Kenya’s Boniface Kongin captures Pittsburgh Marathon title
Kenyan Boniface Kongin, competing in his second Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, captured the men’s full 26.2-mile race in a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes and 34 seconds.
The 29-year-old hit the tape at the finish line more than three minutes better than his nearest challenger.
26.2 Miles in 2:10:34 is incredible! Huge congratulations to Gold Medal Winner of the Men's Division of the @DICKS Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon: Boniface Kongin#RunnerofSTEEL #MOVEPittsburgh pic.twitter.com/5XYoOsXgK6
— Pittsburgh Marathon (@PGHMarathon) May 5, 2019
Ian Carter, who trains out of Flagstaff, Ariz., was the top American finisher at 2:23:02. He earned sixth place.
Ethiopia’s Bizuwork Getahun Kasaye, 29, raced to the top spot in the women’s full marathon with a time of 2:36.29.
She finished almost three minutes clear of the rest of the field.
WOW! 26.2 Miles in 2:36:29 is amazing! Huge congratulations to Gold Medal Winner of the Women's Division of the @DICKS Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon: Bizuwork Getahun Kasaye#RunnerofSTEEL #MOVEPittsburgh pic.twitter.com/IIuTUKoIaL
— Pittsburgh Marathon (@PGHMarathon) May 5, 2019
Columbus, Ohio’s Christina Murphy, 38, was the top American female. She checked in with a finishing time of 2:46.07.
Stephanie Bonk, a 2008 Montour graduate who now lives in Houston, Texas, captured the women’s half marathon with a time of 1:22:02.
It was Bonk’s first half marathon in Pittsburgh.
Boulevard of the Allies is completely lined with people cheering the runners on. People are starting to finish the half marathon. pic.twitter.com/HfNRW2tYej
— Emily Balser (@emilybalser) May 5, 2019
On the men’s side, Anthony Cardona Rodriguez defended his half-marathon title from 2018 as he claimed this year’s race with a time of 1:05:08.
He sliced more than three minutes from last year’s winning time of 1:08:42.
USA Track and Field staged its national half marathon championships in Pittsburgh for the second year in a row, and Leonard Korir brought home the men’s title with a Pittsburgh half-marathon course record of 1:01:53.
Korir, the 2017 USATF Half Marathon national champion, placed fifth last year (1:03:24).
Flagstaff resident Stephanie Bruce captured the women’s title in a time of 1:10:44.
Her time was a personal best by nine seconds.
Bruce also won the 2018 USATF 10K crown and finished as the runner-up at the 2018 USATF Marathon Championships.
Tom Edwards, 36, of Oakland was the top finisher from the Pittsburgh area. His time was 2:36:14.
Sara Zambotti, 38, from Shelocta, Indiana County, clocked in at 2:58:09 to rank as fastest female finisher from the region.
Get the full results on the Pittsburgh Marathon website.
Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.