BROOKINGS – Geofrey Terer registered for the 50th Brookings Marathon only a couple days before the event. He had to drive 12 hours from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Friday to get to Brookings. None of that stopped the 42 year-old Kenya native from winning the full marathon and setting the Masters Division record Saturday.

“The race was good. I was trying to beat the course record, but I was not able to,” Terer said. “I was feeling so tired from driving yesterday, so I think that had something to do with it.” 

Terer finished in 2 hours, 30 minutes, 47.46 seconds and beat the second-place finisher by almost 7 minutes.

Adam Cordell of Cheyenne, Wyoming, came in second with a time of 2 hours, 37 minutes, 36.11 seconds.

The weather was not a factor this year as the temperatures were in the mid-50s and it was sunny with no wind.

“At first it was very cold. Then after a couple of miles it got warm. You know when it is chilly it is a lot harder to move, so when it got warm it was nice,” Terer said.

This was the second time Terer had won a marathon and it was the first time he competed in the Brookings Marathon.

Erica Knips of Sioux Falls was the first female to cross the finish line in the full marathon with a time of 3 hours, 18 minutes, 40.07 seconds.

This was her sixth time participating in the Brookings Marathon and she said she kept coming back to try and win the event.

“I came back because I got a message from (Brookings Marathon Event Coordinator) Matt Bien and he invited me to come back because he thought I could win the race this year,” Knips said.

Knips, the 2017 female winner, said the hardest part of the race was Mile 18.

“Everyone can run 20 miles, but it’s the last six that really get you,” she said.

Matthew Young of Woodland, Washington, won the half-marathon. He edged out Michael Harnett of Richfield, Minnesota, by 16 seconds. Young finished with a time of 1 hour, 13 minutes, 31.86 seconds.

“I run cross-country at the University of Jamestown in Jamestown, North Dakota,” Young said. “We’re an NAIA school and in outdoor track and field you can qualify for nationals by running in a half-marathon, so I figured I’d come down and try it and see if I could qualify.”

It was the first time either participant had run in Brookings. Harnett finished with a time of 1 hour, 13 minutes, and 47.93 seconds. 

“I was very surprised with how I ended up doing. The weather was perfect and at no point did I feel like I was struggling. So I was very happy,” Harnett said.

Tessa Stoltenburg of Sioux Falls broke the female half-marathon course record with a time of 1 hour, 18 minutes, 38.17 seconds. The previous record was set by Heather Magill in 2015 with a time of 1 hour, 22 minutes, 40 seconds.

Stoltenburg, a South Dakota State graduate, said it was a lot of fun being back in Brookings because she got to run past her college house and she loves the course here.

“It’s really exciting. I had goals to break the record. I just ran the Boston Marathon a couple weeks ago so I wasn’t sure how I would be feeling today. I kind of surprised myself and I felt really smooth,” Stoltenburg said.

A total of 188 started the full marathon and 182 finished, while 355 started the half-marthon with 350 finishing.

Sean Welsh/Register:

Below 1: Erica Knips, of Sioux Falls, was the fastest female, finishing in 3:18:40.07.

Below 2: Matthew Young, of Woodland, Washington, won the Brookings Half-Marathon in 1 hour, 13 minutes, 31.86 seconds. 

Below 3: Tessa Stoltenburg, of Sioux Falls, broke the female record in the half-marathon, finishing in 1:22:40.

Below 4: Adam Cordell was runner-up in the Brookings Marathon with a time of 2:37:36.

Below 5: Richard Langdeaux placed third in the marathon in 2:38:03.52.