Saturday, October 26, 2024

Boston, Georgia Half Marathon victories for Gary Rowan and Stephanie Liles-Weyant

On Old US 84, about half a dozen kilometers east of Boston, Georgia and half a dozen kilometers west of Dixie, Georgia, Gary Rowan called out.


"How far back are they?"

Gary Rowan
Gary Rowan

"They," or the fastest of "them," were about 300 meters back. And before Saturday morning, 26 October 2024 was over, they would be closer to 800 meters back when Rowan won the 44th annual Boston Half Marathon, posting a winning time of 1:17:03. Tallahassee, Florida master runner Stephanie Liles-Weyant was the first woman in the race, coming in tenth overall in 1:33:49.


The half marathon got started nearly ten minutes after the scheduled 8:00 AM time with the athletes setting out from downtown Boston, racing east toward the rising sun. Boston is a small city, so in less than a kilometer the athletes were at the edge of town. At the city limits, Gary Rowan of Adel, Georgia was already well over a hundred meters ahead.

Elliot Butler
Elliot Butler

Past cows, cotton in the fields, pinelands, and pecan orchards, Rowan continued to lead. Outside of Dixie, Georgia, at the turnaround for the out-and-back course, he was up 400 meters. The way back to downtown Georgia was more of the same; Rowan arrived first at the finish line in 1:17:03. It was his second win in seven days. The previous Saturday, Rowan had won the 47th annual Swamp Run 10K in Waycross, Georgia.


"I actually ran faster today," noted Rowan. "But that was a trail run."

Stephanie Liles-Weyant
Stephanie Liles-Weyant

Cairo, Georgia's Elliot Butler took second in 1:19:51, one place better and more than six minutes faster than his showing at the 2023 Boston Half Marathon. Stephen Andrews of Tallahassee overtook Tallahassee master runner Ryan Kunz during the second half of the half marathon to place third in 1:25.47. Kunz was the first master runner in the race, placing fourth in 1:26.53.


Stephanie Liles-Weyant led the women's field wire-to-wire, finishing the half marathon more than two kilometers ahead of the next woman in 1:33:49. eighteenth overall in 1:45:11. Another Tallahassee master runner, Laura McDermott, was the women's runner-up, finishing eighteenth overall in 1:45:11. Yet another Tallahassee master runner, Cathy Bond, was the third female finisher and twentieth overall in 1:45:43.

Laura McDermott
Laura McDermott

82 athletes finished the 2024 Boston Half Marathon. Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee, Florida timed and scored the race.


Top Ten Men, 2024 Boston Half Marathon
  1. 1:17:03, Gary Rowan (M, 36) Adel, GA
  2. 1:19:51, Elliot Butler (M, 34) Cairo, GA
  3. 1:25:47, Stephen Andrews (M, 38) Tallahassee, FL
  4. 1:26:53, Ryan Kunz (M, 42) Tallahassee, FL
  5. 1:28:25, Jack McDermott (M, 55) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 1:29:42, Micah Andrews (M, 35) Tallahassee, FL
  7. 1:30:34, Jonah Blay (M, 18) Tallahassee, FL
  8. 1:31:00, Hastings Read (M, 43) Tallahassee, FL
  9. 1:32:51, Camilo Ordonez (M, 45) Tallahassee, FL
  10. 1:37:18, Fanxiu Zhu (M, 55) Tallahassee, FL

Top Ten Women, 2024 Boston Half Marathon
  1. 1:33:49, Stephanie Liles-Weyant (F, 52) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 1:45:11, Laura McDermott (F, 45) Tallahassee, FL
  3. 1:45:43, Cathy Bond (F, 44) Tallahassee, FL
  4. 1:49:43, Nancy Stedman (F, 62) Tallahassee, FL
  5. 1:54:19, Michelle Hadden (F, 35) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 1:54:51, Cara Voyles (F, 25) Thomasville, GA
  7. 1:57:34, Ansley Oliver (F, 19) Tallahassee, FL
  8. 1:58:44, Georgina Hernandez (F, 34) Quincy, FL
  9. 1:59:33, Abbey Lineback (F, 36) Hahira, GA
  10. 2:00:28, Martha Guyas (F, 40) Tallahassee, FL

Boston Half Marathon Champions, 1979 - 2024
DateMenWomen
26 October 202477:03, Gary Rowan93:49, Stephanie Liles-Weyant
28 October 202378:15, Leonardo Canete79:13, Katie Sherron
29 October 202278:22, Hawthorne Hay1:47:20, Angela McNeely
30 October 202180:19, Leonardo Canete88:08, Sheryl Rosen
31 October 2020no race held
26 October 201978:44, Troy Dunkley85:24, Ann Centner
27 October 201875:48, Joshua Grant82:07, Sheryl Rosen
28 October 201774:47, Joshua Grant85:42, Sheryl Rosen
29 October 201667:00, Stanley Linton83:05, Allison Eagen
31 October 201579:50, Drew Rabun96:10, Jillian Heddaeus
25 October 201472:20, Chris Lake85:15, Katie Sherron
26 October 201371:17, Stanley Linton80:42, Sheryl Rosen
27 October 201273:46, Chris Lake83:27, Sheryl Rosen
29 October 201169:29, Kevin Sullivan82:10, Sheryl Rosen
30 October 201075:13, Vince Molosky86:59, Lisa Johnson
31 October 200979:49, Vince Molosky87:10, Sheryl Rosen
25 October 200881:50, Myles Gibson86:19, Sheryl Rosen
27 October 200776:18, John Seppala87:35, Sheryl Rosen
28 October 200681:18, Michael Martinez82:49, Sheryl Rosen
29 October 200581:11, Myles Gibson96:32, Jennifer Kilinski
30 October 200483:55, David Yon91:57, Jane Johnson
25 October 200376:20, Myles Gibson97:52, Lisa Whitworth
26 October 200284:38, Mike Posey92:41, Carrie Weyant
27 October 200182:36, Steven Walker95:24, Carrie Weyant
28 October 200075:28, Art Remillard83:20, Sarah Docter-Williams
30 October 199978:22, Corey Cherr95:28, Julie Carico
31 October 199880:25, Rusty Jones97:01, Peggy Simpson
25 October 199781:21, Rusty Jones82:55, Michelle LeFleur
26 October 199676:26, Jeff Nielsen86:12, Carrie Weyant
28 October 199578:21, Paul Hough91:01, Katherine Perez
29 October 199472:42, Paul Hough92:34, Diane Turchick
30 October 199375:33, Paul Hough86:09, Carrie Weyant
31 October 199277:45, Steve Carney86:05, Carrie Hunnicutt
26 October 1991
27 October 199079:33, Brian Murphy86:44, Donna Miller
28 October 198971:23, Alex Walmsley93:10, Mary Jean Yon
29 October 198874:22, T. C. Carroll1:41:54, Nancy Widener
1987no race held
8 November 1986
11 November 198567:30, Herb Wills88:06, Patti Sudduth
27 October 198474:21, Scott HinkleDot Skofronick
29 October 198370:25, Noel Shuman87:01, Patti Sudduth
30 October 198267:48, Noel Shuman91:41, Donna Murdock
31 October 198169:57, Gary Slayton88:56, Lt. Vickie Monroe
25 October 198071:49, Gary Slayton96:03, Judy Taylor
27 October 197970:52, Bruce Carpenter1:47:13, Robin Anderson
Got any information on the missing years? Let me know! Send an
e-mail to
hwills@gmail.com, or leave a comment below.


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