PRTC Athletes Standout at Philadelphia Marathon Weekend

Philadelphia Marathon Weekend Recap

“It wasn’t a day to run fast, but it was a day to run hard.” Those words from Paul Matuszak set the tone for this year’s Philadelphia Marathon Weekend. Saturday’s races brought relentless wind on the Half Marathon and Rothman 8K courses, but runners still delivered gritty performances. By Sunday, conditions improved, with the marathoners benefiting from calmer weather and bright, clear skies—a reward for enduring weeks of training and tough race-day challenges. Across all events, we showed up in force, whether racing for podiums, pacing others to their goals, or cheering tirelessly from the sidelines.

Half Marathon – Saturday, November 18th

The Half Marathon course offered no reprieve from the relentless wind, but PRTC athletes persevered with impressive performances. Leading the way was Brett Lucas, finishing 8th in the Elite Field with a stellar time of 1:09:31. Not far behind, Ryan Mahalsky returned to peak form after a summer of injury setbacks, finishing 9th in 1:09:39.

Jason Richwall clocked a strong 1:10:24 for 17th, while Matt Driben, making a statement in his banana costume, cruised to an impressive 1:14:23. Further back, Max Krall delivered a 1:17:18, continuing his streak of strong performances, and Joe Cutler achieved his long-time goal of breaking 80 minutes with a 1:19:50.

On the women’s side, Angie Petrichenko led the charge with an impressive 1:21:40, placing 13th overall. Fresh off her Chicago Marathon six weeks prior, Emily Dooley crossed the line in 1:24:43. Erin Gibbons and Annalise Wagner followed with strong efforts of 1:26:49 and 1:28:46, respectively.

But standout performances weren’t just about times. Matt Driben, ran his second consecutive Philly Half while dressed as a banana, finishing in an incredible 1:14:23. Meanwhile, Elaine Estes paced Students Run Philly Style athletes to strong finishes, and Ben Skalla guided a visually impaired athlete as part of Achilles International.

Half Marathon Results:

Women:

  • Angie Petrichenko – 1:21:40 (13th)

  • Emily Dooley – 1:24:43 (15th)

  • Erin Gibbons – 1:26:49 (24th)

  • Annalise Wagner – 1:28:46 (48th)

  • Sam Grubb – 1:29:04 (50th)

  • Rachel Snyder – 1:31:19 (79th)

  • Emma Noel – 1:35:18 (123rd)

  • Elisabeth Renikoff – 2:25:01

Men:

  • Brett Lucas – 1:09:31 (8th, Elite Field)

  • Ryan Mahalsky – 1:09:39 (9th, Elite Field)

  • Jason Richwall – 1:10:24 (17th)

  • Matt Driben – 1:14:23 (24th)

  • Ben Nieto – 1:15:36 (21st, Elite Field)

  • Sacha Salphati – 1:15:43 (24th, Elite Field)

  • Max Krall – 1:17:18 (49th)

  • Joe Cutler – 1:19:50 (72nd)

  • Seth Walensky: 1:19:57 (38th, Elite Field)

  • Evan Skalski – 1:20:31 (76th)

  • Keyan Shayegan – 1:21:55

  • Sergio Salgado – 1:23:34 (109th)

Pacers: Matt Bruner, Ben Skalla, Elaine Estes

Rothman 8K – Saturday, November 18th

Late Saturday morning brought the Rothman 8K, a race that many hoped would be an opportunity to test out fast paces ahead of Club Nationals in Tacoma. Instead, it turned into a wind-battered grind. The newly extended out-and-back along Kelly Drive tested runners with a brutal headwind in the first half, though the turnaround offered relief and a tailwind to the finish.

Greg Morgan led PRTC with a 9th-place finish in 24:11, followed by Paul Matuszak in 13th at 24:20. In the Open Field, housemates Kevin Hudson and Will Newman each claimed victories, finishing as first Male and first Non-binary athlete, respectively.

On the women’s side, Ellen Feringa and Maria Seykora ran together through the windy first half before placing 6th (27:35) and 8th (28:16), respectively. Olivia Derogatis made a triumphant return from injury, and Alex DiDonato capped her season with an 8K PR.

Rothman 8K Results:

Women:

  • Ellen Feringa – 27:35 (6th)

  • Maria Seykora – 28:16 (8th)

  • Olivia Derogatis – 29:04 (12th)

  • Alex DiDonato – 30:20 (18th)

  • Emily Hansell – 31:47 (79th)

  • Emily Van Assendelft – 35:0

  • Kate Henderson – 44:48

Non-binary:

  • Will Newman – 27:21 (1st NB)

Men:

  • Greg Morgan – 24:11 (9th)

  • Paul Matuszak – 24:20 (13th)

  • Marc Steinsberger – 24:42 (15th)

  • Liam Galligan – 24:51 (16th)

  • Jon Russell – 24:53 (17th)

  • Jordan – 24:59

  • Gavin Campbell – 25:23 (19th)

  • Kevin Hudson – 25:28 (20th, 1st Open Male)

  • Bo Shepherd – 25:32 (22nd)

  • Simon Kissam – 25:34 (23rd)

  • Kris Lizins – 25:41 (26th)

  • David Dorsey – 26:03 (28th)

  • Vicente Iglesias – 26:06 (30th)

  • David Choi – 26:35

  • Eric Reitinger – 26:42

  • Cody Amengual – 27:40

  • Ryan Galiczynski – 27:44

  • Judex Beaubrun – 27:44

  • Evan Massa – 27:50

  • Andy Potocek – 29:03

  • Zach Brooks – 29:04

  • Will Vedder – 29:27

  • Scott Heigl-Yates – 33:51

Marathon – Sunday, November 19th

Sunday dawned calm and clear, and PRTC marathoners took full advantage of the improved weather. Lauren Kelly led the team, finishing 10th among women in 2:47:12. Julian Boggs, in his PRTC debut, ran a strong 2:32:40 for 14th overall, and Tom Thomas fought through the latter miles to finish in 2:43:46.

Other highlights included Kate Henderson, who won the Independence Challenge title (8K + Marathon) with a marathon PR of 3:07:44. In debut marathon performances, Javier Cavieres, Lilly Smith, and Paul Decembrino achieved impressive milestones, with Javier’s dedication to training shining through in his 2:44:38 finish.

Marathon Results:

Women:

  • Lauren Kelly – 2:47:12 (10th)

  • Kate Henderson – 3:07:44 (72nd)

  • Michelle Love: 3:07:53 (73rd)

  • Lilly Smith – 3:32:57 (454th)

Men:

  • Julian Boggs – 2:32:40 (14th)

  • Dylan Zuch – 2:36:41 (25th)

  • Tom Thomas – 2:43:46 (89th)

  • Javier Cavieres – 2:44:38 (95th)

  • Kevin Dugan – 2:46:26 (125th, 15th Master)

  • Patrick Skeehan – 2:48:26 (153rd)

  • Danny Leskowicz – 2:50:40 (201st)

  • Matt Stopkey – 2:54:19 (265th)

  • Chris Campagnola – 2:57:37 (362nd)

  • Pete Celona – 2:58:40 (425th, PR)

  • Scott Heigl-Yates – 3:06:27 (658th)

  • Paul Decembrino – 4:01:08 (5122nd)

Pacers: Frank Dougherty, Connor Harriman, Moo Muqaribu, Adam Raven

Kevin Brandon