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
  
  

#2447

Parrish tears a 14:37 at the Matanzas 5K

Year after year, the Matanzas 5K produces some seriously fast road times. Most outstanding is the 14:06 course record that Eliud Ngetich posted at the race in 2015. And you certainly don't want to overlook the 15:42 that Galina Alexandrova ran at Matanzas in 2004. That may not be Florida's fastest road 5K by a woman, but you'd have to do a lot of research to prove otherwise. Aside from those exceptional marks, each year the race produces performances that other events can only envy.


The 37th annual Matanzas 5K maintained that tradition. Former University of Florida track man Mark Parrish ran 14:37 to win that race on Saturday morning, 21 January 2017, finishing at the front of a field of 985 athletes. On the women's side, ZAP Fitness standout Stephanie Pezzullo took the title with a swift 17:05, placing seventeenth overall.


Trent Lusignan was the overall runner-up at 15:07. Lusignan is less than a year out of San Diego State University, where he made NCAA-D1 All-American in cross country. Sergey Zyrianov took third in 15:19, and Jarrod Shoemaker edged Joshua Estrada for fourth, 15:34 to 15:36.


Parrish won the race by over 160 meters, but the women's competition was much closer. Rachel McFarlane finished just 30 meters behind women's champ Pezzullo, taking the second women's spot and finishing twentieth overall in 17:11. Julie Stackhouse was just another twenty meters behind McFarlane, placing third in the women's standings and 21st overall in 17:15. Twelve-year-old Ani Veltcheva--a seventh-grader at Abraham Lincoln Middle School in Gainesville, Florida--was the fourth female finisher and 23rd overall in 17:44.


The 2017 Matanzas 5K was run on a USATF-certified course (FL12049EBM) in downtown Saint Augustine. First Place Sports of Jacksonville, Florida chip-timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2017 Matanzas 5K

1. 14:37, Mark Parrish (M, 25)
2. 15:07, Trent Lusignan (M, 24)
3. 15:19, Sergey Zyrianov (M, 32)
4. 15:34, Jarrod Shoemaker (M, 34)
5. 15:36, Joshua Estrada (M, 25)
6. 15:41, Brady Holmer (M, 23)
7. 15:55, Mitch Guirard (M, 31)
8. 16:09, Brian Shrout (M, 43)
9. 16:10, Andrew Merrill (M, 23)
10. 16:34, Alex Hagan (M, 31)

Top Ten Women, 2017 Matanzas 5K

1. 17:05, Stephanie Pezzullo (F, 34)
2. 17:11, Rachel McFarlane (F, 26)
3. 17:15, Julie Stackhouse (F, 37)
4. 17:44, Ani Veltcheva (F, 12)
5. 17:54, Alicia Kaye (F, 33)
6. 17:56, Kaitlin Donner (F, 27)
7. 18:01, Morgan Hull (F, 21)
8. 18:18, Lyubov Denisova (F, 45)
9. 18:30, Kelsey Beckmann (F, 25)
10. 18:39, Stephanie McGrail (F, 30)

Matanzas 5000 winners
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
27 January 1996		17:00, Rachel Cook
25 January 1997	14:31, Yuri Punda	16:06, Alla Doudaera
31 January 1998	14:56, Gary Meyers	16:47, Laura Mykytok
30 January 1999	14:41, Andrey Kuznetzov	16:22, Kim Pawelek
29 January 2000	14:47, Sergey Shalomeyev	16:32, Tetyana Pozdnyakova
27 January 2001	14:39, Darin Shearer	15:59, Jennifer Rhines
26 January 2002	14:28, Zepherinus Joseph	17:49, Clair Domingo
25 January 2003	15:18, Jerry Lawson	17:35, Tatiana Titova
31 January 2004	14:21, Darin Shearer	15:42, Galina Alexandrova
22 January 2005	15:11, Paul McRae	18:34, Stephanie Paulk
28 January 2006	14:43 Ryan Woods	16:01 Firiya Sultanova
27 January 2007	14:27, Gareth Turnbull	16:14, Amy Rudolph
26 January 2008	14:36 Ryan Woods	16:01 Molly Huddle
24 January 2009	16:47 John Metzgar	16:03 Yuliya Gromova	1193
23 January 2010	15:08 Ryan Woods	16:33 Jolene Williams	1665
22 January 2011	14:31, Christian Hesch	16:20, Lindsay Sundell	1576
21 January 2012	14:32, Christian Hesch	16:26, Megan Brown	1509
26 January 2013	14:28, Enoch Nadler	16:39, Lauren Goss	1608
25 January 2014	14:54, Christopher Moen	16:35, Cynthia Jerop	1207
24 January 2015	14:06, Eliud Ngetich	16:52, Kaitlin Donner	934
30 January 2016	14:51, Matt Crowe	16:39, Kaitlin Donner	1177
21 January 2017	14:37, Mark Parrish	17:05, Stephanie Pezzullo	985

Links

• Complete results of the 2017 Matanzas 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ywUffJqG4DGM1PHSMVQddewb8vXcWEtCezo-fbGE-zc/pubhtml
  
  
• Matanzas 5000
  http://www.matanzas5k.com/
  
  
• USATF course certification map FL12049EBM for the 2017 Matanzas 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL12049EBM
  
  
• Find future fast 5K road races on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https:troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#1871