SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Nearly 5,000 runners finished the Twin Cities marathon today, and tens of thousands of spectators were there to cheer them on.
Excitement filled the air in the morning after the race was canceled last year because of the heat. The weather was much cooler today, a bit windy, and we heard from many runners who set a new personal best today. So who ended up taking up the win for the men's and women's races?
Let's start with the men's race. Shadrack Kimining from Kenya won the men's marathon with a personal best of 2:10:17. It was Kimining's first time running the Twin Cities Marathon, and he said the crowd helped him run faster. The hilly course did not bother him as he says it's similar to where he trains.
"The weather was not good," Kimining said. "It was so windy, but the course was so good. Before 10 minutes to finish, I decided I will win the race."
On the women's side, Molly Bookmyer from Columbus, Ohio won with a time of 2:28:52. This was also a personal best, and more than 4 minutes ahead of second place. Molly said she ran most of the race solo which is how she trains. This was her first time running the Twin Cities Marathon.
"It's a little windy out here, but the course was beautiful, and the spectators were awesome," Bookmyer said. "So it's really fun to be out there, and the crowd support was awesome so that really made it fun."
A list of the top 10 finishers can be found here.