Aylward crowned Juneau Marathon men’s champ, Gress takes women’s title
- Klas Stolpe
- Jul 27
- 12 min read
Updated: Jul 29
McManus repeats for men’s title in half marathon, Hinderberger repeats for women’s
Juneau’s William Aylward, 25, and Shannon Gress, 40, were crowned champions Saturday, winning the men’s and women’s titles in the Juneau Marathon. Jack McManus, 20, of McCall, Idaho, and Juneau’s Joanna Hinderberger, 34, won the Juneau Half Marathon titles — with both repeating their winning efforts from last year.
“It has been a lifelong goal to run a marathon,” Aylward said. “I grew up just north of Boston and I really wanted to qualify for the Boston Marathon, and now I have. I couldn’t really be any more ecstatic. After how my legs feel, I’m not so sure I want to do it.”
Aylward crossed the finish line in the 26.2-mile race in two hours 37 minutes and 20 seconds. The physical therapist with the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium moved to Juneau two months ago.
“This is my first marathon,” he said. “I ran in high school (Peabody, Massachusetts) and all through college (Franklin Pierce University), and I kind of just went off a random training block I made up, 12-ish weeks long, progressively longer runs, and here we are.”
Aylward said the first 19 miles were great, “The last seven my quads just shut down and I just did not feel good at all. I’ll tell you what, in the last two miles there were some barely up hills and those things killed me.”
Aylward next will run for team Slo Mo’s in the Klondike Road Relay, of which he vows, “I don’t think I will run super fast, more like just trying to finish, but I think it will be a good experience.”
Gress, who set the women’s open record of 2:51:33 in 2014 at age 29, this year was chasing the masters’ mark of 3:35:04 set by Mary Hanna, 48. And she shattered it.
“I just turned 40, so I was hoping to break the masters’ record if I could,” Gress said. She hit the new mark of 3:03:35 to win the crown and place second overall among men and women. “So I feel really good about that. That was a big goal and just to see what I could get done out there. Oh my gosh, the last six miles, for whatever reason, I don’t know if it was the wind or what, but definitely I hit those six miles and it got very challenging, and it became a mental race for sure.”
When asked how this compared to her previous wins, she said: “It’s funny because it wasn’t as fast of a time, but I’m incredibly proud of finishing this one because it was definitely one of the biggest mental races I’ve had.”
McManus won the men’s half marathon in 1:13:57 and Hinderberger the women’s in 1:26:29. She was sixth overall among the combined genders.
“Why not do it?” McManus laughed when asked about running the event. “I just I love running, I love racing and I really love the 10K in track, and so this is just kind of two of those and such a beautiful setting. So yeah, it's awesome to be able to, like, have this race atmosphere before like the cross-country season starts.”
McManus runs track (10K and 5K) and cross-country (8K) for Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. His girlfriend is 2022 JDHS graduate Annika Schwartz, who also runs for Whitman.
His advice to young runners is, “Just stay excited, don't worry about miles or times or anything, just run and enjoy the running of the running. It's not about the stats or anything. It's about just being there. Those things can come later if you want, but you've got to start.”
McManus will be looking to earn cross-country nationals in the fall and qualify for track nationals as well.
Hinderberger said she has always liked the Juneau Marathon.
“I’ve done the marathon before I did the half last year,” she said. “And I had my two friends (Shannon Gress and Hillary Young) that were also running today and it seemed like a beautiful day to run a half.”
“I think just trying to have a good time,” she said. “You know, the last two years I've tried to chase down Mary Ellefson’s record. Last year I came like 30 seconds short. This year I came a minute short. But I figured it never hurts to try. So I'm trying to do her overall record. Hilary's trying to get the masters’ record.”
Hinderberger’s advice to new runners is, “I think just try. That's kind of my motto in life, just try, don't be afraid to come up short and just try because you're never going to regret trying. I had been training for a full and just broke three hours for the full for the first time in my life, like five weeks ago. I did 2:58:00. And so I hadn't really trained for this half, but I thought, you know, just go out there.”
Hinderberger hopes to do the Boston Marathon with her father, Chip Lindy. They will be doing a marathon together in a month for his qualifying time.
Aylward, Gress, McManus and Hinderberger each received a trophy from the Juneau Trail and Road Runners for their overall top finishes. The Road Runners Club of America also gave a state championship medal to the four and to each age group winner as both events were certified a state championship this year. The JTRR also gave medals to the top three finishers in each age group for point scoring in the NAO Cup. Participants all received finisher medals.
It was also a day for more than medals and trophies as roughly 250 competitors started the annual races at Savikko Park in Douglas and chased their dreams out onto North Douglas Highway and back to the finish.
Juneau’s Oilvia Glasscock, 33, and partner Paul Strickler, 31, began training in February.
“I’ve been meaning to do a marathon for a while and never felt I was ready to commit all the time to training,” Glasscock said. She was the second female finisher and ninth overall with a time of 3:29:32. “This year it felt like I was going to have a good window for it this summer. We’ve had a lot of fun. I enjoyed the training a lot more than I thought I would. Putting in all the miles with my partner has been fun, doing those 20-mile runs has been fantastic…We did a couple runs on the course and on the way back seeing the glacier is a good propeller to the end.”
Patty Stockell, 63, from Clearwater, Florida, and Sivabalan Pandian, 66, of Mumbai, India, opted for the 6 a.m. early starts in the half and full, respectively.
“I am doing one in every state and this is Alaska and number 14 for me,” Stockell said. She walked a 3:23:21. “I’m not a marathoner, but this keeps me healthy. Also, my husband (Chip) is in a wheelchair with MS and he can’t do things like this, so it inspires me to get out and be more active.”
Pandian is also trying to complete races in all 50 states, but in the marathon distance, and finished in 6:55:14.
“This is 44,” he said. “I have now 940 marathons, but I am a walker, not a runner…These have been a transformation in my life. I started my first at the age of 54, so I have got a lot of changes in my body. So I am feeling very comfortable, good and healthy, too…You must do it if you want to keep away from doctors and in good health, you must do it.”
Juneau’s Katelyn Schultz, 25, turns 26 in early August.
“It was kind of a funny reason to run,” Schultz said. “It was convenient, 26 (miles) for 26 (years), but I would have run it anyway. A marathon is always something that has been on my bucket list. Part of it is that and part of it is I just wanted something to challenge me in a different way. I’m used to doing fast races, so it has been kind of cool getting myself outside my comfort zone and doing something I have never done before. Just testing my limits... my goal was just to finish.”
Schultz wanted to see how close she could get to the Boston Marathon-qualifying time of 3:25:00. She was the fourth female finisher and 18th overall in 3:43:14.
“The main goal is just to have fun and to finish,” she said.
Juneau was the 47th state in which Robert Babcock, 61, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, crossed the finish line. He ran a 5:43:27 marathon.
“It is a great way to see the country,” Babcock said. “The running community is solid. It is so diverse and yet there is a lot of community in the running world. It is really the only sport that I know of where amateurs and professionals start at the same time and run the same course, so everybody’s equal.”
In September he will run in Jackson, Wyoming, then the Cape Cod Marathon (Massachusetts) in October and the Marshall University Marathon (West Virginia) in November.
“My goal is always to finish with no injuries,” he said. “And I do like a good medal…Tulsa is a large, tight-knit running and cycling community. I started with 5Ks and then a half and my running leader said if I could do that then I could do a full and asked me to join him in an out of Oklahoma marathon. So I joined the 50 States Marathon Club and here I am. It’s been a journey…I stick to a training plan, I listen to my body, I stretch, I hydrate…I would like to do each of the major U.S. marathons and then one on each continent.”
Juneau’s Justin Scussel, 19, was running the marathon because Alaska Shirt Company co-worker Kenneth Miner was.
“I am just showing up here to run and have a good day and have some fun,” Scussel said before the race. “I’ve got a couple little runs in, but nothing crazy…I’m just shooting for a finish. We have a goal in mind, a 4:30:00 would be great. Anything faster and we’re happy.”
Miner said he was running “for the love of the game…I hope I beat Justin.”
Scussel ran 4:09:25, Miner ran 3:51:22.
Juneau’s David Fure, 30, had never done a marathon. He hit 4:25:22.
“I always wanted to do it,” he said. “I knew some friends doing the half and thought, ‘Hey, I've been running a lot, why not? I'll try it.’ Years ago I tried to run 20 miles kind of out of the blue, I'd only run 15 before that, and got injured in like mile 18. I couldn't run for a few months so I've just never even touched 20 or above since then — until this year. And so it just felt good to sort of be able to do something I'd wanted to do for a long time.”
His advice for first timers is “run slow.”
Juneau’s Candice Delmar, 24, has a treadmill at work, which helped relax one of the youngest IBM mainframe programmers in the United States to hit 4:40:21 in her first marathon.
“Honestly, because I fall asleep sitting at a desk, but the treadmill helps to get my steps in for the day,” she said. “I was going to do the half and then two weeks ago I decided I wanted a bigger challenge so it was a very last-minute decision…Running is relaxing...I could barely run two miles about a year ago, so anybody can do it. You just have to work hard.”
Juneau’s Novalee Campos, 23, ran to the half finish line carrying her daughter, as husband William Torgerson cheered them along. Campos ran a 2:48:06.
“I needed a fitness goal after having a kiddo,” Campos said. “I was a bodybuilder before that and I just wasn’t feeling the same passion for bodybuilding, and my friend was like, ‘Hey, let’s do a half-marathon’ and I was like, ‘Yeah let’s do it.’ So here we are.”
Campos’ friend Kili Dickinson, 23, ran a 2:48:29.
Liz Ryan, 40, of Pawcatuck, Connecticut, ran a 4:22:18 and was joined at the finish by son Maverick.
“This was my first marathon,” she said. “My son is three-and-a-half, and it meant the world to me to have him here at the finish line. It was amazing. I’m trying to set a good example for him and having him here means a lot. My first marathon and we’ll see how I feel tomorrow. I turned 40 last week and felt like that was a good time to start. I’ve done a couple half marathons, but felt like this was something to check off the list.
Juneau’s Paige Eddy, 29, was running her second marathon and shared why.
“I had two miscarriages this year so I was doing it for that,” she said. “My advice for people struggling is to just keep pushing forward. Lean on your community and the people around you that care about you. Find something to do and find meaning in it, in the struggle.”
Eddy’s first marathon was three years ago, after son Ocean was born. He and sister Luna, 6, and Eddy’s husband, Tell Spragg, 32, cheered her to her finish in 4:46:18.
With the day’s heat rising, Makaylee Moore from Apple Valley, California, continued to battle through the last mile of the marathon. She was one of the final runners.
“It’s been on my bucket list,” Moore said as she jogged and walked the final paces. “And I want to cross that line. I’m not a runner. I hate running. I have never run over six miles before this. This is so awesome.”
• Contact Klas Stolpe at kstolpe@juneauindependent.com.
RACE RESULTS
Following are the JTRR top three age group finishers. For complete results go to https://sportstats.one/event/juneau-marathon-and-half-marathon or https://jtrr.org/event/2025/race/810/ap
MARATHON
Men Overall Finish:
1. William Aylward, 25, Juneau, AK 2:37:20; 2. John Wright, 38, Juneau, AK 3:03:56; 3. Tyler Woodard, 40, Carrollton, GA 3:04:09.
Women Overall Finish:
1. Shannon Gress, 40, Juneau, AK 3:03:35; 2. Olivia Glasscock, 33, Juneau, AK 3:29:32; 3. Bobbi Baur, 55, Chicago, IL 3:35:54.
Men 39 & Under:
1. William Aylward, 25, Juneau, AK 2:37:20; 2. John Wright, 38, Juneau, AK 3:03:56; 3. Jason Norat, 29, Juneau, AK 3:08:17.
Women 39 & Under:
1. Olivia Glasscock, 33, Juneau, AK 3:29:32; 2. Katelyn Schultz, 25, Douglas, AK 3:43:14; 3. Kassandra Howard, 24, Valdez, AK 4:02:53.
Men 40-49:
1. Tyler Woodard, 40, Carrollton, GA 3:04:09; 2. Daniel Goethel, 41, Juneau, AK 3:39:22; 3. Eric Pascual, 48, Tell City, IN 3:43:13.
Women 40-49:
1. Shannon Gress, 40, Juneau, AK 3:03:35; 2. Liz Ryan, 40, Pawcatuck, CT 4:22:18; 3. Alice Nunes, 43, Sitka, AK 4:38:37.
Men 50-59:
1. Ramesh Rajagopalan, 59, Katy, TX 3:40:22; 2. Erik Terrel, 57, Kelso, WA 4:17:30; 3. Juan Shepperd, 58, Austin, TX 5:18:54.
Women 50-59:
1. Bobbi Baur, 55, Chicago, IL 3:35:54; 2. Kara Hourdas, 51, Lexington, KY 4:45:24; 3. Connie Miranda, 56, Baldwinsville, NY 4:56:32.
Men 60-69:
1. Gerry Andersen, 64, Lancaster, CA 3:37:05; 2. Carlos Sanchez, 66, Round Rock, TX 3:50:19; 3. Richard Marquez, 64, Mountain View, CA 3:59:05.
Women 60-69:
1. Lisa Carlucci, 65, Victorville, CA 4:18:53; 2. Karen Derrick, 64, Columbia, MO 6:03:25.
Men 70+:
1. John Eldridge, 74, Juneau, AK 5:41:11.
HALF MARATHON
Men Overall Finish:
1. Jack McManus, 20, McCall, ID 1:13:57; 2. Chase Hall, 30, Oswego, IL 1:17:41; 3. Nick Iverson, 18, Juneau, AK 1:20:56.
Women Overall Finish:
1. Joanna Hinderberger, 34, Juneau, AK 1:26:29; 2. Hilary Young, 41, Juneau, AK 1:28:36; 3. Shelby Balding, 21, Centennial, CO 1:31:23.
Men 39 & Under:
1. Jack McManus, 20, McCall, ID 1:13:57; 2. Chase Hall, 30, Oswego, IL 1:17:41; 3. Nick Iverson, 18, Juneau, AK 1:20:56.
Women 39 & Under:
1. Joanna Hinderberger, 34, Juneau, AK 1:26:29; 2. Shelby Balding, 21, Centennial, CO 1:31:23; 3. Christin Woodaard, 38, Carrollton, GA 1:32:04.
Men 40-49:
1. Matthew Herman, 40, Fort Thomas, KY 1:40:56; 2. Quinn Tracey, 45, Juneau, AK 1:47:54; 3. Gregory Brown, 42, Juneau, AK 1:48:05.
Women 40-49:
1. Hilary Young, 41, Juneau, AK 1:28:36; 2. Juli Adelman, 45, Portland, OR 1:34:45; 3. Caitlin Stern, 40, Juneau, AK 1:40:22.
Men 50-59:
1. Will Hicks, 56, Juneau, AK 1:46:16; 2. Marcel Blythe, 56 Wesley Chapel, FL 2:04:06; 3. Brice Mast, 52, Anchorage, AK 2:10:25.
Women 50-59:
1. Michele Shirakura, 59, Juneau, AK 1:54:36; 2. Liana Gulzow, 52, Camas, WA 2:05:28; 3. Kasia Konieczny, 52, Ruston, WA 2:11:10.
Men 60-69:
1. John Bursell, 61, Juneau, AK 1:29:01; 2. Kenneth Platt, 63, Juneau, AK 1:59:13; 3. Steven Schmitz, 64, Juneau, AK 2:04:21.
Women 60-69:
1. Jan Caulfield, 68, Juneau, AK 2:14:52; 2. Jana Kozlova, 66, Radonice 2:15:34; 3. Nancy McCrary, 64, Grayson, GA 2:23:49.
Men 70+:
1. Mitch Rymanowski, 70, Odessa, FL 3:09:55.
Women 70+:
1. Debra Roth, 70, Eugene, OR 2:09:54.
More photos of 2025 Juneau Marathon and Half Marathon
(All photos by Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)
