A Little Rain Couldn’t Stop The More than 28,000 Runners Who Crossed The Finish Line This Weekend At The 53rd BMW Dallas Marathon Festival

December 16, 2024

(DALLAS) December 16, 2024 /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – More than 28,000 runners laced up for the 53^rd BMW Dallas Marathon Festival, shattering Sunday attendance records once again, as they raced through the heart of downtown Dallas, past its iconic neighborhoods, and along the scenic shores of White Rock Lake. With thousands of spectators lining the course, the event culminated in an electrifying finish at Dallas City Hall, celebrating the resilience and spirit of the running community.

“Congratulations to all the incredible finishers of this weekend’s BMW Dallas Marathon Festival,” said Jason Schuchard, President of the BMW Dallas Marathon Festival. “The dedication, perseverance, and spirit we saw this year are truly inspiring. Each participant has achieved something remarkable, and we are honored to have shared this journey with them.”

Award Winners

Texas locals and out-of-state/country visitors take top honors at the 2024 BMW Dallas Marathon Festival.

Full Marathon

Travis Dowd, 23, of Dallas, Texas, achieved a first place with an exhilarating finish with a time of 2:26:08. “This means everything to me,” he said. “It was perfectly timed with my last exam for med school and my whole squad was out here to support me and cheer me on. It meant the world.”

Erin Woodward, 26, of Bella Vista, Arkansas, was the women’s first place finisher with a time of 2:46:51. “This means a lot to me,” she said. “It’s a combination of all the hard work from post collegiately running to now. Hard work and trusting the process pays off.”

Half Marathon

Adam Moore, 26, of Staines, England, achieved a first-place finish with a time of 1:06:19. “I feel really privileged that I am able to compete and win races in big cities with big crowds,” he said. “Not everyone gets to experience this – it’s really fun!”

Mimi Smith, 27, of Dallas, Texas, was the women’s first place finisher for the third year in a row with a time of 1:15:33. “I knew there were some really, really fast runners today,” she said “So I pushed it at the start and was able to maintain. It was a good race!”

Wheelchair participant, Ryan Davis, 15, of Waskom, Texas, participated in Saturday’s EIGHT K and Sunday’s Half-Marathon, taking first place in the wheelchair division for both.

Ultra Marathon (50K)

Scott Preston, 43, of Midlothian, Texas, took first place overall (Men) in the Ultra Marathon 50K (31 miles) with a time of 3:19:20. “After coming in second last year, winning today is just amazing!

Sarah Rabourn 33, of Houston, Texas, took first place overall (Women) category in the Ultra Marathon with a time of 3:39.18. “Winning today means so much to me,” she said, “It’s a lesson to never give up, keep on running and keep showing up!”

Jayden Chapman, 39 of Tyler, Texas, took first place in the wheelchair division with a time of 5:51:18.

Marathon Moments

EIGHT K Winners

Hudson Hamilton, 19, of Fort Worth, Texas, took first place for men and Tate Alvarez, 33, of Grapevine, Texas for women in the EIGHT K.

EIGHT K Wheelchair Winner

Ryan Davis, 14, of Waskom, Texas placed first for men in the EIGHT K Wheelchair division.

5K Winners

Jack Matherly, 25, of Eugene, Oregon, placed first for men in the 5K. Katie McCune, 26, of Springfield, Missouri, took first place among the women running the 5K.

Kids’ Races

Nearly 4,000 kids of all ages took part in the marathon’s annual line-up of family races, including the 100M Dash and the Oncor Kid’s Race. To kick off the Oncor Race, Ashley Mahon sang the National Anthem, and Debbie Dennis, Senior Vice President, Chief Customer Officer and Chief HR Officer of Oncor, gave a special message to the kids before they sprinted off.

Friday Night Lights Mile

The BMW Dallas Marathon Festival hosted its fifth annual Friday Night Lights Mile event yesterday evening, a two-lap Grand Prix style race around Dallas City Hall Plaza. More than 700 participants took part in this fun event that offered eight different heats for seniors, kids, elite runners, walkers, and even those in costume.

Friday Night Lights Mile Winners

Beginner/First Time Miler (Open Age Range)

(Male) Frankie Cornell, 29, of Dallas, Texas

(Female) Kayla Valadez, 10, of Dallas, Texas

Walkers/Costume (Open Age Range)
(Male) Walker Ray, 11, of Heath, Texas

(Female) Kristine Wright, 28, of Denton, Texas

Youth (5-18)
(Male) Chance Anderson, 14, of Dallas, Texas

(Female) Annabelle Angeles, 13, of Murphy, Texas

Senior (50 and Older)
(Male) Charles Clark, 52, of Corpus Christi, Texas

(Female) Rosenda Vasquez, 55, of Frisco, Texas

Masters (Ages 40-49)
(Male) Marshall Goldsmith, 40, of Memphis, Tennessee

(Female) Dawn Grunnagle, 47, of Dallas, Texas

Young Masters (30-39)
(Male) Jeffery Killan 39, of Arlington, Texas

(Female) Tessa Bache-Wiig, 33, of Dallas, Texas

Young Adults (19-29)
(Male) William Kariampuzha, 24, of Tyler, Texas

(Female) Lauren Feely, 26, of Chicago, Illinois

Elite (Open Age Range: RRCA Texas State One Mile Championship)
(Male) Kevin Kirk, 25, of Ogden, Utah

(Female) Jordan Lacsamana, 17, of Dallas, Texas

The Health and Fitness Expo, which took place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Friday, Dec. 13 and Saturday, Dec. 15, had an estimated attendance of nearly 50,000 visitors.

For full race results, please visit http://dallas.mychiptime.com/. All times are unofficial until results are verified by race officials.

About The Dallas White Rock Marathon

The Dallas White Rock Marathon (DWRM) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on promoting health and physical fitness through running events and related activities. The organization is comprised of volunteer board members and a full-time staff with various backgrounds and running experiences that help carry out the mission of the DWRM as well as support the growth and impact of the DWRM portfolio of events in the Dallas-Fort Worth community. Dating back to 1971, the organization hosts year-round events culminating with Dallas’ largest and Texas’ longest running marathon: the BMW Dallas Marathon Festival. Now in its 53rd running, the marquee event, with 12 running and walking events for all ages, will attract runners from across the globe and hundreds of thousands of spectators to Dallas’ largest single-day sporting event. The BMW Dallas Marathon Festival course highlights iconic Dallas landmarks and is recognized as the official marathon of the City of Dallas. Since naming a primary beneficiary in 1997, DWRM has donated more than $4.5 million to Scottish Rite for Children. For more information, visit www.dallasmarathon.com.

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