate of Thailand was third in 46:32; he is based in Wilmington, Delaware.  Cole Sprout of Eugene, OR was fourth in 46:35 and second American. Aidan Reed of Boulder, CO was fifth and third American in 46:38.

The 2026 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler marked the end of the race directorship of Phil Stewart after 36 years. Rob Wolfe will take over as race director for the 2027 event slated for April 3 & 4, 2027.

Top Women

  1. 50:37 Asayech Ayichew, 21, Ethiopia
  2. 50:41 Joy Cheptoyek, 23, Uganda
  3. 50:42 Emma Grace Hurley, 28, Indianapolis, IN
  4. 50:46 Weini Kelati, 29, Flagstaff, AZ
  5. 50:55 Karissa Schweizer, 29, Portland, OR
  6. 51:21 Everlyn Kemboi, 30, Kenya
  7. 51:36 Molly Born, 26, Chapel Hill, NC
  8. 52:01 Kassie Parker, 26, Waverly, IA
  9. 52:02 Norah Jeruto, 30, Kazakhstan
  10. 52:09 Katie Izzo, 29, Flagstaff, AZ
  11. 52:18 Laura Galvan, 34, Mexico
  12. 52:18 Ednah Kurgat, 34, Colorado Springs, CO
  13. 52:30 Annamaria Kostarellis, 26, Albuquerque, NM
  14. 52:46 Rachel Smith, 34, Flagstaff, AZ
  15. 52:53 Callie Logue Hughes, 27, Bloomington, IN
  16. 52:55 Micaela Rivera Wood, 26, Peru
  17. 53:12 Biruktayit Degefa, 35, Colorado Springs, CO
  18. 53:58 Jessie Cardin, 29, Lake Orion, MI
  19. 54:03 Anna Oeser, 26, New York, NY
  20. 54:08 Tessa Barrett, 30, Arlington, VA
  21. 54:26 Jessica Gockley-Day, 28, Fountain, CO
  22. 54:32 Olivia Borowiak, 25, Yorkville, IL
  23. 54:44 Makenna Thurston, 25, St Paul, MN
  24. 54:47 Cleo Boyd, 32, Charlottesville, VA
  25. 54:56 Anne-Marie Blaney, 32, Rochester Hills, MI

Top Men

  1. 46:17 Mohammed El Youssfi, 28, Morocco
  2. 46:18 Graydon Morris, 24, Chapel Hill, NC
  3. 46:32 Kieran Tuntivate, 29, Thailand
  4. 46:35 Cole Sprout, 24, Eugene, OR
  5. 46:38 Aidan Reed, 28, Boulder, CO
  6. 46:39 Mohammed Ahmed, 35, Canada
  7. 46:40 Chandler Gibbens, 25, Chicago, IL
  8. 46:40 Jack Aho, 27, Charlotte, NC
  9. 46:42 Emad Bashir-Mohammed, 23, Aurora, CO
  10. 46:43 Connor Winter, 33, Frederick, CO
  11. 46:45 Benjamin Eidenschink, 29, Niwot, CO
  12. 46:49 Jared Ward, 37, Mapleton, UT
  13. 46:51 JP Flavin, 27, Rochester Hills, MI
  14. 46:57 Merga Gemeda, 26, Minnetonka, MN
  15. 47:09 Frank Lara, 30, Westminster, CO
  16. 47:13 Mohammed Bati, 26, St Paul, MN
  17. 47:13 Alec Basten, 28, St Louis, MO
  18. 47:23 Ethan Gregg, 25, Rochester Hills, MI
  19. 47:29 Ben Rosa, 24, Lake Bluff, IL
  20. 47:40 Athanas Kioko, 31, Kenya
  21. 47:44 Graham Crawford, 33, White Plains, VA
  22. 47:46 Tyler Berg, 25, Denver, CO
  23. 47:51 Will Norris, 31, Charlottesville, VA
  24. 48:02 Joseph Trojan, 28, Edina, MN
  25. 48:15 Thomas Madden, 31, Bozeman, MT
USATF Podium: Weini Kelati, Emma Grace Hurley, and Karissa Schweizer
USATF 10 Miler Champions: Emma Grace Hurley and Graydon Morris.
Asayech Ayichew of Ethiopia was the 2026 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler Champion in 50:37.
Emma Grace Hurley of Indianapolis won her first USATF national title; the smile tells all.
Graydon Morris of Chapel Hill, NC is happy with USATF 10 Mile title. (With race directors Phil Stewart and Rob Wolfe)
Mohammed El Youssfi of Morocco wins in 46:17, just ahead of Graydon Morris. Race director Phil Stewart holds the finish banner. Phil is retiring after 36 years of directing the CUCB.
Asayech Ayichew of Ethiopia wins the 2026 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in 50:37. Incoming and outgoing race directors Rob Wolfe and Phil Stewart hold the finish banner.
A huge women’s elite pack at the 2026 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in the first mile.
The elite men are led by Chandler Gibbens #29, Aidan Reed #19, Mohammed Ahmed #2, Jack Aho #23, and Frank Lara #7.
The lead men stayed together much of the race. Here Chandler Gibbens, Aidan Reed, Jack Aho, and Cole Sprout lead the huge pack at 5 Miles.
The 2026 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler elite women with Lincoln Memorial in background.
The elite women cross the Memorial Bridge during the CUCB 10 Miler after a quick loop in Virginia.
CUCB 10 Miler after 5K
Emma Grace Hurley, Karissa Schweizer (glasses), Asayech Ayichew, Weini Kelati, and Joy Cheptoyek would be the top five finishers.
The lead pack was down to six at mile six.
Hains Point action: Karissa Schweizer, Weini Kelati, Joy Cheptoyek, Asayech Ayichew, and Emma Grace Hurley race for the top spots in the CUCB 10 Miler.
Emma Grace Hurley #10 would place third overall and top USATF finisher in 50:42.
Kieran Tuntivate of Thailand was third overall in 46:32.
Aidan Reed of Boulder was fifth overall and third USA in 46:38.
Kassie Parker of Waverly, IA finishes eighth in 52:01, just ahead of Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan.
Annamarie Kostarellis of Albuquerque, NM was thirteenth in 52:30.
Rachel Smith of Flagstaff, AZ was fourteenth in 52:46.
At five miles Emma Grace Hurley, Asayech Ayichew #2, Weini Kelati #4, and Joy Cheptoyek #12 are leading the eleven-woman lead pack.
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