Philadelphian Spencer Friske wins 2022 Wineglass Marathon in record fashion

Tom Passmore, The Leader
·2 min read

Twenty-eight-year-old Spencer Friske completed the Wineglass Marathon in a record 2 hours, 17 minutes, 57 seconds on Sunday.

The Philadelphia native was running in his first marathon after battling injuries while competing at Division III Swarthmore College. The previous record of 2:20.19 was set by Hornell native Tim Chicester in 2017.

Friske entered the Wineglass Marathon eight days before the race after contacting race director Sheila Sutton to see if he could get a spot.

For Friske, the win was a culmination of a running career that had been overshadowed by adversity.

“I’ve been hurt a bunch in college and never ran everything I wanted to," Friske said. "I was constantly disappointed. My coach kept coaching me, believed in me and this is validation.”

Friske said his goal was to finish under 2:18, a lofty expectation but a testament to the work he's put into the sport despite never competing in a marathon.

"This is the kind of sport you spend 30 hours a week training for," Friske said. "It’s not very fun or exciting and you never know if it’s worth it and I’ve spent a lot of time questioning it. This is a validation of that."

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Twenty-six-year-old Lindsay Piraino of Rochester was the winner in the women's division, finishing in 2 hours, 51 minutes, 22 seconds.

"I had a plan, I stuck with it and just ran my race," Piraino said. "It was fun to see some other really good women out there. The support of the crowd was great.

Piraino said the goal was to keep smiling, which she did straight through the finish line.

Piraino improved on the 3:23.10 mark that she registered the first time she competed in the Wineglass Marathon in 2019.

"It's great (to be a champion this year)," Piraino said.

The 41st running of the marathon began Sunday morning in Bath and ended on Market Street in Corning.

This article originally appeared on The Leader: Wineglass Marathon record set by Spencer Friske of Philadelphia