Pierce's Olympic qualifying time leads Wilmington Marathon results

The annual Wilmington Marathon took place Saturday morning with cool, cloudy conditions perfect for distance running.

Out of a field of more than 700 runners, Wilmington's Hugh Crews and Ann Marie Pierce-Arseneau took the marathon titles. Crews won the men's race in 2 hours, 36 minutes, 15 seconds, while Pierce dominated the women's field by running 2:36.17.

Pierce won the women's race by more than 8 minutes, and her time qualifies her for the U.S. Olympic Trials, scheduled for February 2024 in Orlando. Only 108 people had qualified for that race so far on the women's side.

Wrightsville Beach's Robinson Snider won the half marathon, finishing in 1:06.28, beating Sam Montclair of Cary and Brandon Hudgins of Jamestown by just over 30 seconds. Annmarie Tuxbury of Blowing Rock won the women's half marathon in 1:14:08.

Runners started at Johnnie Mercers Pier in Wrightsville Beach and ran down Eastwood Road, made quick turns on Market Street and College Road before taking Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway to downtown Wilmington.

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While half-marathon runners finished at Live Oak Bank Pavilion, marathon runners ran out to Greenfield Lake and made nearly 2 loops of the park before returning to the amphitheater. More than 700 individuals completed the marathon, while more than 1,600 did the half-marathon. A downtown 5K and 1 mile run were also held.

This was the 13th Wilmington Marathon, which was first held in 2010. The race was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington's Ann Marie Pierce wins, qualifies for U.S. Olympic Trials