Katie Palmer (1467), left, from Washington D.C., celebrates with Andrea Domings of Lexington, Mass., after they both finished the marathon Saturday.
HARTFORD, October 13 – Annmarie Tuxbury of New Hartford has learned the benefits of preparation and training.
The Northwestern Regional graduate had competed in the half marathon for the past two years at the Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon. Each year, she had finished fifth with virtually the same time. She was nine seconds faster in 2016.
“I wanted to be competitive and I went out hard (with the leaders) but I wasn’t in shape to do that,” she said Saturday at Bushnell Park. “This year, I was finally there.”
Tuxbury, 24, ran a personal best time of 1:14.18 to capture the half marathon (13.1 miles) at Saturday’s Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon in a light but persistent rain. She beat her previous personal best by three minutes. Hilary Dionne of Charletown, Mass., was second in 1:15.38.
Dionne has finished in the top three in the last three years here in Hartford and her time as dropped every year but she still hasn’t been able to get to the top step of the podium in the half marathon. Dionne was also second in 2016 with a time of 1:15.54. Dionne did win the marathon here in 2012.
New Hartford native Annemarie Tuxbury wins the half marathon at the Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon for the first time on Saturday with a personal best time.
The half marathon was one of three races at the 25th annual running of the Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon. Thousands participated in the marathon (26.2 miles), half marathon and a 5K road race (3.1 miles).
David Sinclair of Peru, Vermont won the marathon race with a time of 2:18.20, over four minutes ahead of Ryan Smith of Farmington, Maine, who took second place. In the women’s race, Rachel Schilkowsky of Providence won the race in 2:41.03 in her first-ever marathon.
In the most competitive race of the day, two-time Olympian Donn Cabral of Hartford won the half marathon race in 1:05.36, holding off Kenyan Kiplangat Terer, who lives in Amherst, Mass., with an 11-second victory. Manchester’s John Busque was 17 seconds back of Cabral in third place. Cabral, who grew up in Glastonbury, has run the steeplechase in the past two Summer Olympics in 2016 and 2012.
In the 5K race, Ben Grouleau of Northampton, Mass., was first with a time of 14:54 with Wallingford’s Elizabeth Fengler taking the women’s race with a time of 18:24.
Brian Harvey (3014) of Cambridge, Mass., holds off Tyler Raymond of Plymouth, Conn., to finish sixth in the half marathon Saturday in Hartford. Both finished with the same time.
Tuxbury graduated from Northwestern Regional in 2012 and ran track and field and cross country at Bryant College in Smithfield, Rhode Island.
“It went pretty well for me today,” she said. “I ran a pretty consistent pace the whole way through.”
She also gained confidence by running two marathons in the past year. In May, she qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials after finishing second at the Vermont City Marathon in May in Burlington, Vt., with a time of 2:44.17.
“That has helped me mentally,” she admitted.
Megan Weeks (1703) of Princeton, Mass., and Laura-Lee Barbosa (113) of Attleboro, Mass., celebrate after finishing the Eversource Hartford Marathon Saturday at Bushnell Park.
Local runners also competed in the race. Most were racing against themselves, pushing themselves against the elements and their own perceived limits.
West Simsbury’s Shannon Siragusa was the seventh woman to finish in the marathon with a time of 2:54.57. She finished 31st overall and won her age group (women’s masters).
Max Olsen (51st place) was the first marathoner from Granby to cross the line with a time of 3:02.29 while Brian Scully (116) was the first male runner from Simsbury to finish in 3:14.36.
The first marathon runner from Avon was 22-year-old Elizabeth Rodier (249th place), who finished with a time of 3:31.10. The first male runner from Avon was Jon Johnson (333) in 3:41.27. The top two runners from Canton were Brigit Hogan (606, 4:00.12) and David Briggs (667, 4:05.52).
Abraham Ayala (1694) of Waldwick, N.J., is caught up in the emotion after finishing the Eversource Hartford Marathon Saturday.
Farmington’s John Krell was 14th in the half marathon with a time of 1:09.38, nipping Central Connecticut State cross country and track coach Eric Blake of West Hartford by a second.
Avon’s Peter Lee was 144th in the half marathon with a time of 1:30.28 while Jan Keleher was the first woman from Avon (148) with a time of 1:30.48. The first runner from Canton across the line in the half marathon was Tim Jarkaso (242) with a time of 1:36.20.
In the 5K, the top runner from Avon was Scott Lewis (37) with a time of 21:13. The first woman from Avon was Anne Higgins (123) with a time of 24:12.
Runners who finished the half marathon cheer on finishers in the marathon at Saturday’s Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon.
Runners take off from the start of the 2018 Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon.
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