ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Thousands of runners took to Tampa's Bayshore Boulevard Sunday morning for day two of the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic, with over 9,000 participants registered to compete in the half-marathon and 8K races.
St. Petersburg resident Trevor Wisong claimed first place in the men's half-marathon, crossing the finish line in 1 hour, 9 minutes, and 29 seconds. The 28-year-old runner improved from his second-place finish last year.
"It's great to come back and win it this year. It's really awesome," Wisong said.
Anne-Marie Blaney from Rochester, Michigan, won the women's half-marathon, finishing six minutes later at 1 hour, 15 minutes, and 42 seconds.
"I knew it was going to be tough conditions out here, and you never know who's going to show up either, so I just had to go out there and run against a little bit of wind, a little bit of humidity, so yeah, I'm happy," Blaney said.
The race holds special significance this year as longtime race director Susan Harmeling prepares to retire after 34 years of building up the event. Harmeling has watched the race grow from its humble beginnings to becoming a Tampa staple.
"I love it. I'm just as passionate about it today as I was that first day, so I just love it," Harmeling said.
The race has expanded dramatically in 30 years. What started in 1978 as a 15K and 5K event remained that way until 1998, when organizers added a half marathon and an 8K.
"So, immediately, we went from 15,000 to 30,000 people," Harmeling said.
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