Kenyan wins Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon
Kagimbi first to cross the finish line
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PARKERSBURG -- Clear weather and high humidity welcomed runners during Saturday's 36th Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon, which saw Kenyan Solomon Kagimbi cross the finish first with a victorious clocking of one hour, seven minutes and nine seconds.
Kagimbi, who lives in South Carolina, made the most of his first race in the Mid-Ohio Valley and walked away with the top prize of $1,000.
"I'm here to explore America. I ran good," said Kagimbi, who back in January captured the Life Time Miami Half Marathon.
"It was up and down, sometimes flat. I enjoyed. Downhill I enjoyed. It was tough, but I ran hard."
Once the race began it was obvious Kagimbi was going to be the pace setter as he led from start to finish.
Despite the victory, Kagimbi admitted "I think I need to do some type of workouts to improve my performance. I enjoyed it. It was good," Kagimbi also claimed the Road Runners Club of America Regional Championship.
A pair of familiar names finished behind Kagimbi – Andrew Taylor of Hilliard and fellow Buckeye and Belpre High School graduate Breydon Gates of Columbus.
Taylor, who picked up $750 for finishing runner-up, crossed in 1:15:46, which was slightly off his 2023 effort of 1:11:44.
"A lot slower. It was a lot more humid this year," admitted Taylor, who was not quite two minutes ahead of Gates' 1:17:38 clocking. "It's just a really hard course. Lots of hills and then the humidity this year just made it tough, but when you get to a cheer station that always is like motivation to pick it up a little bit right there."
Although Taylor won the Manitoba Marathon in June he knew Saturday was going to be difficult with Kagimbi in the race.
"He said he was going to go like 63 minutes at the start so I knew just don't even try to go with that," admitted Taylor, who just earned his doctorate from Butler University in pharmacy.
Taylor, who is preparing to move to Wabash, Ind., for a pharmacy job, finished runner-up at the Ogden Half Marathon in May.