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Gress breaks own Juneau women’s marathon record, Mitchell tops men’s field
- Klas Stolpe
- Jul 26
- 14 min read
Updated: Jul 27
Jenna Wiersma wins women’s half, Brendan Fant sprints to men’s half marathon win
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
Juneau’s Shannon Gress, 41, and Sitka’s Liam Mitchell, 25, led the pack Saturday, winning the women’s and men’s titles in the Juneau Marathon, while Juneau’s Jenna Wiersma, 40, and Brendan Fant, 21, of East Lyme, Connecticut, took the women’s and men’s half marathon crowns.
Photo collections: Start and course (210 photos) | Finish line (500 photos)
Gress set a new Juneau Marathon women’s master division record, crossing the finish line at Douglas’ Sandy Beach in 2 hours 55 minutes and 27 seconds, besting the old mark of 3:03:35 she set last year and nearly hitting the 2:51:33 women’s open record she had set in 2014. She placed fourth overall.
“It beat last year’s so I am very excited,” Gress said. “I did a different kind of training this year. I did more lactate threshold workouts, which was fun. And fueling was way different this year. I had more gels out there, which was great, and I also want to give props to the race crew because having the extra aid station out there was very helpful. And my wonderful support crew, my family and friends and running buddies.”
Gress ran a negative split after the halfway point and found a better fuel system.
“My big goal this round was to just kind of be like a metronome and try and keep my pace,” she said. “Pay attention to effort more than the actual pace time and I think that really paid off. Once I hit 20 miles I was like, okay, I don’t need to look at the pace anymore, I am just going to run what feels good. And it felt great. And the weather. This year I had a big change in my cooling technique because last year I overheated, so this year I focused on dumping water every aid station, which helped a lot. I had water at every aid station and dumped water on my head at every aid station. I had a couple ice cubes out there, too, and I think it all paid off. I feel much better at the end this year than I did last year.”
Gress is postponing attending the Boston Marathon until her husband Tyler Gress, 43, can qualify.
“So we can do it together,” she said. “I called you out, Tyler.”
Mitchell, from St. Louis, Missouri, but currently stationed in Sitka with the U.S. Coast Guard, pulled away from the starting arch of his 10th marathon in a sprint and never looked back in his 2:43:44 finish.
“The hills were the hardest part,” he said. “With me, I like a lot of turns in my runs. So there were a lot of straights, just mile after mile. There were some talented runners that kept me going. I was always turning my head a little bit, trying to make sure I had a gap, but good competition today. For anyone wanting to do a marathon, just take it one step at a time, enjoy the race, that’s the biggest thing. This is not mostly just a physical aspect, but more of a mental aspect. So if you can just go mile by mile, step by step, you will eventually get there and the sense of completion is just the greatest thing in the world.”
Auke Bay’s Grant Werthman, 29, earned second place in 2:46:17, and Jared Marling, 41, from San Francisco, California, rounded out the men’s podium with a third-place finish in 2:55:18.
Wiersma won the women’s half and placed 19th overall in 1:43:59. Joanna Suewing, 19, was second in 1:45:35 and Danielle Dunivin, 36, third with 1:48:16.
“I love the Juneau half,” Wiersma said. “I think everyone puts on a great race and it is fun to run here in Juneau. We had good weather so it was fun to be out there and it has grown so much as a race it is fun to see so many people running it.”
Wiersma, co-director of the upcoming Aukeman Triathlon, had advice for future runners.
“I think anytime you put your mind to a goal and you train for it and you work to achieve it, I always think it is worth it,” she said. “No matter how fast you are or what your pace is, it is always fun to see yourself accomplish something. And you can see that on these faces today when they finish. I think if you are considering doing it, think about signing up for next year and setting a goal and training for it.”
Fant won the men’s half in 1:16:57 with Juneau’s Jason Norat second in 1:23:04 and Brandon Ivanowicz third in 1:25:49.
Randi Zuckerberg, 44, from Amonk, New York, was the second women’s marathon finisher in 3:35:46.
“I really want to do a marathon in all 50 states, and I was coming to Alaska with my mom and dad, and it overlapped perfectly,” Zuckerberg said. “This is marathon 21, so I am kind of at the halfway point. I honestly couldn’t imagine a more beautiful course. The weather was perfect, and the fact that you can run in a tank top and look at glaciers and snow, how incredible is that? And the vibe, all the runners were so friendly, everyone smiled as they went by one another. It is a cool vibe out here. In New York City, it is a wildly different marathon there with 60,000 runners and big city vibe…but here it was so beautiful and peaceful it never felt lonely.”
Zuckerberg recently finished Arizona’s Cocodona 250ish-mile point-to-point ultramarathon from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff in 103 hours.
“And today I just had an incredible time,” she said. “Thank you for putting on such an incredible marathon.”
Father Edward, 72, and mother Karen, 68, were among the “Little Miss Marathon” cheering section that lightered ashore from Mark Zuckerberg’s 387-foot super yacht Launchpad near False Outer Point and continued their support at the race finish.
“Maybe one day I will get dad out to do a marathon with me,” Randi said. “And I am working on my mom. She said someday she was going to do a marathon so that will be a beautiful day. Maybe number 50 we will do together.”
Juneau’s Suzanne Morris, 42, rounded out the women’s marathon podium in third place with 3:57:05.
All racers were fueled by their individual goals and aspirations and encouraged along the course and at the finish by the Juneau community, race staff and volunteers.
Kevin Polanski, 60, from Lake Elmo, Minnesota, finished state 47 on his marathon list and was attempting to qualify for the New York City Marathon.
“Beauty-wise, this one is fantastic,” he said. “A little hillier than I thought it was going to be, but it worked out all right. It is up and downhill so I got to use both. I ran my fastest time by five minutes in a number of years. Hopefully it is enough to get me into New York City this time. That is the plan. Last year I qualified by 17 minutes under the qualifying time and still didn’t get in. Hopefully I am close now.”
Douglas’ Elizabeth Siddon placed 10th for women in the half marathon in 1:57:13. She runs for her family and herself and will be running leg two at the Klondike Road Relay with team Electrolytes.
“In terms of general health, I definitely think of them several times when I am having a hard time up a hill,” she said. “For me, running is stress release, like alone time. Usually I run with a friend. Sometimes social, sometimes just good stress release. I don’t know if the course had a hardest part. I felt pretty good. It was a perfect day for running.”
Billy McDonough, 61, and wife Judy McDonough, 61, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, finished their half marathon in 119th and 120th, their 66th half marathon together and their 50th state half marathon.
“Jesus,” Billy said of the secret for marriage marathon success. “And using him for strength.”
Added Judy, “And being together all the time. People say you need time apart, but doing things together is what keeps us together.”
The back of their running kits read, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13.”
Juneau’s Corban Stearns, 22, and Mikayla Neal, 21, finished their half marathon in 122nd and 121st place.
“Something fun to do,” Stearns said. “Had a free Saturday, might as well.”
The duo had wiener dog Charlie cheering them throughout.
“He is a long-hair miniature,” Neal said. “He probably can run one mile.”
Juneau’s Selina Finley, 36, ran a 2:54:55 half, placing 53rd in her age division, 86th for females and 150th overall. She was rewarded, like so many runners on the day, with a huge hug at the finish from a supporter, in this case Silas Benson, 4.
“It was really helpful,” a tearful Finley said. “This is the longest I have ever ran and it means the world to have your community surrounding you.”
Some marathoners and half marathoners elected for an earlier start.
Skagway teachers Cody Burnham, 36, and Amy MacPherson, 43, ran the marathon last year and loved it enough to return.
“And it is a fun one,” Burnham, a second- and third-grade teacher, said. “So we decided to do it again. It is something we do to hang out, enjoy the summer’s end and then we teach at the school. So it is like getting ready to go back to work.”
Burnham is also a coaching assistant, and MacPherson is the school’s director of special education.
“As a lesson I talk about races and perseverance,” Burnham said. “And having a goal. I do a few races sometimes throughout the year.”
Said MacPherson, “And it is a good way to spend the day together... we were faster last year, too, we are mostly walking this year.”
Kathy Gonzalez, 63, and her father Bateman Blair, 85, from Miami, were scratching their 50th marathon state in the 49th state.
“It is freezing,” Gonzalez said. “But it is so beautiful.”
Blair said, “It is a fantastic place, we have loved it.”
He said they are “crazy. This is my 88th marathon and I started on a whim and only got 19 miles. That was when they had draw bridges in Miami and I loved it because I could stop and rest. Then I trained for the next one.”
That first run was in 1972, and Blair had just returned from serving in Vietnam. Now he and his daughter have crossed off a map of marathons across the United States.
“I am his walking partner,” Gonzalez said. “If he is doing it, who am I to say no? He’s 85.”
The duo’s entire family came, including Blair’s three children, four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Relatives from Florida, Ohio and Indiana were clad in blue shirts reading “Kathy & Bate Finish All States.” The back had the dates and names of the vanquished miles.
Marathon cheering supporter Sharon Zan Zalin, 85, sat in her driveway on North Douglas.
“I have lived here 11 years and always in this house,” she said. “Always by my mailbox for the race.”
The retired school teacher (Koyukuk, Nondalton, Naknek, King Salmon, Port Alsworth and in Arizona and Hawaii) followed her daughter to Juneau after teaching granddaughters Skye and Emma on Prince of Wales Island at El Capitan Lodge, preparing them for high school in Juneau.
“And when I taught in Kona I always went to the marathon there,” Zan Zalin said. “Every single year. And honestly, on a day like this, it is just total beauty to be here, for them and me too. To run in such beautiful surroundings. Just the physicality of what they are able to do running. How many of us can run 26 miles?”
Early half marathon finisher John Moriarty, 60, from Vienna, Virginia, was the first to cross the line as his wife, Anne Moriarty, 60, cheered.
“I have been trying to run a half marathon in all the states and this is my 49th,” he said. “We do fly out this afternoon, so the folks putting this on were kind enough to let me start with the marathoners. We spent a few days here. You know, once you have done so many you are just sort of getting it done. I ran 2:20 and that is a pretty good time for me these days. The course was certainly pretty, and getting to Alaska was huge for us. Such a beautiful place.”
Also hitting her 49th state marathon, and working toward the century number, was red lantern finisher Paula Lee, 71, from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“I like the training more than the race,” she said. “The training, the plans, the structure, the friends and the scenery.
The Juneau Trail and Road Runners awarded medals to the top three age group finishers. The top overall male and female also receive a JTRR trophy. The top male and female in the open (39 and under), 40-plus, 50-plus and 60-plus receive a Road Runners Club of America state championship medal. All finishers receive a finishing medal and shirt.
“It was a great experience for my first time directing any race,” Juneau Marathon race director Genevieve Schmidt said. “I had a lot of support from Kym Mauseth, JTRR's president, and I could not have done it without her help. I have received a lot of positive feedback from participants that this was one of their favorite race experiences, and that they felt so supported. Huge thanks to all of the volunteers, all of the participants I spoke to said that they were all so kind and helpful, and I'm just so grateful for all of them to help bring this race to life. Also a huge thanks to Travel Juneau for their support; we were able to purchase some new equipment that made the race more comfortable for runners. There are of course things to improve for next year, but it's more behind-the-scenes things. Overall, I'm really pleased with the race, we got really lucky with great weather, and happy that so many of the participants had such a great time!”
Following are the JTRR top three age group finishers. For complete results go to Sportsstats
MARATHON
Men Overall Finish:
1. Liam Mitchell, 25, Sitka, AK 2:43:44; 2. Grant Werthman, 29, Auke Bay, AK 2:46:17; 3. Jared Marling, 41, San Francisco, CA 2:55:18
Women Overall Finish:
1. Shannon Gress, 41, Juneau, 2:55:27; 2. Randi Zuckerberg, 44, Amonk, NY, 3:35:46; 3. Suzanne Morris, 42, Juneau, 3:57:59
Men 39 & Under:
1. Liam Mitchell, 2:43:43; 2. Grant Werthman, 2:46:16; 3. Ian Novak, 25, Juneau, 3:16:53
Women 39 & Under:
1. Jenevieve Clauss, 34, Juneau, 3:57:58; 2. Anna Cummings, 23, Juneau, 4:00:45; 3. Caroline McGrath, 23, Juneau, 4:00:46
Men 40-49:
1. Jared Marling, 41, San Francisco, CA, 2:55:18; 2. Joe Durrett, 43, Erlanger, KY, 2:59:16; 3. David Corbett, 42, Lewis Center, Ohio, 3:14:01
Women 40-49:
1. Shannon Gress, 2:55:27; 2. Randi Zuckerberg, 3:35:46; 3. Suzanne Morris, 3:57:05
Men 50-59:
1. Douglas Barnett, 57, Olathe, KS, 3:50:03; 2. Eliot Ephraim, 59, Chicago, IL, 3:52:59; 3. Paul Morario, 50, Lexington, SC, 4:42:20
Women 50-59:
1. Christine Dennis, 56, Highlands Ranch, CO, 3:59:26; 2. Debby Eddy, 57, Juneau, 4:24:52; 3. Kathleen Lambert, 53, Avondale Estates, GA, 4:29:46
Men 60-69:
1. Kevin Pilarski, 60, Łąkę Elmo, MN, 3:13:01; 2. Kalan Althoff, 61, Webster, WI, 3:55:47; 3. Brian Yee, 64, Vancouver, WA, 5:32:16
Women 60-69:
1. Kathy Gonzalez, 63, Miami, FL, 9:47:05
Men 70-plus:
1. Steven Chilton, 75, Waltham, MA, 6:21:42; 2. John Eldridge, 75, Juneau, 6:49:38; 3. Bateman Blair, 85, Miami, FL, 9:47:02
Women 70-plus:
1. Paula Lee, 71, Tulsa, OK, 9:33:27
HALF MARATHON
Men Overall Finish:
1. Brendan Fant, 21, East Lyme, CT, 1:16:57; 2. Jason Norat, 30, Juneau, 1:23:04; 3. Brandon Ivanowicz, 44, Juneau, 1:25:49
Women Overall Finish:
1. Jenna Wiersma, 40, Juneau, 1:43:59; 2. Joanna Suewing, 19, Juneau, 1:45:35; 3. Danielle Dunivin, 36, Juneau, 1:48:16
Non-Binary:
1. Lehua Galletes, 41, Juneau, 2:37:16
Men 39 & Under:
1. Brendan Fant, 1:16:57; 2.. Jason Norat, 1:23:03; 3. Nathaniel Lenhard, 27, Petersburg, AK, 1:27:38.
Women 39 & Under:
1. Joanna Suewing, 1:45:34; 2. Danielle Dunivin, 1:48:15; 3. Kathryn Fritz, 37, Juneau, 1:50:45.
Men 40-49:
1. Brandon Ivanowicz, 1:25:49; 2. Juan Orozco, 47, Juneau, 1:33:12; 3. Matthew Kacmarski, 47, Englewood, CO, 1:41:55
Women 40-49:
1. Jenna Wiersma, 1:43:59; 2. Brenda Flood, 40, Juneau, 1:48:19; 3. Elizabeth Siddon, 48, Juneau, 1:57:13
Men 50-59:
1. Will Hicks, 57, Juneau, 1:48:52; 2. Will Judy, 50, Juneau, 1:54:51; 3. David Noon, 56, Juneau, 1:56:28
Women 50-59:
1. Susannah Woodruff, 52, Juneau, 1:52:04; 2. Natalie Norberg, 53, Juneau, 1:52:31; 3. Karen Miernyk, 57, Anchorage, AK, 2:00:38
Men 60-69:
1. John Huffer, 62, Juneau, 1:37:23; 2. Daniel Gibson, 65, Alma, MI, 1:50:31; 3. Steven Schmitz, 65, Juneau, 2:01:39
Women 60-69:
1. Anne Swan, 62, Alma, MI, 1:59:17; 2. Kari Robinson, 60, Juneau, 2:01:49; 3. Judy Mcdonough, 61, Scranton, PA, 2:26:29
Men 70-plus:
1. John Kern, 72, Juneau, 2:18:03
Women 70-plus:
1. Jan Blue, 72, Tallahassee, FL, 3:03:50
The Juneau Marathon is a certified qualifying race for the 2027 Boston Marathon (April 19, 2027). The qualifying window for Boston began Sept. 13, 2025, and qualifier registration ends on Sept. 18, 2026. Following are Boston Marathon Qualifying Standards:
AGE / Men’s Standard / Women’s Standard & Non-Binary Standard
18-34: M - 2:55:00 / W&NB - 3:25:00
35-39: M - 3:00:00 / W&NB - 3:30:00
40-44: M - 3:05:00 / W&NB - 3:35:00
45-49: M - 3:15:00 / W&NB - 3:45:00
50-54: M - 3:20:00 / W&NB - 3:50:00
55-59: M - 3:30:00 / W&NB - 4:00:00
60-64: M - 3:50:00 / W&NB - 4:20:00
65-69: M - 4:05:00 / W&NB - 4:35:00
70-74: M - 4:20:00 / W&NB - 4:50:00
75-79: M - 4:35:00 / W&NB - 5:05:00
80-Up: M - 4:50:00 / W&NB - 5:20:00
• Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com
