For a marathon, runners prefer temperatures to be on the cooler side. Somewhere in the mid-40’s constitutes preferable conditions for the grueling race.
On Sunday’s 55th running of the Dallas Marathon, it was 30 degrees at start time with a wind chill of 18 degrees. Far from ideal. In fact, Sunday’s weather marked the coldest Dallas Marathon Sunday since 2013, when the race was cancelled for the first and only time due to frigid and icy conditions.
Despite the weather, there was no shortage of impressive performances. Paris Olympic marathoner Dakotah Popehn was the celebrity ambassador this year and won the half-marathon in 1:12:24, in what was admittedly not all-out effort for the world-class runner. Popehn joked that she was eyeing the course record of 1:11:32.
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“The course record kept getting in my mind. I still felt like it was out of reach, but we got such a nice tailwind at mile 7 coming back home and I just started ripping,” Popehn said.
Popehn had positive impressions of the course and city and the weather might have even helped her run faster.
“I love a race like this. It was beautiful. The cold was probably why I ran so fast,” Popehn said.
Former Stanford steeplechase runner Steven Fahy, who works for Brooks Running and lives in Dallas, won the men’s marathon in 2:23:50.
“[The win] feels really sentimental because of all the people I’m sharing it with. I found a great group to train with this summer. It’s tough to train here in Dallas, especially in those summer months. They made it not only bearable, but fun,” Fahy said.
The win for Fahy marks the second consecutive year that a local has won the men’s marathon on their debut in the event. In 2024, UT Southwestern student Travis Dowd won in his debut at the distance.
Fahy said that he didn’t know he was going to win the race until the moment he crossed the finish line. Immediately after crossing the line, he vomited, but he has no regrets.
“As soon as I crossed the line, my body said it was done. It was all worth it,” Fahy said.
NAIA athlete wins the women’s marathon
This year’s BMW Dallas Marathon doubled as the annual National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Marathon Classic. That meant that a host of collegiate runners were sprinkled throughout the men’s and women’s marathon field. Alauna Carstens of Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., won the women’s marathon in 2:53:53.
“Winning my second national championship was my goal. I learned a lot about what I can get through on a tough day,” Carstens said.
Last year, Carstens won the same title at the California International Marathon in Sacramento, Calif.
Local wins men’s half-marathon
Sergio Mena said that he’s been working for this for a long time. As much was evident in his jubilant demeanor when crossing the finish line. Mena won the men’s half-marathon in 1:06:41.
“I have been trying to win this race for the last five years, I got second in 2019. Since then I have been fighting to win this race. It feels great, amazing. I love this city and people of Dallas. Running through the streets and seeing everybody on the sidewalks cheering for me is a dream come true,” Mena said.
Mena ran at Texas A&M-Commerce and now lives and works in Dallas.
For full, searchable results from all the races on Sunday morning, you can visit https://dallas.mychiptime.com/.
And they’re off! See photos from 55th running of the Dallas Marathon
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