Saturday, June 1, 2013 -- Morgantown, WV
Deckers Creek Trail Half Marathon - MAGP #3 (iPO Event Id#: 14498)

2013: [Details] [Coverage] [Photos] [Overall Results] [Results by Class]

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Year of the Girl

Story and Photos by The Black Family.

This year's race had more female runners finish than male runners. Is that rare or becoming the new trend?

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Perhaps women runners really are on the rise. With nationwide groups like "Girls on the Run" and local organizations such as "The Sole Sister's Club", "iRunMommies", and S.W.I.F.T. (Strong Women in Fitness Together), more and more females of all ages are lacing up and hitting the races.

The 2013 Deckers Creek Trail Half Marathon was no different. The course is mostly downhill, has two starts to spread the more than 600 racers and many people (including lots of women) enjoy running the race together, choosing to enjoy the journey more than anything else.

Even though there was a lot of group and partner running, lets not forget the competitive side of the event.

Overall, both top male and finishers were 26 years old and from Pennsylvania. Adam Smith of McKnight, PA dominated the trail with a 5:22 pace. He finished first overall with the overall winning time of 1:10:14.

And Laura Harnish of Pittsburgh, PA was the first female, 10th overall, crossing in 1:23:55.

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Local Morgantown, WV runner, 32 year old Jason Santucci, claimed second in 1:16:45. More than a minute behind him, Jeremy Brown of Pittsburgh, PA took third.

Also from Pittsburgh, Jamie Morgenstern, trailed Harnish to claim the women's second spot in 1:24:04. Stephanie Bonk of Coraopolis PA rounded out the top women's overall.

Live timing was new this year, plus everyone was announced after they crossed the finish line, a nice feature.

Seven water stops along the 10.4 miles on crushed stone and final 2.7 paved course is always a welcome sight for racers. Lots of volunteers, earth-friendly shirts, the natural beauty of the trail and creek, plus a great post-race party make this event one not to miss.

Proceeds benefited the Mon River Trails Conservancy (MRTC), a non-profit volunteer organization that acquires, develops, and manages the Mon River and Deckers Creek Rail-Trail system in North Central West Virginia. Find out more at www.montrails.org.

Editor's Note ...

This was the first time that my family covered an event as a team; me, my husband, and my son. We each had our own camera and took our own photos of the day's events. It was great! I think this is the beginning of something special.

The family that plays together stays together!