POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (June 13, 2016) – The race announcer at Sunday's 2nd Annual Walkway Marathon race series had a refrain that grew increasingly familiar as more of the 2,500-plus competitors poured across the finish line at the College's Hudson River waterfront: 

"Here comes another Marist runner!"

More than 60 current and alumni student-athletes, along with dozens more alumni, trustees, faculty, and staff, wore "Marist" and "Red Foxes" across their chests or otherwise represented the College as they competed with great success in the full and half marathons and the 5K. They were some of the more than 2,500 runners from four nations and 21 states whose tours of Dutchess County started and/or finished outside the Historic Cornell Boathouse with the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park as a backdrop, as Marist again played host for this growing event.

An image of some of the 60 student and alumni runners who competed in the 2016 Walkway Marathon race series

"Once again, competitors from across the country and around the world got to experience our beautiful and historic Hudson River Valley thanks to the Walkway Marathon series," said Marist Executive Vice President Dr. Geoff Brackett, who led the College's support for the event, which involved staff from across the institution, including Athletics, Physical Plant, and Safety and Security. "We are pleased that our beautiful waterfront campus could again host this certified green marathon and that the college and the more than 75 student and alumni athletes who ran today could contribute to its growing success and reputation in the global running community." 

An image of Stefan Morton '17, who took second in the 5K"Marist College has always played a wonderful role in Dutchess County as a community and the Hudson River Valley, and you can’t have a walkway marathon without a beginning and an end," said Dutchess County Executive Mark Molinaro, who competed in the half-marathon while sporting Red Fox socks.

"Having Marist host the start and finish line is a wonderful opportunity to bring people from across the world down to the Marist campus on the Marist campus and on the majestic Hudson River," Molinaro continued. "Add to that the great staff and support that we’ve gotten from Marist, they are a great partner and member in the community and have worked well with a number of partners to make the walkway marathon really special."

An image of Dutchess County Executive Mark Molinaro, Marist Trustee Steve Effron, and Marist Executive Vice President Dr. Geoff Brackett Among Marist's student and alumni top finishers (click here for complete Walkway Marathon race series results):

Katie Messina ’13, of Boston, was the first female finisher in the marathon with an overall time of 3:14:00, which qualifies her for the 2017 Boston Marathon. 

In the 5K race, Steven Rizzo '18 repeated his 2015 first place finish, coming in with an overall time of 15:52, while teammate Stefan Morton '17 finished second with a final time of 16:21.

On the female side, Jordan Casey '19 finished in third place with a time of 22:04, just ahead of teammate Shea Bohan '19 who finished in fourth at 22:04.

In the half marathon, Steven Morrison '18  finished in third place with an overall time 1:18:56 and Mark Valentino '16 finished fifth with a final time of 1:19:36.

For the women, Christine Coughlin '16 finished in third place with an overall time of 1:29:05 and Bianca Luparello '17 finished in fourth with a final time of 1:31:31.

An image of Marist Alum Katie Messina '13, who was the top female finisher in the marathon“To be able to run for a school like this and under a great coach is so rewarding," said Casey after her third-place finish in the 5K, "and to finish every race with the 'Marist' across my chest is just an honor."

With thousands of runners and their supporters tweeting and posting selfies, finish-line photos, and shots of Marist's beautiful waterfront to Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, the Walkway Marathon was a phenomenon on social media. For much of the day, #WalkwayMarathon was one of the top trending hastags worldwide on Twitter.

The race also attracted considerable media attention from The Poughkeepsie Journal, Time Warner Cable News, and the Hudson Valley News Network, among other outlets.

Among the event's distinctions, it was sanctioned as the first “green” race in New York State by Athletes for a Fit Planet.

Organizers applied sustainable practices pioneered last year, such as shuttling runners using Dutchess County Government’s public transit system’s hybrid buses, and incorporating race bibs and other elements made from recycled materials wherever possible.

With a focus on reducing, reusing, and recycling materials— everything from paper cups to diesel fuel to old sneakers —organizers were committed to offering participants a race that was as eco-friendly as possible.