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YONKERS, N.Y. — Local residents Michael Arnstein and Margaret Duggan both swept to victory Sunday in the male and female divisions of their hometown race, the 87th Yonkers Marathon, with Arnstein winning the overall title.
"This race is historical, and being a resident and winning the Yonkers Marathon is special," Arnstein, 35, said after clocking a 2:35.10 over the 26.2-mile run. "The greatest marathoners came here for years to challenge this course. It has always been a test for the hardcore runners. This is a thrill for me."
Arnstein, who is an ultra-marathoner, used the Yonkers run as a tuneup for a 153-mile challenge he is running in Athens, Greece, later this month. The Yonkers Marathon
was an "amazing day," he said. "The hills are tough, but the course through Yonkers and Hastings is beautiful. There's a spirit out there on the course — of all the great runners who have made this run."
Duggan, 26, who suffered leg cramps through the last stages of the race, clocked in at 3:03 and was taken to a recovery area for treatment.
Yorktown Heights resident Quentin Bishop, who has run 18 long distance races, stepped off in the 13.1-mile half-marathon.
"It has some hills, but it's a nice race," Bishop said. "There's a stretch of hills in Hastings that are tough, but there were water stations everywhere and the people were out there picking you up. This is one of the toughest course to run, but I enjoyed it."
Nearly 1,200 runners registered and more than 1,000 showed up for the race, officials reported. It stepped off at 8 a.m. opposite the Yonkers train station.
Yonkers Police Capt. Joe Barca, who ran his 33rd Yonkers Marathon, said he favored the original course that ran though several River Towns.
"The two-loop course we ran (Sunday) is tough mentally but it was fine," Barca said. "I enjoyed the challenge of the old course that took us up to Tarrytown and back. Otherwise, I always enjoy the people along the route and the organizers have done a great job."
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