Two active-duty soldiers who weren't among the top 10 qualifiers in Friday's Team USA 10,000-meter Olympic trial raced onto the podium, earning their way to the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Spcs. Shadrack Kipchirchir and Leonard Korir took second and third, respectively, to become the first soldiers to qualify for the Rio games at the ongoing Team USA track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon. Their efforts brought the active-duty Army Olympic contingent to nine, including five from the World Class Athlete Program.
The nationally televised race saw Kipchirchir go stride for stride with Galen Rupp, the defending Olympic silver medalist at 10,000 meters who had already qualified for Rio in the marathon. Kipchirchir passed Rupp on the final lap but couldn't hold the lead, eventually finishing in 28 minutes, 1.52 seconds, nearly seven seconds behind Rupp.
Both Kenyan-born runners joined the WCAP after successful college track careers — Korir won national titles in the 10,000 and 5,000 with Iona College before joining the Army in 2015, and Kipchirchir ran at Oklahoma State before enlisting in June 2014.
WCAP allows elite-level athletes to train while on active duty, using their athletic success to promote the Army's message. Kipchirchir is a financial management technician when off the track, while Korir serves as a motor transport operator.
