7.11.26 Canton, OH—Emily Venters of Salt Lake City, UT won the 6th annual USATF Women’s 6K Championship in 18:08. Venters had the lead coming down the Market Street Hill and held on to win on the downtown loop, with Olympian Elise Cranny of Boulder, CO and 2024 Women’s 6K champion Annie Rodenfels of Newton, MA both chasing behind her. Cranny was second in 18:12 and Rodenfels was third in 18:16 to round out the podium.
Allie Ostrander of Louisville, CO moved up late in the race to finish fourth in 18:20. Ednah Kurgat of Colorado Springs, CO was fifth in 18:34. Twenty-three women competed in the elite race, which had a bit of a hazard on 23rd Street, when two days before the race, a contractor milled the brick street for a 4-block stretch, ahead of schedule. The community 6k run which started five minutes after the elites had 354 women finishers and was won by Ashton Swinford of Hudson, Ohio in 20:33.
Finishers
18:08 Emily Venters, 27, Salt Lake City, UT
18:12 Elise Cranny, 30, Boulder, CO
18:16 Annie Rodenfels, 29, Newton, MA
18:20 Allie Ostrander, 29, Louisville, CO
18:34 Ednah Kurgat, 35, Colorado Springs, CO
18:41 Mikayla Reed, 25, Indianapolis, IN
18:43 Paige Wood, 30, Flagstaff, AZ
18:43 Elena Hayday, 26, Minneapolis, MN
18:48 Kasandra Parker, 26, Guttenberg, IA
18:52 Callie Logue Hughes, 27, Bloomington, MN
18:54 Katy Zang, 18, Orient, OH
18:59 Allie Buchalski, 31, Seattle, WA
19:08 Brynn Brown, 22, Denton, TX
19:20 Annie LeHardy, 33, New Orleans, LA
19:28 Brianna Robles, 26, Rochester Hills, MI
19:43 Mackenzie Caldwell, 30, Boulder, CO
19:54 Colbi Borland, 23, Rochester Hills, MI
19:55 Chloe Whiting, 23, Randolph, NJ
19:59 Ali Upshaw, 23, Flagstaff, AZ
20:12 Brooke Wildermuth, 33, Cincinnati, OH
Emily Venters of Salt Lake City, UT wins the USATF women’s 6KM Championships in 18:08.
Emily Venters of Salt Lake City, UT wins the USATF women’s 6KM Championships in 18:08.
Emily Venters of Salt Lake City, UT held her lead on the downtown circuit and won by four seconds in 18:08.
Elise Cranny of Boulder, CO, two-time USA Olympian, was second in 18:12.
USA Olympian Elise Cranny of Boulder finishes second with 2024 champ Annie Rodenfels of Newton, MA placing third.
Annie Rodenfels of Newton, MA was third in the USATF Women’s 6KM in 18:16. Steph Bruce watches and records off the course.
Alaska native Allie Ostrander of Louisville, CO was fourth in 18:20.
Ednah Kurgat of Colorado Springs, CO was fifth in 18:34.
Mikayla Reed of Indianapolis charges toward the finish line earning sixth place in 18:41.
Mikayla Reed of Indianapolis, IN kicks in with a sixth place finish in 18:41.
Paige Wood of Flagstaff, AZ, with a chase pack on her heels, was seventh in 18:43.
Paige Wood of Flagstaff, AZ, a Pennsylvania native, was seventh in 18:43.
Elena Hayday of Minneapolis was eighth in 18:43.
Kasandra Parker of Guttenberg, Iowa was ninth in 18:48.
Callie Logue Hughes of Bloomington, MN was tenth in 18:52.
Katy Zang of Orient, OH, age 18, was eleventh in 18:54.
Allie Buchalski of Seattle, WA was twelfth in 18:59. Last Fall Allie won the Philadelphia Distance Classic half-marathon.
Brynn Brown of Denton, TX was thirteenth in 19:08.
Annie LeHardy of New Orleans, LA was fourteenth in 19:20.
Canton Podium: Annie Rodenfels 3rd, Emily Venters 1st, and Elise Cranny 2nd.
Ashton Swinford of Hudson, Ohio won the Community 6K run in 20:33.
The top ten overall from tenth to first. Logue Hughes, Parker, Hayday, Wood, Reed, Kurgat, Ostrander, Rodenfels, Cranny, and Venters.
Tina Oprean Ryee, race director extraordinaire.
Stephanie Bruce leads the Little Ladies on their fun run. After her job hosting, Steph went to the Utica Boilermaker 15K and triple-dipped, ninth overall, top master, top USA.
The Little Ladies enjoying their run on the streets of Downtown Canton.
Runner's Gazette 
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