Every spring, top runners from all over Texas and beyond line up at the start of the Statesman Capitol 10,000, shooting to win the largest 10K in the state and the sixth largest in the country. And since the race’s inception in 1978, a handful of them have gone on to win the race more than once, but it’s been awhile.
Scott MacPherson notched his third victory back in 2014 and Allison Mendez Cleaver was a back-to-back women’s champ in 2015 and 2016.
On Sunday, Austin runners Allie Kieffer and Mitch Ammons are looking to add their names to the list of multi-time Cap10 winners. Kieffer, the 2024 women’s winner, is back to defend her title while Ammons, who won the race in 2023, is aiming to reclaim the top spot in the men’s race.
“I’d love to join the two-time Cap 10 club. Maybe even break the course record,” said Kieffer, 37, who certainly has the wheels to do it. She owns a 10,000-meter track best of 32:09 and a world-class 2:28:12 personal best in the marathon.
MORE:Former Longhorn Will Nation eyes Sunday's Statesman Capitol 10,000
“I felt really good last year when I raced it,” Kieffer said of her 34:31 win. “I felt like I should have gone for the course record. Natalie Nalepa Linam’s 1997 33:43 record is fast for this course. I’m not sure where I’m at this year, but I would like to break it. At the same time, I don’t want to jeopardize winning by going for the course record. I’ll run to win.”
Kieffer, a 2020 and 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, considers Austin’s Shannon Gaden, Sarah Jackson and Johanna Gretschel to be her toughest competition. Jackson has a 10K best of 35:08 while Gretschel’s is 35:18. And just last week, at Texas State’s Bobcat Invitational, Gaden won the 5,000-meter event in 16:43.
“I would expect Shannon, Sarah and Johanna to be up there in the lead pack,” said Kieffer, who won the 3M Half Marathon in 2023 and 2025, this year's race rebranded as the Austin International Half Marathon.
Ammons, 35, will face a tough field in his bid to reclaim the title. His 30:24 10K best is highly competitive, but Texas A&M’s Jonathan Chung and former Texas ace Will Nation are entered and have both run under 30-minutes for the 10K— Chung in 29:17 and Nation in 29:15. And Puerto Rico’s Alexander Torres has the fastest time of any entrant with a 28:46 10K best, and if he’s in top form he could run away with the race.
Ammons, a 2024 Olympic Marathon trials qualifier, is well aware he’ll need to bring his A game for the win. “I’ve heard that there’s some fast guys entered,” he said. “But I’ll go out with the ...
