Fort Worth, Texas – This weekend marked the 45th running of The Cowtown, the largest multi-event road race in North Texas, with some 21,000 total runners registered representing 49 states and 11 countries. The two days of events included the 10K, Adults 5K and Academy Sports+Outdoors Kids 5K distances on Saturday and the Half-Marathon, Marathon, Miller Lite Ultra Marathon and Higginbotham Healthy Hig Marathon Relay races on Sunday.
On Sunday, course records were broken in the Cowtown women’s half marathon, women’s marathon, and men’s ultra-marathon distances. This year, Sunday’s races also included the USA Track and Field Half Marathon Championships, an elite event with separate registration for qualified athletes that was underwritten by the Fort Worth Sports Commission. All the top-10 men’s and women’s finishers broke the course record for the half.
All courses are certified, and Cowtown is a recognized Boston qualifying race. This year’s overall presenting sponsor was Baylor Scott and White All Saints Medical Center, Fort Worth.
Unofficial results for Sunday races
Half Unofficial Results
MEN: Course Record: 1:04.15
First – Nassim Kabbara, 26, Midland, TX, 1:10:19
Second – Micah Pearce, 20, Fort Worth, TX, 1:11:4
Third – Jack Fink, 16, Aledo, TX, 1:13:33
WOMEN: Course Record 1:16.33
First – Damaris Areba, 27, Grand Prairie, TX, 1:16:22
Second – Jennifer Pope, 36, Plano, TX, 1:16:45
Third – Ericka Mason, 31, Fort Worth, TX, 1:17:44
Marathon Unofficial Results
MEN: Course Record 2:27.55
First place – Joseph Darda, 35, Chaplin CT 2:32:14
Second – Edward Kandie Chelagat, 27, Kenya, 2:36:53
Third – Michael Fisher, 38, Asheville, NC, 2:38:31
WOMEN: Course Record 2:59.29
First – Dora Eastin, 32, Joplin MO, 2:52:24
Second – Madeleine Rouse, 35, Plano, TX 2 3:00:59
Third – Lisa Veneziano, 58, Fenton, MI, 3:01:44
Ultra Marathon Presented by Miller Lite Unofficial Results
MEN: Course Record 3:36.42
First – Bryan Morseman, 37, Bath, NY, 3:01:43
Second – Josh Heimbach, 37, Norman, OK, 3:13:09
Third – Dustin Darakhshan, 40, Richardson, TX, 3:17:11
WOMEN: Course record 3:36.58
First – Jessalyn Sadler, 34, Independence, MO, 3:49:31
Second – Jenna Henry, 42, Webb City, MO, 3:53:45
Third – Heather Carr, 49, Houston, TX, 4:18:19
USATF Half Marathon Championships
MEN: Course record 1:04.15
Overall men’s winner was Jacob Thomson, 28, of Johnson City TN, with a men’s record-breaking time of 1:02:38.
The other top-10 male finishers also broke the course record:
Leonard Korir, 36, Colorado Springs, CO
Futsum Zienasellassie, 30, Flagstaff AZ
Biya Simbassa, 29, Flagstaff, AZ
Brian Shrader, 31, Cambridge, MA
Scott Fauble, 31, Portland, OR
Tyler McCandless, 36, Fort Collins, CO
Colin Bennie, 27, San Francisco, CA
Colin Mickow, 32, Oswego, IL
Matt McDonald, 29, Cambridge, MA
WOMEN: Course record 1:16.33
Overall women’s winner was Aliphine Tuliamuk, 33, Flagstaff, AZ, with a women’s course-breaking time of 1:09:36.
As with the top-10 men, all the other top-10 women also broke the women’s course record:
2. Lauren Paquette, 36, Flagstaff, AZ
3. Nell Rojas Boulder, 35, CO
4. Molly Grabill Superior, 30, CO
5. Jessa Hanson, 24, Johnson City, TN
6. Paige Wood, 27, Flagstaff, AZ
7. Katja Goldring, 32, Flagstaff, AZ
8. Molly Seidel, 30, Johnson City, TN
9. Bridget Belyeu, 35, Newnan, GA
10. Lindsey Bradley, 25, Heath, TX
The Cowtown weekend’s 2023 sponsors included: Presenting Sponsor Baylor Scott and White All Saints Medical Center, Fort Worth; plus Academy Sports + Outdoors; Autobahn, Fort Worth; University of North Texas Health Science Center; Miller Lite; NBC 5|Telemundo 39; Higginbotham; Simmons Bank; BKV; Under Armour; and Fort Worth Sports Commission.
Proceeds from The Cowtown benefit the C.A.L.F. (Children’s Activities for Life and Fitness) Program, celebrating its 14th year. The program educates area students about health and fitness and in 2023 has awarded monetary grants for running event entry fees and running shoes to 4,300 qualifying children.
Thank you to all the spectators, entertainers, sponsors, partners, the thousands of volunteers and to the people of Fort Worth who make Cowtown weekend a success.
Next year’s Cowtown weekend will take place Feb. 24-25, 2024. For more information, please visit: www.cowtownmarathon.org.
About the Cowtown: The Cowtown Marathon, the largest multi-event road race in North Texas, has a $10.4 million annual economic impact in Fort Worth, Texas, and hosts one of the largest youth races in the nation. Recently named to The BibRave 100: A Definitive List of the Best Races in America, Cowtown, listed as one of the Top 20 Half Marathons in the country, was also listed among the races with Best Medals and Swag. In 2020 the Cowtown was voted America’s Rave Race nationally by runners. Proceeds from The Cowtown go directly to The C.A.L.F. Program. The Cowtown is designated a Gold Certified Event by the Council for Responsible Sport.
The Cowtown C.A.L.F. (Children’s Activities for Life and Fitness) Program: As part of The Cowtown mission to promote a lifelong love of fitness, The C.A.L.F. Program was created in 2009. C.A.L.F programming benefits approximately 150 schools across North Texas annually. The program trains students in proper running technique and educates them about resting heart rate, the importance of hydration, proper nutrition and living an active lifestyle. Through our school grant program, we identify low-income children and fit them properly with a new pair of running shoes, socks, and provide them grants to make entry fees to The Cowtown February races more affordable. We have made running a 5K race a reality for 50,000 children in the last 14 years.
