FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kenyans Sweep Grandma's Marathon 2015
Barno, Kibii Earn Victories in Grandma's Debuts
(Duluth, Minn.) Kenya's Elisha Barno made his first trip to Duluth a
memorable one and will depart from his initial visit as the champion of the
39th running of Grandma's Marathon.
The 29-year-old ran the fourth-fastest time on the Grandma's Marathon
course - 2 hours, 10 minutes and 38 seconds. Barno's teammate, Dominic
Ondoro - the course record holder and champion from a year ago - finished
second in 2:11:17.
Barno claimed the $10,000 winner's check plus a $2,500 bonus for running
sub-2:11:00.
On the women's side, Kenya's Jane Kibii, 30, ran a personal best 2:32:06
while claiming the women's title. Kibii earned $10,000 for the victory plus
a $1,500 bonus for finishing in under 2:33:00.
American Lindsey Scherf, of High Falls, New York, was runner-up with a new
personal best 2:32:19 - the second-fastest time for an American woman on
the Grandma's Marathon course. The only time faster was the 2011 mark of
2:31:50 by Dot McMahan, who finished fifth today in 2:34:52. Women's course
record holder Sarah Kiptoo was third in 2:32:51.
Josh George won his third Grandma's Marathon men's wheelchair title in
1:30:12. Tatyana McFadden, of Clarksville, Maryland, racing for the first
time at Grandma's, won the women's race in 1:42.50.
The 2015 Grandma's Marathon had 7,794 registrants and of those, 6,198
runners started the race and 6,045 finished. The annual Two
Harbors-to-Duluth 26.2-mile race had entrants from 47 countries and all 50
U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia.
Meanwhile, the day's closest race was the 25th anniversary Garry Bjorklund
Half Marathon. Shadrack Biwott, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., took the men's
crown in 1:03:09. Kenya's Macdonard Ondara and American Ben Payne finished
second and third, respectively - just a second behind in 1:03:10.
The women's half marathon race was won by Neely Spence Gracey with a time
of 1:11:27. The personal best for Gracey was also the tenth-fastest time
for a female on the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon course.
A total of 8,358 people registered for the 2015 Garry Bjorklund Half
Marathon with 7,232 runners starting the race and 7,218 finishing.
For complete results, log on to GrandmasMarathon.com. All results are
unofficial.
Grandma's Marathon weekend was presented by Toyota and Wells Fargo Bank
Duluth. The 40th running of Grandma's Marathon is Saturday, June 18, 2015.
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