Yonkers Marathon

Yonkers Marathon
DateSeptember or October
LocationYonkers, New York, U.S.
Event typeRoad
DistanceMarathon
Established1907 (118 years ago) (1907)[1]
Official sitehttps://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Yonkers/YonkersMarathonHalfMarathon5K
Participants103 finishers (2019)[2]
Winner John Reynolds (number 6) lining up with other runners in 1910
Jim Crowley, the winner in 1908

The Yonkers Marathon, is a marathon race held annually in Yonkers, New York. Founded in 1907, it is the second oldest marathon in the United States, after the Boston Marathon. It is held on the third Sunday in October. In addition to the marathon, there is a half marathon race and a 5K course. At the end of the race there is a gathering and festivities centered on Van de Donck Park.

History

The first Yonkers Marathon was held on Thanksgiving Day 1907.[3] From 1907 to 1945, the race was typically held in November.[1] Johnny Hayes and Jim Crowley won the first two races.[1][4][nb 1] Sammy Mellor helped establish the Yonkers Marathon with Edward Wetmore Kinsley, and finished second in the event's first two runnings.[4][7][8] In 1909 the race was sponsored by the Mercury Athletic Club.[9]

From 1938 to 1965, and again in 1974, the Yonkers Marathon was recognised by the Amateur Athletic Union as the USA Marathon Championships,[10] and in relevant years as a qualifying event for the US Olympic team.[11]

The race has averaged roughly 200 finishers during the 2010s, double the number from the prior decade.[12] The 2015 (90th anniversary) course was USA Track & Field certified and served as a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon.[13]

The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all registrants automatically receiving refunds.[14][15]

The 2022 edition saw 101 finishers and Juan Fernandez De Cordova won the event in 2 hours, 48 minutes and 3 seconds.[needs update]

Course

External image
image icon Course map of full marathon in 2017[16]

The double-loop course of the Yonkers Marathon has been known as being tough and hilly; New York City Marathon founder Fred Lebow cited it as one of his favorite marathons.[17] For its 90th running in 2015 the track had a newly designed course that added greater variety by eliminating the double-loop, and replacing it with a single-loop that followed a scenic route along the Hudson River, and then all over the city, past parks, past the Dunwoodie Golf Course (offering a glimpse of the distant New York City skyline), and through a variety of neighborhoods.[18][13] In 2016 the course reverted to the double-loop.[19][20]

Winners

Key: (†) United States National Marathon Champion

Winners by year[21]
Year Men's Winner Time Women's Winner Time
1907 John Hayes 2:44:45
1908 Jim Crowley 2:49:16
1909 Henry Jensen 2:46:43
1910 John J. Reynolds 2:38:36
1911 Sidney Hatch 2:36:06
1913 James Duffy 2:39:29
1913 Nick Gianakopulos 1:23:42
1914 William Galvin 3:03:58
1915 Harry Parkinson 2:40:59
1916 Willie Kyrönen 2:51:58
1917 Joe Giorgio 2:59:51
1918 Race canceled due to the great influenza epidemic.
1919 Yonkers Marathon not held again until 1935.
1935 Johnny Kelley 2:38:43
1936 Mel Porter 2:41:34
1937 Pat Dengis 2:42:59
1938 Pat Dengis† 2:39:38
1939 Pat Dengis† 2:33:45
1940 Gérard Côté 2:34:06
1941 Bernard Joseph Smith † 2:36:06
1942 Frederick McGlone † 2:37:54
1943 Gérard Côté 2:38:35
1944 Charles Robbins † 2:40:48
1945 Charles Robbins† 2:37:14
1946 Gérard Côté 2:47:53
1947 Theodore Vogel† 2:40:11
1948 Johnny Kelley † 2:48:32
1949 Vic Dyrgall † 2:38:48
1950 Johnny Kelley† 2:45:55
1951 Jesse Van Zant † 2:37:12
1952 Vic Dyrgall† 2:38.24
1953 Gösta Leandersson 2:48:12
1954 Ted Corbitt † 2:46:13
1955 Nick Costes † 2:31:12
1956 John J. Kelley† 2:24:52
1957 John J. Kelley† 2:24:55
1958 John J. Kelley† 2:21:00
1959 John J. Kelley † 2:21:54
1960 John J. Kelley† 2:20:13
1961 John J. Kelley † 2:26:53
1962 John J. Kelley † 2:27:39
1963 John J. Kelley † 2:25:17
1964 Leonard Edelen † 2:24:25
1965 Garnett "Gar" Williams † 2:33:50
1966 Norm Higgins † 2:22:50
1967 Jim McDonagh 2:30:07
1968 Gary Muhrcke 2:32:42
1969 Gary Muhrcke 2:33:11
1970 Gary Muhrcke 2:31:10 Nina Kuscsik 3:16:02
1971 Bill Harvey 2:35:41
1972 Max White 2:29:42 Nina Kuscsik 3:22:21
1973 Norbert Sander 2:25:57 Nina Kuscsik 2:58:50
1974 Ron Wayne † 2:18:52 Nina Kuscsik 3:00:01
1975 Marty Sudzina 2:27:38 Chloe Foote 4:23:08
1976 Ray Hall 2:27:59 Lynn Blackstone 3:39:12
1977 Peter Squires 2:31:15 Nina Kuscsik 3:13:17
1978 Fritz Mueller 2:28:30 Nina Kuscsik 3:01:29
1979 Dan Murray 2:27:29 Nina Kuscsik 3:03:57
1980 Peter Squires 2:27:46 Kathleen Horton 2:59:22
1981 Peter Squires 2:24:10 Janice Arenz 2:52:38
1982 Ray Hall 2:33:18 Janice Arenz 3:04:32
1983 John McNulty 2:24:22 Mary Sheridan 3:17:56
1984 Bill Hart 2:39:44 Kathleen Horton 3:08:17
1985 Placido Cruz-Martin 2:35:04 Eileen Brennan 3:08:46
1986 Danny Dickenson 2:25:00 Anna Thornhill 3:10:26
1987 Danny Dickenson 2:26:24 Christine Gibbons 2:58:16
1988 Randy Crist 2:35:34 Christiane Avin 3:31:24
1989 Danny Dickenson 2:20:37 Christine Gibbons 2:55:12
1990 Doug Kurtis 2:26:36 Nancy Kelly 2:57:38
1991 Mohamed Idris 2:24:15 Christine Gibbons 2:55:13
1992 Trevor Murray 2:34:02 Christine Gibbons 2:53:05
1993 Jairo Correa 2:28:14 Diane Miller 3:03:11
1994 Trevor Murray 2:40:25 Christine Gibbons 3:01:33
1995 Esteban Vanegas 2:29:52 Nancy Kelly 3:04:14
1996 Prisco Huerta 2:42:49 Ellen McCurtin 2:55:13
1997 Jeff Bolles 2:36:20 Anna Thornhill 3:23:57
1998 Prisco Huerta 2:29:46 Nancy Kelly 3:11:14
1999 Trevor Murray 2:32:30 Milkah Jepchirchir 2:56:17
2000 Srba Nikolic 2:29:44 Ellen McCurtin 3:04:17
2001 Race canceled due to the September 11 attacks.
2002 Rafael A Veras 2:37:32 Leteyesus Berhe 2:34:33
2003 Retta Feyissa 2:30:26 Heidi Shea 3:30:57
2004 Retta Feyissa 2:28:41 Jill Vollweiler 3:11:19
2005 Retta Feyissa 2:28:35 Jill Vollweiler 2:55:12
2006 Retta Feyissa 2:32:14 Hermela Romero 3:07:58
2007 Derese Deniboba 2:30:33 Hermela Romero 3:11:38
2008 Derese Deniboba 2:27:35 Hermela Romero 3:17:52
2009 Derese Deniboba 2:30:33 Muliye Gurmu 2:54:38
2010 Fikadu Weyessa 2:26:39 Muliye Lemma 2:54:10
2011 Will Guzick 2:44:33 Patrice Kentner 3:29:59
2012 Michael Arnstein 2:35:10 Margaret Duggan 3:10:55
2013 Oz Pearlman 2:35:50 Blanca Lucero 3:19:29
2014 Oz Pearlman 2:37:56 Catherine Shallow 3:18:07
2015 Matt Collins 2:44:34 Patrice Kentner 3:37:06
2016 Roberto Puente 2:44:05 Blanca Lucero 3:14:29
2017 Antonio Herrera 2:43:46 Blanca Lucero 3:12:23
2018 Salvador Angelpere 2:55:52 Blanca Lucero 3:15:27
2019 Antonio Herreraort 2:32:19 Blanca Lucero 3:13:28
2020 Race canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 Race again canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022 Juan Fernandez De Cordova 2:48:03 Rebecca Payne 3:51:42
2023 Scottie Mitchell 2:38:47 Christine Honor 3:38:56
2024 Julio Sauce 2:59.29 Cathrine Levine 3:22.07

Notes

  1. ^ Some references incorrectly state that Robert Fowler broke Johnny Hayes' world best in the marathon at the 1909 Yonkers Marathon. Fowler's mark was actually set at the Empire City Marathon on January 1, 1909.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Yonkers Marathon. Retrieved May 15, 2010
  2. ^ "Yonkers Marathon Race Results 2019". www.marathonguide.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  3. ^ Cooper, Pamela (1999). "The New York City Marathon Culture". The American Marathon. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-8156-0573-7.
  4. ^ a b "J.F. CROWLEY WINS YONKERS MARATHON; Irish-American Runner Leads Big Field Over Westchester County Roads.", New York Times, p. 7, November 27, 1908, retrieved May 15, 2010
  5. ^ "POLICE BREAK UP YONKERS MARATHON; Order Official Off Track and Referee Sullivan Stops the Contest.", New York Times, p. 7, January 2, 1909, retrieved May 15, 2010
  6. ^ Sullivan, J.E., ed. (1910), "Marathon Road Races", Spalding's Official Athletic Almanac for 1910, vol. Group XII. No. 1, New York: American Sports Publishing Co., p. 93
  7. ^ "Samuel Mellor Marathoner". www.yonkersny.gov. Yonkers, New York: City of Yonkers. September 11, 2007. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  8. ^ "Edward Wetmore Kinsley". www.yonkersny.gov. Yonkers, New York: City of Yonkers. September 11, 2007. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  9. ^ "MARATHON VICTORY FOR HARRY JENSEN; Finishes First in Yonkers Event With a Half Mile Advantage. SHERIDAN RUNS SECOND Leads for Twenty-three Miles, When Pastime Athlete Overhauls Him -- Winner's Time, 2:46:43 1-5" (pdf). The New York Times. New York. November 28, 1909. Retrieved May 6, 2012.[dead link‍]
  10. ^ USA Champions Men's Marathon. USATF. Retrieved on 2014-07-08
  11. ^ Hymans, Richard (2008), The History of the United States Olympic Trials (PDF), USA Track & Field, retrieved 17 May 2016
  12. ^ "Yonkers Marathon - Race Details".
  13. ^ a b [1] Aris, Hezi. "City of Yonkers Celebrates 90th Running of Yonkers Marathon Sunday, October 18, 2015". Yonkers Tribune. August 18, 2015
  14. ^ "2020 Yonkers Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K". runsignup.com. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Tour de Yonkers, Yonkers Arts Weekend and Yonkers Marathon canceled this year". bronx.news12.com. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  16. ^ "Yonkers Marathon | City of Yonkers, NY". www.yonkersny.gov. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  17. ^ Corbitt, Ted (2003). "Ted Corbitt: A Willingness to Suffer". In Kislevitz, Gail Waesche (ed.). The Spirit of the Marathon: What to Expect in Your First Marathon and How to Run Them the Rest of Your Life. Halcottsville, New York: Breakaway Books. p. 234. ISBN 978-1-891369-36-0.
  18. ^ Official website
  19. ^ "Yonkers Marathon Map". Yonkers Marathon. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
  20. ^ "Albany firm to oversee Yonkers Marathon race weekend". lohud.com. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
  21. ^ "Yonkers Marathon Results". marathon guide.com. Retrieved September 7, 2024.