OLYMPIC MEDALIST AMONG THREE WHO BREAK MEET RECORDS AT WINEGLASS MARATHON (2024-10-06)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
CORNING — One of the most accomplished middle distance runners in American history, these days Jenny Simpson is focused on preparing for the New York Marathon.

That preparation led her to Corning this weekend as she ran the Wegmans Wineglass Half Marathon, shatteing the meet record with a time of 1:10.50. Her time broke the old meet record of 1:16.04 by Julianne Quinn in 2017 by more than five seconds.

Simpson is a three-time Olympian in the 1500 meters. She’s the 2011 World Champion and a two-time world silver medalist. She became the first American to medal at the Olympics in the event, taking third in Rio in 2016.

“It was great,” Simpson said. “It was such a different kind of day. It was kind of foggy and I was looking forward to the scenery and we had a very limited scenery because of the fog, but it was wonderful, the competition was great. And the fans, there were so many local people that came out to line the road to cheer for us so that was really sweet.

“I wanted to run between 70-71 minutes and I think I got barely right in 71 minutes so I made my goal by a few seconds so I’m really pleased with that. But, I’m really in the thick of Mrathon training, getting ready for New York. So this is a chance for me to peak out of the darkness of marathon training and see what kind of fitness I had. So, I’m really pleased with today.”

Simpson may be new to running in the area, but she has raced local running legend Molly Huddle numerous times over the years.

“Molly is an incredibly kind and gentle and sweet spirit and then you put her on the track or on the road and she is one of the fiercest competitors I have ever run against, so she is the perfect example to me of a person who can be really wonderful in the community, but doesn’t compromise any of that competitive spirit when she gets into a race. She really has been a model for me in a lot of ways. I have admired her entire career. She and I have raced a lot, so I am a competitor of hers and an admirer of hers.”

Simpson ran the Boston Marathon in April, finishing as the fourth American female runner. Now, she’s getting ready for her second marathon.

“My goal honestly is get in, try and be competitive,” Simpson said. “But, New York is known to be a tougher course. It’s kind of hilly, so being a mountain woman, I’m really hoping I can be competitive in that kind of terain.”

Simpson had the perfect training parter as she ran with her husband, Jason, who finished right with her, taking 13th overall, one spot behind his wife, with the same time as his wife.

“I have the perfect setup,” Simpson said. “I have a free pacer. I bring my husband along. He and I are so fortunate. We are so similarly talented in running. He could beat me if he took off and kind of did it on his own, but he’s willing to stay back and pace me through the race.

“It’s nice to have a friend in the fight. The racing gets really hard. The course, the miles add up and it’s nice to have someone next to you. He’s nice, but he doesn’t let me off the hook. When he sees we are falling off the pace he’s there to remind me we have to stay focused, we have to work hard.”

It was one of Simpson’s husband’s friends that led the pair to wind up running in Corning.

“There are all kinds of races all over the country,” Simpson said. “Elites go to specific races throughout the year. Last year my husband had a friend in the club that came and ran her, and I think he’s from Upstate, N.Y. He ran a major PR. He just raved about how beautiful it was and we looked at the course, and we looked at the time of the year and we said this is perfect.

“So, I reached out to the meet and said would you have me if I come and they were generous and kind. My husband and I flew out here to Syracuse and drove down and every minute of the experience has just been peak Autumn. With the friendly personalities and the changing of the leaves and the new terrain. It’s just been lovely.”

Simpson has loved every minute of the experience in Corning and would be happy to run the race again.

“The drive (was beautiful) and I just didn’t realize that Corning is a real running community,” Simpson said. “There’s an incredible running community around here and so all of that and the fact that the course is so nice and gentle downhill the whole way, this is definitely a race we would come back for sure. I loved it.”

Allie Guillard of State College was second in 1:17.45 followed by Philadelphia’s Stephanie Benko in 1:17.52. Jenn Cronin was fourth in 1:18.38 followed by Jessica Smith of Philadelphia in 1:20.40.

Katarina Mayer of New York was sixth in 1:21.29 followed by Zoe Matherne of Philadelphia in 1:21.39 and Emily Young of Camillus in 1:22.10. Bridget Gottlieb of Philadelphia was next in 1:22.27 followed by Daniela Espino of Miramar, Fl.

PENNSYLVANIA NATIVE BREAKS COURSE RECORD IN WOMEN’S MARATHON
Diane Neubauer had never broken the tape before as the winner of a big marathon. That changed on Sunday in dramatic fashion as she won the Guthrie Wineglass Marathon on Sunday with a course record time of 2:42.44.

Neubauer, a 35-year-old mother of two from Ambler, Pa. broke the previous record of 2:43.51 held by Melissa Hardest in 2021.

“I have (won one marathon), but I have never broken the tape,” Neubauer said. “It was like a little Covid marathon, so it was more of a time trial. So, this is my first major marathon I’ve won, so It’s very satisfying.”

Neubauer, a cross country coach at Germantown Academy outside of Philadelphia, wanted the course record coming in, and pushed hard at the end to get it.

“I came here and my goal was to set the course record,” she said. ‘I was hoping to run a little faster than I did. It was a tough go in the last half. My legs just locked up, but I just thought about my kids and my coach and my team and my family and friends and I thought I can get to the finish line just one mile at a time, so this is definitely for them.”

The women’s winner was happy to be able to get the win, and record.

“I am stoked,” she said. “I really am. I am grateful to be here. It was an awesome course, awesome support. I had a great training block of friends. I am just happy to be done.”

Neubauer chose the Wineglass Marathon for a number of reasons, and she enjoyed the race.

“I wanted something local and I have run some of the bigger races, just the anxiety so I thought it would be fun to come to a smaller race,” Neubauer said. “I heard so many great things about it and it exceeded my expectations.

“It was really foggy and sunny. It was definitely hillier than I thought. Those hills beat up my legs. But we couldn’t have asked for a better day. It was perfect.”

Mary Connacher of Stamford, Ct. was runner-up in 2:43.42 and Trisha Byler of Honeoye Falls was third in 2:48.59 followed by Lindsay Piraino of Rush in 2:49.24 followed by Jennifer Davis of Columbus, Ohio in 2:50.41.

Olivia Mondo of Manchester, Ct. was sixth in 2:52.59 followed by Maura Terrell of Kenmore in 2:53.43. Kerri Toney of Richmond, Va. was next in 2:53.58 followed by Haley Hasty of Gainesville, Fl. In 2:54.52 and Allison Wiedman of Westport, Ct. in 2:55.39.  


REGIONAL RUNNER FINISHES SECOND IN MEN’S HALF-MARATHON
CORNING — For Casey Ellis the hope was to set the course record in the Wegmans Wineglass Half Marathon on Sunday morning.

The former Northeast Bradford standout, from Towanda, Pa., figured if he broke the record he would cross the tape as the race winner.

In the end, he accomplished one of his goals, but came up short on his hopes of winning the race.

Ellis ran a 1:05.29, breaking the old record set by David Sinclair of Vermont of 1:06.02 in 2018. The thing is, Ellis wasn’t the only runner to go fast on Sunday as Alexander Burks of Denver, Colorado ran a 1:05.11 to win the race.

“It’s really cool,” Ellis said of the second-place finish. “I wanted to break the course record going in. I figured if I broke the course record I’d also win, but that didn’t happen. But, you can’t be upset with breaking it. I think I broke it by about 30 seconds, so you can’t be upset with that.”

Ellis has steadily been running more and more half marathons as he works toward and ultimate goal of making the Olympic Trials in the marathon.

“Over the last few years I think this is my fourth or fifth half,” Ellis said. “I’m starting to get some experience in it. My ultimate goal is to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Trials in the Mrathon. Right now is just kind of going season by season, finding some big races, setting some goals for that.”

Finishing second in a field of some talented elite runners just helps the confidence level for Ellis.

“There are some really good guys here, so to be able to hang with them, or beat some of them, gave me more confdience today,” Ellis said.

Ellis, who was a state medalist in high school cross country, went on to run four years at East Stroudsburg, where he was a two-time team MVP. He also ran one year at the University of Charleston. During Ellis’ time at East Stroudsburg he started to think about marathons.

“I was kind of thinking of it, but my junior year I qualified for Division 2 Nationals in cross country and when I was down with my coach he told me if I keep after it he thought I could qualify for the trails in the marathon, so that was kind of like, that would be a pretty cool thing to say I did,” Ellis said.

Robert Guidicipietro of Lincroft was third in 1:06.29, followed by Ithaca’s Giovanni Grano (1:06.35) and Steve Jordan of West Chester (1:06.53).

Henry Williams of Ithaca was sixth in 1:07.37 followed by Kevin Hillman of San Antonio (1:09.23), James Dickinson of Buffalo (1:09.34), Kevin Dean of Denver (1:09.42) and Stephen Mennitt of Brooklyn (1:09.44).

HOPPER WINS MEN’S MARATHON
Roger Hopper, a 33-year-old runner from Chesapeake, Va. won the men’s marathon on Sunday, finsihing the race in2 :22.45.

Canandaigua’s Scott Loforte was second in2 :25.07, followed by Harrison Toney of Richmond, Va., Brian Flynn of Ashland, Va. and Colin Rooney of Manchester, Ct.

Dennis Mbelenzi of Halifax, Nova Scotia was sixth in 2:33.47 followed by Alec Depaolis of Pittsford in 2:37.28. Aaron Nobles of Pittsford was next in 2:38.18 and Marty Butler of Rochester was ninth in 2:38.23 followed by Daniel Murphy of Cambridge, Mass.
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE HALF/FULL MARATHONS:



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