Eliud Ngetich and Stephanie Pezzullo topple the defending champs of the Albany Snickers® Marathon

Sergei Zyrianov won the Albany, Georgia Snickers® Marathon in 2017 and again in 2018. Lyubov Denisova was the first woman in the Albany, Georgia Snickers® Marathon in 2017 and again in 2018. Saturday morning, 2 March 2019, was the thirteenth annual Albany Marathon, and thirteen wasn't a lucky number for the defending champions. That morning, Zyrianov shared the lead with Eliud Ngetich for almost the entire 26.2 miles of the race, but at the finish line Ngetich got the win, 2:20:01 to 2:20:02. In the women's competition, Denisova ran 2:45:28, her fastest effort yet in Albany, but finished runner-up to Stephanie Pezzullo, who placed fourth overall in 2:42:50.


Nathaneal Williams ran with Ngetich and Zyrianov for more than ten miles, but by the halfway mark of the race he had fallen behind the two leaders. After spending the second half of the race watching Ngetich and Zyrianov pull out of sight, Williams finished third in 2:28:48. Eric Kujawski was the first male master and ninth in the men's standings, eleventh overall in 2:49:40.


The first master runner in the race, though, was Lyubov Denisova, the second female finisher. After running with women's leader Pezzullo early in the race, Denisova gave up ground after the five mile mark. After ten miles the race was over, with Pezzullo going on to take the women's title in 2:42:50 and Denisova following in 2:45:28. At 3:00:05, Natalia Wilcox was third in the women's standings and 24th overall.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Albany Marathon

1. 2:20:01, Eliud Ngetich (M, 25-29) Jacksonville, FL
2. 2:20:02, Sergei Zyrianov (M, 30-34) Gainesville, FL
3. 2:28:48, Nathanael Williams (M, 21-24) Lancaster, SC
4. 2:46:58, Brent Pease (M, 35-39) Atlanta, GA
5. 2:47:07, Montana Klingsporn (M, 00-20) Clarksville, TN
6. 2:48:16, Patrick Hrabos (M, 30-34) Sarasota, FL
7. 2:49:03, Tolson Bell (M, 00-20) Atlanta, GA
8. 2:49:34, Matt Triick (M, 35-39) Macon, GA
9. 2:49:40, Eric Kujawski (M, 40-44) Pensacola, FL
10. 2:49:56, Russell Branch (M, 35-39) Cantonment, FL

Top Ten Women, 2019 Albany Marathon

1. 2:42:50, Stephanie Pezzullo (F, 35-39) Ocala, FL
2. 2:45:28, Lyubov Denisova (F, 45-49) Gainesville, FL
3. 3:00:05, Natalia Wilcox (F, 25-29) Cumming, GA
4. 3:11:32, Tiffany Bellucci (F, 35-39) Sharpsburg, GA
5. 3:16:58, Hayley Whisonant (F, 30-34) Rock Hill, SC
6. 3:19:06, Brandy Royer (F, 35-39) Columbus, GA
7. 3:19:26, Kelly Huban (F, 21-24) Marietta, GA
8. 3:22:46, Jennifer Love (F, 35-39) Hendersonville, NC
9. 3:25:12, Gina Kline (F, 40-44) Destin, FL
10. 3:26:26, Brigid Gutierrez (F, 25-29) Niceville, FL

Four months before the Albany Snickers® Marathon, Reinhardt College junior Jose Diaz earned NAIA All-American status in men's cross-country. In Albany, Diaz won the half-marathon race, running the 13.1 miles in 1:13:09. Evan Beauchamp took second in 1:16:52, and Jose Manuel Santana was third in 1:18:30. Raymond Green was the fastest master runner in the half marathon, placing sixth overall in 1:23:44.


Katja Blunden of Destin, Florida took the women's title in the half marathon, coming in seventh overall in 1:26:12. Molly Willams finished runner-up to Blunden on the women's side and eighth overall in 1:27:13. Albany's own Jennifer Perkins was the third woman finisher and eleventh overall in 1:28:17. Karin Elliott was the first woman master and eleventh female finisher, 38th overall in 1:38:28.


489 athletes finished the thirteenth annual Snickers® Marathon, while another 636 completed the half marathon.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Albany Half Marathon

1. 1:13:09, Jose Diaz (M, 21-24) Waleska, GA
2. 1:16:52, Evan Beauchamp (M, 30-34) Atlanta, GA
3. 1:18:30, Jose Manuel Santana (M, 00-20) Gainesville, GA
4. 1:20:25, David Dement (M, 25-29) Atlanta, GA
5. 1:20:39, Jack Rager (M, 00-20) Atlanta, GA
6. 1:23:44, Raymond Green (M, 40-44) Lithonia, GA
7. 1:27:18, Philip Schneider (M, 25-29) Boulder, CO
8. 1:28:12, Donald Amos (M, 35-39) Augusta, GA
9. 1:28:35, Jason Barker (M, 45-49) Warner Robins, GA
10. 1:28:43, Travis Wilson (M, 25-29) Friendsville, TN

Top Ten Women, 2019 Albany Half Marathon

1. 1:26:12, Katja Blunden (F, 35-39) Destin, FL
2. 1:27:13, Molly Williams (F, 21-24) Lancaster, SC
3. 1:28:17, Jennifer Perkins (F, 35-39) Albany, GA
4. 1:28:34, Maxey Hebert (F, 35-39) McDonough, GA
5. 1:28:51, Annie May (F, 30-34) Birmingham, AL
6. 1:32:07, Anna Busby (F, 25-29) Marietta, GA
7. 1:32:21, Yolanda Sanchez (F, 35-39) Suwanee, GA
8. 1:34:23, Kristen Scruggs (F, 35-39) Winter Springs, FL
9. 1:37:05, Rachel Patzer (F, 35-39) Atlanta, GA
10. 1:37:16, Courtney Naser (F, 21-24) Atlanta, GA

Albany Marathon Champions, 2007 - 2019
Date	Men	Women
3 March 2007	2:30:56, Jared Nyamboki	3:32:41, Wendy Donnan
1 March 2008	2:27:44, Simon Sawe	2:37:26, Janet Cherobon
7 March 2009	2:19:01, James Boitt	2:52:55, Kelly Williamson
6 March 2010	2:20:55, Jynocel Basweti	2:37:57, Janet Cherobon
5 March 2011	2:17:10, Tesfaye Alemayehu	2:43:15, Ludmila Stepanova
3 March 2012	2:23:50, Mutuku P Muas	2:54:32, Mackenzie Howe
2 March 2013	2:21:04, Edward Tabut	2:58:14, Taylor G. Stephens
1 March 2014	2:34:34, Abraham Kogo	2:38:45, Liudmila Stepanova
7 March 2015	2:18:57, Christopher Zablocki	2:44:39, Sara Howe
5 March 2016	2:18:50, Christopher Zablocki	2:50:34, Cynthia Jerop
4 March 2017	2:21:32.84, Sergey Zyrianov	2:46:30.62, Lyubov Denisova
3 March 2018	2:23:48, Sergey Zyrianov	2:47:10, Lyubov Denisova
2 March 2019	2:20:01, Eliud Ngetich	2:42:50, Stephanie Pezzullo

Links

• Complete results of the 2019 Albany Marathon and Half Marathon
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTfdukFmBDsOevDIV5vuNW-uHIsuu9VU6oWTP70VwAhutNLcPmg7nV5uSLTd5Z6VCcO0GPpgnvvyDd6/pubhtml
  
  
• 2018 story, “Zyrianov and Denisova make it a Gainesville repeat at the Albany Snickers® Marathon”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/03/albany-marathon-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Zyrianov and Denisova make it a Gainesville sweep of the Albany Snickers® Marathon”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/03/albany-marathon-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Chris Zablocki does it again in Albany”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/03/albany-marathon-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Zablocki returns to the South for an Albany Marathon win”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/03/albany-marathon-20158.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Hebron KY runners Kogo and Stepanova take Albany Marathon titles”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/03/albany-marathon-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Tabut edges Zablocki in Albany Marathon”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/03/albany-marathon-2013.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “The best bar none at the 2011 Snickers Marathon”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/03/albany-marathon-2011.html
  
  
• Albany, Georgia's Edwardian-Era Marathon
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/07/herald-local-marathon.html
  
  
• Albany Snickers® Marathon
  https://albanymarathon.com
  
  
• USATF Course Certification maps for the 2017 Albany Snickers® Marathon and Half Marathon
  
  • Marathon:http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=GA10101WC
    
  • Half: http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=GA10100WC
    
  
  
• Marathons and longer and shorter upcoming races on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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