Daniel Romanchuk breaks Boilermaker record to win the Wheelchair 15k

Coming in first place in the Wheelchair 15k with a time of 31:33, Daniel Romanchuk broke the previous Boilermaker course record of 31:45 that he himself set back in 2018.

"I've been here a few years, you know, it's an amazing, amazing race," said Romanchuk.

Romanchuk first raced in the Boilermaker in 2015 at the age of 16. He took fourth place then, but has taken first place in every Boilermaker he has raced in since then. This year will mark his fifth win in the event, and his first Boilermaker since 2019.

More:2022 Utica Boilermaker Road Race returned to its roots. Here's how the day unfolded

His continued success in the event should come as no surprise however. Romanchuk has won a Gold and Bronze Medal representing the US in the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, was the youngest racer to win the Boston Marathon's wheelchair event in 2019 and also won the wheelchair events in the 2019 London and Chicago Marathons.

Romanchuk came in first with a steady lead over the rest, coming in almost four minutes ahead of second-place winner and Boilermaker regular Herman Garic, who had a time of 35:25. Garic won first place in the Wheelchair 15k last year, being the first Utica native to win the event.

The Boilermaker track is known to be a hilly one, which played to Romanchuk's advantage.

"I grew up in Mount Airy, Maryland and so I'll always love climbing the hills," said Romanchuk. "Not always going down them. But climbing, I always kind of enjoyed that."

Boilermaker 15K: Jemal Yimer Mekonnen, Rosemary Wanjiru take home titles

More:Two runners win the 2022 Boilermaker 5K on their first try

For Jenna Fesemyer, the women's winner of the race and Romanchuk's teammate, the hills posed a good challenge.

"I really like the challenge of the hills," said Fesemyer. "I'd say that this course has not played to my strengths. You know, I'm not a very good climber, and so it's always nice to be able to work on those different things while you're on the course."

Fesemyer came in 16th overall, with a time of 43:01. Fesemyer won the Women's Wheelchair 15k in 2019, her first ever time racing in the Boilermaker, and this race marks her first time racing since then. She said that the two years off made the win feel more rewarding.

"It makes the win extra sweet," said Fesemyer.

Fesemyer said that Boilermaker fans can expect to see more of her and Romanchuk in the years to come.

"I think you'll see both of us here next year," she said.

Database: Utica Boilermaker race results from 2015-2022

More:Utica Boilermaker post-race party brings double excitement in its return to 'normal'

This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Daniel Romanchuk breaks Boilermaker record for the Wheelchair 15k