Ready, set, go! The 51st Moore and Giles Virginia 10 Miler brought together the Lynchburg community and visiting guests for a series of races Sept. 26-27.
Festivities began Thursday with packet pickup taking place at the Liberty University Indoor Track Complex. Participants were given their bib numbers and commemorative T-shirts as they mingled with fellow runners, visited vendors and spoke with event sponsors.
However, the Elite Athlete Coordinator for the Virginia 10 Miler and president of the Lynchburg Road Runners Club, Bret Boman, said that the preparations for this event began much earlier in the year.
“There’s a lot of love for (the race) — being a community event,” Boman said. “The community expects it, and there’s enough people to love it and give it their time and energy to make it happen.”
The first race of the event, the Amazing Mile Children’s Race, set off Friday at 6 p.m. at Amazement Square. Families gathered for 1-, 1/2- and 1/4-mile races before the big day, and vendors provided face painting, balloons and other family-friendly activities.
Runners in the main events — the 10 miler, 4+ miler run and 4+ miler walk — took off at 8 a.m. Saturday from E. C. Glass High School. By the end, the total number of finishers across all events rested at more than 2,800 people who braved the cold, rainy day.
The 4+ miler runners crossed the finish line first with Travis Booker securing first place with a time of 24:18. Nick Golebiowski took a close second at 24:23. The third-place spot was taken by Nico Tripeny at 24:56.
This year, 52 elite runners were slated to lead the charge for the 10 miler and 4+ miler races. Boman shared how his preparations involved finding lodging for elite runners outside of driving distance, often placing them with host families in the Lynchburg area.
“People make instant friends,” Boman said. “I find out that my hosts continue talking with the runners forever.”
Stories featuring elite runners and other participants throughout the years can be found in the race’s recent publication, “The Virginia 10 Miler,” co-authored by Boman, which was created for the 50th anniversary of the Virginia 10 Miler in 2024. The book is available for purchase each year at the event or through its website.
One of the 2025 elite runners, Athanas Kioko, took home the first-place finish for the 10-mile run in 48 minutes, 14 seconds.
The 30-year-old returned to the Virginia 10 Miler after a sixth-place finish in 2022, bringing with him accolades from his time running at Campbell University and a second-place finish at the 10k Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, South Carolina, earlier this year.
Finishing close behind Kioko, Peter Njeru debuted in the Virginia 10 Miler at second place with a 48:21 finish.
Former Flame Sam Chelanga secured the third-place spot with a 48:42 run. During his time at Liberty, Chelanga finished second in the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championship 5k race for three straight years. Along with even more accolades as a Flame, Chelanga finished in the top 10 of the 10k race at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, according to Liberty Athletics.
For the 18-24 age bracket in the10 miler, Oliver Wilson-Cook was the top male finisher while Jasmine Donohue was the top female finisher. Both runners came from Boone, North Carolina.
Not only has this event been impactful for those outside the Lynchburg community, but Liberty students, faculty and staff made their mark in this race.
A notable Liberty finisher was alumna and Assistant Cross Country Coach Calli Doan, who finished in the top 10 of female runners in the 10-mile race. As a Lady Flame, Doan was a three-time All-American and earned five program records across cross-country and track events, according to Liberty Athletics.
Not only did Liberty athletes participate, but many faculty and staff members across departments took part in the day’s events.
From Liberty’s Human Resources department, Senior Document Specialist Grace McDonald participated in the 4+ mile walk event after it was mentioned in one of her team meetings.
“I know Liberty is doing the wellness initiative. … (I joined) to get healthier and also for the community aspect of getting plugged into the greater Lynchburg area,” McDonald said.
Along with the Flames who were race participants, Boman said that Liberty’s involvement has influenced the event each year with athletes and students stepping into volunteer roles for CSER credit.
“Liberty has really supported the event both in terms of volunteers … and the number of Liberty people who actually participate in the event,” Boman said. “It wouldn’t be this without the Liberty folks.”
The next Virginia 10 Miler event will take place Sept. 26, 2026. For more information, visit www.virginia10miler.com.
Garman is a copy editor for the Liberty Champion.