Weini Kelati

Weini Kelati Frezghi (born 1 December 1996) is an Eritrean-American long-distance runner.^[1] She became a US citizen in June 2021.^[2] Her transfer of allegiance made her eligible to represent the United States on June 23, 2021.^[3]

Weini Kelati

Personal information
Nationality	American Eritrea
Born	(1996-12-01) December 1, 1996 (age 26) Eritrea
Sport
Country	Eritrea  United States
Sport	Track and Field
Event(s)	Distance
College team	New Mexico Lobos
Club	Dark Sky Distance
Turned pro	Nov. 2020
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	Outdoor 1500 m: 4:10.88 (Eugene 2021) 3000 m: 8:53.89 NR (Palo Alto 2019) 5000 m: 14:53.41 (Paris 2023) 10000 m: 31:10.08 NR (San Juan Capistrano 2020) Indoor Mile: 4:37.75i NR (Albuquerque 2019) 3000 m: 8:53.98i NR (New York City 2019) 5000 m: 15:14.71i NR (Boston 2019)

Professional

On 8 January 2022, Kelati placed second at 2022 USA Cross Country Championships over 10 km in San Diego, California.

Kelati is a two-time winner of the Manchester Road Race, where she set the course record in 2021^[4][5] and defended her title in 2022.^[6]

On 16 October 2021, she set the American 10 KM record for a women’s-only race at the Boston 10K for Women in 31:18.^[2]

On 5 December 2020, she ran a 10,000 m race and qualified by Entry standard for the 2020 Summer Games, with a personal best time of 31:10.08, also an Eritrean national record – at JSerra Catholic High School, in San Juan Capistrano. But for her first participation to US Trials in Eugene, a few days after becoming American, she did not finish the 10,000 m.

She forwent the remainder of her collegiate eligibility and signed a professional contract in November 2020 with Under Armour's elite team, Dark Sky Distance.^[7]

NCAA

Weini Kelati is a 2019 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships champion, 11-time All-American, and 7-time Mountain West Conference Champion.

She won the 10,000 m at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships and won the 2019 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. She was named the Honda Sports Award recipient for cross country that year.

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing University of New Mexico
2020	2020 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships	Albuquerque, New Mexico	All-American	5000 m	Cancelled due to COVID-19
	Mountain West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship	Albuquerque, New Mexico	1st	Distance medley relay	11:12.27 Adva Cohen, Abigail Bendle, Elise Thorner, Weini Kelati
2019	2019 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships	Terre Haute, Indiana	1st	6000 m	19:47.5
	Mountain West Conference Cross Country Championship	Logan, Utah	1st		19:11.2
	2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships	Austin, Texas	5th	5000 m	15:54.46
			1st	10,000 m	33:10.84
	Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship	Fresno, California	1st	10,000 m	32:09.10
	2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships	Birmingham, Alabama	2nd	5000 m	15:32.95
			3rd	3000 m	9:02.44
	Mountain West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship	Albuquerque, New Mexico	1st	Mile	4:37.75
			2nd	Distance medley relay	11:29.42 Weini Kelati, Larimar Rodriguez, Kieran Casey, Ednah Kurgat
2018	2018 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships	Madison, Wisconsin	2nd	6000 m	19:45.3
	Mountain West Conference Cross Country Championship	San Diego, California	1st		19:49.3
	2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships	Eugene, Oregon	9th	5000 m	15:46.57
	Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship	Fresno, California	1st	10,000 m	32:41.92
	2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships	College Station, Texas	5th	5000 m	15:56.73
			5th	3000 m	9:03.51
	Mountain West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship	Albuquerque, New Mexico	1st	3000 m	9:13.40
2017	2017 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships	Louisville, Kentucky	7th	6000 m	19:35.8
	Mountain West Conference Cross Country Championship	Albuquerque, New Mexico	2nd		20:11.7

^[8]

Prep

Kelati attended Heritage High School in Virginia and competed in cross country and track and field. She was the 2015 winner of Footlocker XC. 2015 Virginia state champion in cross country and 2016 outdoor 3200 m. Won 2016 New Balance Indoor Nationals 5000 m and 2 mile.

Representing Heritage High School (Leesburg, Virginia) at Virginia High School League 4A state championship
Year	Cross country state championships	Outdoor track state championships
2015-16	1st in 5 km (17:22)	1st in the 3200 m (10:09.70)
2014-15	2nd in 5 km (17:38)	2nd in the 3200 m (10:54.45)
		6th in the 4x800 m (9:51.02) Megan Collins, Weini Kelati, Sarah Smith, Georgie Mackenzie
		3rd in the 1600 m (5:16.95)

^[9]

References

1. Rodriguez, Kara Clark (June 2, 2017). "Meet Heritage's Weini Kelati Frezghi". Retrieved June 9, 2021.
2. "Weini Kelati sets American record at Boston 10K for Women - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
3. "Weini KELATI FREZGHI | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
4. Inquirer, Adam Betz / Journal. "Kelati smashes course record to win women's title at 85th Manchester Road Race". Journal Inquirer. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
5. "WTW: Why Weini Kelati May Be America's Next Great Distance Star And Is Sean Brosnan Great Or Just Lucky?". LetsRun.com. 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
6. "Kelati wins second straight women's Manchester Road Race title". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
7. "Kelati, UNM's star distance runner, turns pro, signs with Under Armour - Albuquerque Journal". www.abqjournal.com. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
8. "Weini Kelati - University of New Mexico". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS).
9. Weini Kelati High School Results Athletic.net

External links

• From a running start in Eritrea to a new home in America, Weini Kelati wins NCAA cross country title ESPN
• 24-year-old Weini Kelati Sets New American Record During Women’s 10K Race In Boston CBS Boston
• Podcast interviews
• Three days after becoming a U.S. citizen, she will run to become a U.S. Olympian The Washington Post
• Weini Kelati on Instagram