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Saturday, June 3, 2017 -- Morgantown, WV / Packet Pick-Up @ Hazel Ruby McQuain Riverfront Park
Deckers Creek Trail Half Marathon- MAGP #5 (iPO Event Id#: 16402)

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

Contributed by Ella Belling, Race Director

Great Times, Mountain Music, and a Run Happy Spirit at the Deckers Creek Trail Half Marathon

619 runners crossed the finish line at the 17th annual Deckers Creek Trail Half-Marathon on June 3, 2017. With blue skies, the finish line was filled with those reaching their personal bests or completing their first half marathon. A few firsts for this Deckers Half: our youngest runner, Ethan Brunet-Bailey, who celebrated his 12th birthday by running the race, and our first runner from another country, Natalia Timokhina, from Montreal, Canada, who made the race international.

This celebration of local rail-trails has brought state and national attention to the Mon River Trails Conservancy with its unique mostly downhill 13.1-mile course from Masontown to Morgantown. This year's race attracted runners from twenty-one states and Washington D.C. Some participants came from as far away as Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Colorado, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, Texas, Utah and Canada and ranged in age from 12-76.

Alex Minor was awarded first in the overall male division, crossing the finish line in 1:13:01. First place in the women's overall and coming in 4th was Heather Cleary with a time of 1:19:57. Both are from Morgantown, WV. The Deckers Creek Trail Half-Marathon is recognized as the fastest half-marathon in West Virginia. A complete list of race times and photographs can be found at iplayoutside.com and TriStateRacer.com.

The Deckers Creek Trail Half-marathon celebrates National Trails Day, America's largest celebration of trails and the outdoors, held each year on the first Saturday in June. All proceeds from the event help the Mon River Trails Conservancy manage and maintain the Mon River and Deckers Creek Rail-Trails. This year's event raised over $25,000 for the rail-trails.

MRTC would like to thank the sponsors of the race: West Virginia University Hospitals for the bus shuttle to the race start, The Masons and Vincent Farsetta for rockin mountain music, BOPARC for race support and Ali Baba Restaurant, Black Bear Burritos, Chico Bakery, Classics 3, Clutch Wings, Courtyard Marriott, Fairfield Inn, Fat Angelo's Pizzeria, Little Caesars, Lotsa, Miller's Eats and Sweets, Morgantown Flour and Feed Co. Mountain State Brewing, Panera Bread, Pepsi Bottling Group, Pies and Pints, Pizza Al's II, Table 9, Tailpipes, Waterfront Place Hotel and Wings Ole for refreshments. Additional funding was received from Greater Morgantown Convention and Visitors Bureau, HealthWorks Rehab and Fitness, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Leidos, The Mills Group, Morgantown Running, Wamsley Cycles, Waterfront Family Pharmacy, Waterfront Jeep, and WesBanco.

We also thank the many volunteers that provided race support at race packet pickup and start, along the course, at water stops, and at the finish line. Many thanks also to EMS, Morgantown Fire Department, city and county law enforcement for essential traffic control, cold-water sprays, and medical care. Your generosity and time made this a safe and successful event.

Thank you running community for your tremendous show of support for the rail-trails!