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10th Anniversary DONNA Marathon Weekend’s Race Recap

The 10th installment of DONNA Marathon Weekend concluded Sunday, 2/12/2017, setting a number of firsts and course records.  This year marked the first-time hand crank and push rim wheelchair athletes participated, a new 10K and Booby Trap Challenge. Also, a single athlete became the first to hold a DONNA champion title for three-consecutive years.

Several records were set, including record times by the youngest Half Marathon winner and the Ultra 110 Marathon winner. Well over 10,000 runners participated in the weekend’s events from all 50 states and more than a dozen countries, the highest number of runners yet in a single DONNA Marathon Weekend. In addition, more breast cancer survivors participated this year than ever before.

“Perfect. That’s about the only word that adequately describes all of the elements of the 10th anniversary year for DONNA Marathon Weekend,” said Donna Deegan, founder of DONNA Marathon Weekend and three-time breast cancer survivor.  “There were so many milestones, firsts and, especially, so much love on the course. I am beyond grateful and, with this much joy surrounding us, I know we will just continue to build toward a world without breast cancer.”

The total proceeds raised from the race weekend will be finalized in early summer as funds are still calculated, and the fundraising continues. Last week, Jacksonville philanthropists Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver issued a new Weaver Challenge to raise money for The DONNA Foundation supporting groundbreaking breast cancer research at Mayo Clinic and providing financial assistance to those living with breast cancer. The challenge began race weekend and will run through March 31, 2017 matching donations dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000.

The winners for the 2017 26.2 with DONNA Marathon, Half Marathon and Relays are as follows (course records are designated by asterisks):

  • Men’s Marathon Winner is Matthew Barresi of Palmyra, Va. (2:30:23)
  • Women’s Marathon Winner is Meaghan Neuberger of Fernandina Beach, Fla. (3:06:53)
  • *Men’s Half Marathon Winner is Terrance Sessoms of Jacksonville, Fla. (1:18:22) – at 17, Terrance is the youngest man to win the DONNA Half Marathon. He is also a Marathon High student.
  • *Women’s Half Marathon Winner is Julie Stackhouse of Jacksonville, Fla. (1:19:02) – Julie has been the winner for three consecutive years (2015 Half, 2016 Full and 2017 Half) and now holds the course record in both the Half and the Full marathons.
  • Survivor Marathon Winner is Lisa Janty of Cumberland, Wis. (4:03:40)
  • Survivor Half Marathon Winner is Erin Dankworth of Jacksonville, Fla. (1:41:54)
  • Marathon Hand Crank Winner is Brian Muscarella of Charlotte, N.C. (1:37:44)
  • Marathon Push Rim Winner is Tom Hall of Orange Park, Fla. (2:40:32)
  • Half Marathon Push Rim winner is Harris Blackwell of Jacksonville, Fla. (2:16:49)
  • *Ultra 110 Men’s Marathon Winner is Marc Burget of Jacksonville Beach, Fla. (15:14:34) – The 2016 Men’s Marathon winner set a new course record for Ultra 110 Marathon.
  • Ultra 110 Women’s Marathon Winner is Carrie Neveldine of Chesterfield, Va. (24:15:57)
  • Team Relay Winner is Team Your Pace or Mine? (2:40:06)
  • Dan Brown Relay Cup Winners are Beach Rats XC from Fletcher High School (2:59:37)
  • Masters Men’s Marathon Winner is Julian Rozo of Jacksonville, Fla. (2:57:54)
  • Masters Women’s Marathon Winner is Julie Hadaszy of Trinity, Fla. (3:34:24)
  • Masters Men’s Half Marathon Winner is Pete Metz of Germantown, Wis. (1:22:40)
  • Masters Women’s Half Marathon Winner is Dani Mason of Hagerstown, Md. (1:38:40)

In addition, the new Booby Trap Challenge consisted of three races and four medals over two days. Challengers participated in Saturday’s 5K, 10K and either the Full or Half Marathons. The winners of the Inaugural Booby Trap Challenge include:

  • Booby Trap Challenge Men’s Marathon Winner is Matthew Draganchuk of Spring Hill, Fla. (4:53:45)
  • Booby Trap Challenge Women’s Marathon Winner is Krissy Murphy of Opsrey, Fla. (5:14:40)
  • Booby Trap Challenge Men’s Half Marathon Winner is Jerry Searcy of Pavo, Ga. (2:55:53)
  • Booby Trap Challenge Women’s Half Marathon Winner is 1984 Olympian Joan Benoit Samuelson of Freeport, Maine (2:32:44)
  • Booby Trap Challenge Marathon Push Rim Winner is Tom Hall of Orange Park, Fla. (3:36:48)