Engaged couple sweep titles at Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon

Angie Rafter, left, and Alex Norstrom each won their division in the marathon at the Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half-Marathon at Bushnell Park. More photos from the race

HARTFORD, Oct. 19, 2024 – They are engaged to be married but on Saturday, Glastonbury’s Alex Norstrom and fiancé Angie Rafter accomplished something that few couples will ever achieve.

Both won a marathon on the same day, in the same race and on the same 26.2 mile course.

Norstrom won the marathon race at the 31st annual Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half-Marathon for the third time with a 2:15 victory over West Hartford’s Grant O’Connor with a time of 2:17.56.

About 20 minutes later, Rafter won the women’s race by more than two minutes in very first marathon.

“A lot of things have to go right in a marathon (to get a win),” Norstrom said. “It went right for me and it went right for her. So, you can’t ask for anything more than that.”

An estimated 9,000 runners competed in the marathon (26.2 miles), half-marathon (13.1 miles), 5K charity road race (3.1 miles) and a marathon relay race.

In the half-marathon, Philadelphia’s Ethan Hermann won the race in 1:05.17 while Farmington’s Mario Vasquez won a sprint at the finish to take second place. His time of 1:06.39 beat Mike Durkin of Brighton, Mass., by two seconds.

New Hartford native Annmarie Tuxbury, who now lives in North Carolina, won the women’s race in the half marathon.

In the 5K road race, Jason Gibbons of Northport, N.Y., won the race with a time of 15:08 with West Hartford’s Malcolm Connor finishing second in 15:16.

In the women’s race, Wallingford’s Elizabeth Fengler finished strong to win with a time of 17:22. Amanda Chambers of Schenectady, N.Y was second (17:32) while Canton’s Laura Addison finished third (17:40).

Fengler won the Burlington to Collinsville 10K for the second straight year in May.

Thousands of runners raced in Hartford on Saturday in the Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon. Colchester’s Erica LeBlanc celebrates after finishing the half marathon.  More photos from the race

“The goal for both of us was to win the race,” Norstrom said. “Angie had a taller task because this was her first marathon I think that is the highlight of the date for sure.”

Norstrom didn’t lead for the entire race. But he didn’t stray from the leader. “I kept him in sight. I thought he would come back to me and he did,” he said.

Norstrom and Rafter both attended Central Connecticut State University. Norstrom has been helping Rafter train for the marathon.

“The goal was to compete,” she said. “I just wanted to hang (in there) with the first woman. The crowd was going to bring me to the end. All the credit goes to Alex. We train together. I was proud to cross the finish line for him.”

Rafter and Hayley Collins, who finished third, shared the lead through about 14 miles but Collins slipped back.

Rafter and Norstrom saw each other just past the midway point of the race in South Windsor where runners turn around and return to Hartford.

“I saw Alex close to the turnaround and we told each other that we loved each other and that really helped me to the end,” she said. “Probably around (mile) 25 or 24, someone told me Alex won and that really got me to the finish line.”

A year ago, Rafter set the course record in the 5K Charity Road race. On Saturday, she was exhausted after winning the marathon. But with some help from Norstrom, she made her way over the buzzer box to celebrate her victory in the marathon.

Athletes can bring bells and light up flashing lights for winning a race or getting their personal best times.

2024 Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half-Marathon results