Chris Mocko (Boulder, Colo.) and Maria Lindberg (Elmhurst, Ill.) takes top spots in the marathon; Daniel Mesfun (Eritrea) and Allie Kieffer (Scottsdale, Ariz.) win the half marathon.
PHOENIX, SCOTTSDALE, TEMPE, Ariz. (Jan. 20, 2019) – Over 16,000 registered runners from age 12 to 83 took to the streets this weekend to participate in the 16th running of the 2019 Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon. With a renewed focus on the core pillars of great music in a community environment, runners of all athletic levels enjoyed the sights and sounds of three scenic Arizona cities. Kicking off the New Year at the 2019 Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon weekend was the one-mile race on Friday. With a distance for everyone, the best-in-class running event continued Saturday with a KiDS ROCK and 5K presented by Brooks event. The three-day event concluded when runners from all 50 states and 20 countries received a first-class tour as they ran through the streets of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe for a one-of-a-kind urban Southwestern running experience with a beautiful backdrop and weather. In the marathon, Chris Mocko (Boulder Colo.) won the race with his first-place effort clocking a time of 2:21:01. Roosevelt Cook (Oak Hill, Cali.) was second with a time of 2:25:27. Kevin Horchler (La Mirada Cali.) followed in third place finishing in 2:25:36. Maria Lindberg (Elmhurst, Ill.) was the women’s champion with a final time of 2:52:23 with Jessica Culver (Tucson Ariz.) next behind her at 2:56:25. Stephanie Hankins (Louisville, Ky.) rounded out the podium in 2:59:35. In the half marathon Daniel Mesfun (Eritrea) won the race with his first-place effort clocking a time of 1:01:13. Kiya Dendena (Flagstaff, Ariz.) was second with a time of 1:05:42. Saidi Makula (Flagstaff, Ariz.) followed in third place finishing in 1:05:44. Allie Kieffer (Scottsdale, Ariz.) was the women’s champion with a final time of 1:13:34 with Dylan Hassett (Alpharetta, Ga.) next behind her at 1:15:15. Adrienne Berry (Englewood, Colo.) rounded out the podium in 1:15:21. Elite runners and fast times aside, Sunday’s races were all about the party atmosphere. Several local bands, including the Cesar Chavez High School Drumline, Breakdown, The Runner Up, Jane N’ The Jungle plus many others performed live on band stages along the route interspersed with cheerleaders and themed water stations. Participants moved along to more music than ever with all new mile-markers that included speakers while taking in the local scenery and city streets packed with spectator support.
The musically themed road race celebrated the day’s accomplishments with the sounds of Plain White T’s, who headlined the Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series at the finish line festival held at Tempe Beach Park. For complete results or for information on 2019 event, visit www.RunRocknRoll.com/Arizona/