ALLENTOWN, Pa. — About 2,000 runners raced through the streets of Allentown on Sunday morning during the St. Luke’s Half Marathon and 5k races.
This was the 40th year for the races — part of a two-day festival that raises money for running and community groups in the Lehigh Valley.
Alex Price, of Bethlehem, finished first in the half marathon for the second time. His time was 1:07:16, according to the posted results — more than 3 and a half minutes better than his 2022 winning time.
“The race went really well for me,” Price told race organizers. “I’ve had some time to adjust to a new schedule, but the body overcomes and adapts."
His victory came less than a month after he and his wife welcomed their fourth child.
"Dad strength is a real thing," he said. "I’m just so grateful for everything.”
Top finishers of the races, according to organizers, were:
Half marathon
Overall
1. Alex Price, 30, of Bethlehem: 1:07:16
2. Corey Mullins, 26, of Easton: 1:09:42
3. Chris Cabret, 26, of Orlando, Florida: 1:14:17
4. Jeremiah Reinhart, 36, of Bethlehem: 1:14:46
5. Mark Latvakoski, 20, of Hyde Park, Utah: 1:16:37
Top women finishers half marathon
1. Emily Hulme, 40, of Easton: 1:20:38
2. Abby Rustay, 25, of Hellertown: 1:25:59
3. Eileen Cody, 32, of Bethlehem: 1:26:14
4. Bryanna Urban, 27, of Lititz: 1:27:39
5. Elizabeth Rodriguez, 28, of Allentown: 1:28:42
5k
Overall
1. Nicholas Denniston, 27, of Easton: 17:40
2. Thomas Duffy, 44, of Blandon: 17:51
3. Cole Orloski, 13, of Allentown: 18:05
4. Andrew Frisch, 27, of Allentown: 19:12
5. Rob Gallagher, 58, of Quakertown: 19:22
Top women finishers 5k
1. Barbara Perevalov, 21, of Bethlehem: 21:51
2. Liliana Michalska, 12, of Easton: 22:31
3. Helen Yiu, 30, of Allentown: 23:00
4. Sara Dickey, 51, of Wind Gap: 23:13
5. Parker Tatum, 14, of Allentown: 23:35
You can see all the results on the St. Luke’s Half Marathon and 5k website.
“We have an amazing running community here. We’re grateful that we can give back to the sport that gives us so much.”Leslie Billowitch, co-race director and president of the Lehigh Valley Road Runners
Hundreds of volunteers helped pull off the event.
“It’s a privilege to work with a volunteer race committee and over 500 volunteers on the course to produce a day that truly celebrates the spirit of running,” said Leslie Billowitch, co-race director and president of the Lehigh Valley Road Runners, which produces the event. “Especially considering this is our 40th year for the half, it’s a tribute to all of the runners and volunteers who have made the event one of the must-do distance races in the mid-Atlantic each spring.”
Overall, the race has raised more than $800,000 to promote running and fitness programs for youth and adults in the greater Lehigh Valley.
“We have an amazing running community here,” Billowitch said. “We’re grateful that we can give back to the sport that gives us so much.”
