Former Ursuline High School soccer star runs away with PR win in women’s marathon
Full event results available at BMWDallasMarathon.com.
DALLAS (December 11, 2016) - Keith Pierce, 36, of Lewisville, Texas, led from start-to-finish on a cool, windy morning at the 2016 BMW Dallas Marathon, finishing in a winning time of 2:29:27. Pierce, who coaches cross country and track at Denton Ryan High School, held off a late surge from 2015 Dallas Marathon champion Logan Sherman, who finished in second place with a time of 2:30:39. For Pierce, the victory in Dallas carried a special significance: this was the first victory in four tries at the Dallas Marathon for the competitive Texan who is a three-time winner at the Cowtown Marathon and two-time winner of the Austin Marathon. Pierce opened an early lead on the marathon field, carrying a 5:30 mile pace through the first half of the race before slowing in the final 10 kilometers. Sherman, seeking to join a select group of two-time Dallas Marathon winners, closed a gap on Pierce late but couldn’t pull even with the eventual champion as they raced through the streets of downtown Dallas toward the finish line. Pierce credited a consistent training regimen, the support of his wife and family - including 5-year-old triplets - and the hometown crowd for his BMW Dallas Marathon victory. He plans to run the Boston Marathon in April.
In the women’s marathon, Jordan Snyder stuck diligently to her prerace pacing strategy and set a personal best of 2:59:17 to win the 2016 BMW Dallas Marathon. The 25-year-old New York resident grew up in Dallas and was a standout soccer player at Ursuline Academy and then at the University of Notre Dame. Snyder, running in only her fifth marathon ever, bested the BMW Dallas Marathon field by nearly 10 minutes, accomplishing her primary goal of running a sub-3:00 marathon. She was joined by family and friends at the finish line, celebrating what she called an unexpected victory made special by the hometown crowd support along the course. The self-coached Snyder plans to take a little time off before returning to competition next year. Dallas-native Magaly Soto finished second overall in the women’s race in 3:08:25, also earning the female Masters marathon win.
20,000 participants in the 46th BMW Dallas Marathon, Half Marathon and Behringer Relay enjoyed a lively course experience from start to finish. An energetic countdown created a memorable race start for participants, bands and neighborhood cheer zones lined the entire 26.2-mile course with entertainment and a happening post-race party carried on far into the Dallas afternoon.
Rio King, 74, extended his streak of most consecutive Dallas Marathons completed, finishing his 41st consecutive - and 42nd overall - Dallas Marathon in a time of 5:58:27.
BMW Dallas Half Marathon
First to cross the finish line for the day was Colby Mehmen, a 22-year-old former Stephen F. Austin runner, with a time of 1:05:09. Mehmen, who finished second in last year’s half marathon, blazed out to an early lead and never looked back, winning by more than five minutes. University of Georgia alumni, Nicole Dimercurio, 25, was the first female half marathon finisher, with a time of 1:19:10. This was Dimercurio’s first time running in Texas and her first competitive win.
Behringer Relay
The overall winner in the 2016 Behringer Relay was Team Cricket Wireless A with a time of 2:28:59. The five-person Behringer Relay follows the same 26.2-mile course as the BMW Dallas Marathon.
Pro Relay Challenge
Five HOKA ONE ONE elite athletes participated in the second annual Pro Relay Challenge, which partners the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers and FC Dallas on five-person relay teams with one elite runner, racing to win bragging rights and a donation to the fastest sports team’s foundation. The Texas Rangers, led by HOKA ONE ONE 1500m runner Kyle Merber finished first, with a time of 3:08:08. Merber, the American Collegiate record holder, battled the wind in a small pack of HOKA runners out front including Colby Alexander, Stephanie Schappert and Nicol Traynor. Former Olympic medalist Leo Manzano, running with the Dallas Cowboys team, ran the fastest relay split of the five HOKA athletes.
Last Woman Running
Despite serving as the last official participant to cross the starting line, Colleen Coyle, the 2016 "Last Woman Running" passed nearly 3,500 participants to finish the half marathon in a personal best of 1:59:34. For each half marathon participant passed, Coyle raised money for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Total donations due to fundraising and her race day efforts exceeded $10,000.
Columbia Business School Executive Challenge
The Columbia Business School Executive Challenge crowns the fastest c-suite executive or business leader competing in the BMW Dallas Marathon. The 2016 male and female winners were Christopher Jackson of Wynne Jackson Inc. and Coral Wilkens of Rockwall Independent School District.
For more information about the 2016 BMW Dallas Marathon, Half Marathon or Behringer Relay, visit BMWDallasMarathon.com.
About the BMW Dallas Marathon
The Dallas Marathon is a nonprofit organization with a focus on promoting health and physical fitness through running events and related activities. Dating back to 1971, the organization hosts year-round events culminating with Dallas’ largest and Texas’ oldest running marathon: the BMW Dallas Marathon. Now in its 46th running, the marquee race attracts runners from across the globe and hundreds of thousands of spectators to Dallas’ largest single-day sporting event. The BMW Dallas Marathon racecourse highlights iconic Dallas landmarks and is recognized as the official marathon of the city of Dallas. Since naming a primary beneficiary in 1997, the Dallas Marathon has donated more than $3.8 million to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. For more information, visit DallasMarathon.com.
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