RIGA — Team USATF's men's milers were one of the great stories of the day at the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in Latvia's capital city, coming away with historic gold and bronze and claiming another world record for good measure. What looked beforehand like a battle between Kenya's world U20 mile record holder Raynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot and Ethiopia's Teddese Lemi turned into an American celebration as 20-year-old Hobbs Kessler unleashed a devastating kick over the final 200 to take gold in a world record 3:56.13. Former world record holder Sam Prakel came through for bronze in 3:56.43, just .02 behind silver medalist Callum Elson of Great Britain. Kessler and Prakel stayed tucked in near the front of the field from the gun, going by 1K in 2:30 with more than 20 men still in contention and South Africa's Ryan Mphahlele holding a very narrow lead over Kipkorir and fellow Kenyan Kyumbe Munguti. It was still anyone's race with less than a quarter-mile to go, and the tall figure of Kessler loomed on the outside of the lead group as a threat, with Prakel right on his shoulder. Into the square where the Freedom Monument stands, Kessler drifted to the middle and turned on the speed to outkick Elson and come away with a surprise victory. Prakel, whose USATF Road Mile Championships winning time was recently ratified as the first official world record in the event, held off France's Maël Gouyette to nab the third podium spot. Kicking off the proceedings, the women's 5K saw a group of nine women surge to the front and pull away from the rest of the field over the Stone bridge, a slightly uphill stretch. Weini Kelati was in that lead group and stayed locked on as the nine became seven through the 2K mark. Coming back across the Daugava River on the Vansu bridge, Kelati was seventh through 3K in 8:54, a second behind the leaders, but starting to struggle with the rapid pace. With a kilometer to go the leaders were at 11:48 after a 2:55 split, but Kelati had dropped back even more and was running by herself in seventh. A hard push over the final 200 saw Kenya's Beatrice Chebet break the tape in 14:35 ahead of her teammate Lilian Rengeruk, who earned silver in 14:39, and Ethiopia's Ejgayehu Taye, the bronze medalist in 14:40. Kelati finished well to take seventh in 15:10, and Fiona O'Keeffe was 11th in 15:40. As expected in the women's mile, world track record holder Faith Kipyegon of Kenya went off very quickly and made it tough for others to stay with her. Fresh off a season that saw her clock 4:07.64 on the oval, Kipyegon went by 1K in 2:46 with Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji up on her heels. Welteji was even with Kipyegon coming into the final 100 and pulled away to a shocking win in 4:20.98, a world record. Ethiopia's Freweyni Hailu sped past Kipyegon to take silver in 4:23.06 as the Kenyan settled for bronze in 4:24.13. Addy Wiley was the top U.S. finisher, placing ninth in 4:36.03, and Helen Schlachtenhaufen took 17th in 4:40.28. The first kilometer of the men's 5K was covered in 2:41, and Olin Hacker and Ahmed Muhumed were in a large pack that passed that point in 2:43. Pre-race favorite Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia moved into the lead over the next kilometer and went through 2K in 5:27. Six men separated themselves from the pack over the second bridge as Kejelcha cranked up the pace and went by 3K in 7:58, a stride ahead of teammate Hagos Gebrhiwet with Kenyans Nicholas Kipkorir and Cornelius Kemboi hanging on to third and fourth. A 2:32 split put Kejelcha and Gebrhiwet by 4K in 10:29 and those two continued to run in sync until Gebrhiwet made a bold move rounding into the finishing stretch. Sprinting to the line, Gebrhiwet had the best kick and came away with gold in 12:59, three seconds ahead of Kejelcha. Kipkorir earned bronze in 13:16. Hacker closed quickly to nab 14th in 13:36, picking up seven places in the final kilometer, and Muhumed was 22nd in 13:42. Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya staved off strong challenges from teammates Margaret Kipkemboi and Catherine Reline Amanang'ole to win the women's half marathon in 67:25 and lead a Kenyan sweep. Kipkemboi earned silver in 67:26 and Amanang'ole was third in 67:34. Britain's Samantha Harrison was the leader at 5K in 16:25 before Amanang'ole took over and pulled the field through 10K in 32:19 and 15K in 48:33. Jepchirchir was in the front of a group of five at 20K in 64:20 and showed her racing experience to come through for the win. Molly Grabill was in 22nd at 5K, going by in 16:29 with U.S. teammate Sarah Pagano next to her, while Amber Zimmerman was 23 seconds behind them in 36th. Grabill turned in a 16:32 over the next 5K to hit 10K in 33:01, improving to 15th, and she picked off one more runner in the next 5k to go by 15K in 49:34. She clocked 16:51 over the next segment to hit 20K in 66:25 and ended up 13th in a PB 69:53. Pagano slowed over the second half of the race and placed 29th in 71:37, while Zimmerman was 32nd in 72:26. Biya Simbassa was the top U.S. finisher in the men's half marathon, taking 25th in a season best 61:28. Futsum Zienasellassie was 33rd, also notching a season best in 61:49, with Jacob Thomson 36th in a PB 62:26. Reed Fischer rounded out the American quartet, placing 53rd in 63:56. Kenyans swept the medals, led by Sabastain Sawe's 59:10 for gold. Daniel Ebenyo earned silver in 59:14, and Samwel Mailu bronze in 59:19. The next edition of the World Athletics Road Running Championships is set to take place in San Diego, California in 2025. A full list of results can be found here. Photo Credit: Adam Nurkiewicz