DULUTH — Grandma’s Marathon Hall of Fame 2023 inductee Elisha Barno of Kenya won a record fifth men’s title Saturday morning in a personal-best 2 hours, 9 minutes, 14 seconds for 26.2 miles. It was the second-fastest time in race history.
Barno, 38, outdueled training partner, defending champion and course recordholder Dominic Ondoro, 37, who was second in 2:09:59 along the North Shore. Ondoro now has three of the top four men’s times in race history.
Barno earned $12,500, including $2,500 for finishing sub-2:10. He was inducted into the race’s Hall of Fame on Friday.
He broke away from Ondoro with about 3 miles remaining.
An equally amazing performance was turned in by Lauren Paquette, 36, of Little Rock, Ark., in her marathon debut, winning in 2:25:55, the fourth-best women’s time in race history. She dethroned two-time defending champion Dakotah Lindwurm of Hopkins, second in 2:26:56. Gabriella Rooker, 35, of Minneapolis was third in 2:27:38.
Paquette earned $20,000, including $10,000 for going sub-2:28.
It was 62 degrees and calm, with some sun, at the Canal Park finish, nearly ideal weather.