Palmer’s Meg Inokuma and Fairbanks’ Mike Ophoff won the 59th Equinox Marathon on Saturday in Fairbanks.
The marathon is noted for two things — it’s wonderful fall colors and 3,500 feet of vertical gain and loss.
Palmer’s Christy Marvin had a chance to become the winningest runner in Equinox history with a seventh victory, but was denied by Inokuma, a fellow 42-year-old.
Inokuma, who lived on the central Kenai Peninsula in the summers of 2014 through 2016, finished in 3 hours, 15 minutes and 29 seconds, while Marvin was at 3:21:22.
In a historically fast race last year, Inokuma was one of four to break Marvin’s course record of 3:15:06. Anchorage’s Anna Dalton won at 3:07:22 and did not race this year. Inokuma was fourth in 3:14:35.
Soldotna’s Megan Youngren was second last year at 3:11:57 and finished third Saturday at 3:33:23. Also in the top 20 from the peninsula was Seward’s Tara Swanson in 11th at 4:06:52.
Ophoff won the men’s race at 2:55:58, with Anchorage’s Magnus Noroey in second at 2:56:38. Anchorage’s Galen Hecht, who lived on the central peninsula for 18 months before moving in January, was seventh in 3:08:46, while Seward’s Collin Atkinson was 12th in 3:27:13.
Also from the peninsula in the women’s race, Homer’s Kayla Ray Bloom was 22nd in 4:26:52 and Homer’s Yvonne Leutwyler was 59th in 5:17:24. In the men’s race, Mark Flanagan of Moose Pass was 146th in 5:48:06.
In the 2nd Equinox Half Marathon, Eagle River’s Krista Schnell won at 1:40:55. Seward’s Hallie Bergwall was 11th in 1:57:10, Soldotna’s Angie Brennan was 67th in 2:24:26 and Anchor Point’s Jennifer Robinette was 121st in 3:01:10.
Kenneth Brewer of Fairbanks won the men’s race in 1:22:37.
