The men’s race featured a close battle at the front, with Charlie Wilson of Rochester capturing his first Niagara championship title, running 24:14. Just three seconds later, Scott Loforte (Checkers AC) of Canandaigua finished second in 24:17, while Joseph Whelan (Bergen Elite) of Webster, the 2023 and 2025 Niagara Runner of the Year champion, rounded out the podium with a time of 24:31.
Led by Whelan, the Bergen Elite, secured the open men’s team title with a combined time of 2:07:31. Roadkill Racing placed second with a team total of 2:19:51, while Genesse Valley Harriers finished third at 2:25:24.
In the women’s race, 2024 and 2025 Runner of the Year winner Gabrielle Orie of Orchard Park led the field to win the title in 28:40. Trisha Byler (Roadkill Racing) of Honeoye Falls finished second in 29:38, while Elizabeth Bender (Roadkill Racing) of North Chili completed the podium with a time of 29:54.
Team scoring in the women’s division saw Roadkill Racing claim the championship with a combined time of 2:33:16. Bergen Elite placed second with 2:45:09, while Checkers AC finished third at 2:50:40.
The masters men’s championship was scored using age-grading, recognizing outstanding performances across multiple age divisions. John McMahon, 59, (Checkers AC) of Williamsville, topped the standings with an impressive 84.75% age-graded performance after running 30:21. McMahon is seeking his fourth straight Runner of the Year series title. Mike Nier, 61, (Genesse Valley Harriers) of Rochester, finished second with an 83.55% mark (31:21), while Marty Butler, 40, of Rochester, placed third with an 83.40% age-graded performance after clocking 26:21.
In the masters men’s team competition, also scored using age-grading scoring, the Genesse Valley Harriers captured the team title with a combined score of 406.57. Checkers AC finished second with 390.21, while Roadkill Racing took third with 383.54.
The masters women’s competition saw Trisha Byler, 41, (Roadkill Racing) double back from her open runner-up finish to claim the masters age-graded title with an 81.33% performance after running 29:36. Jennifer Boerner Selig, 43, (Checkers AC) of Elmira finished second with an 80.26% score (30:27), while Jenny Keenan, 42, (Checkers AC) of Buffalo placed third at 80.03% (30:18). Keenan is seeking to her fourth straight Runner of the Year series title.
Boerner Selig and Keenan led their Checkers AC squad to the team title in the masters women’s division, totaling 393.10 in age-graded scoring. Genesse Valley Harriers finished second with 359.27, while Roadkill Racing placed third with 322.78.
With the opening championship complete, athletes and clubs have now begun accumulating points toward the 2026 USATF Niagara Runner of the Year standings and the Club Grand Prix competition. The series will continue throughout the year with additional championship races across the Niagara Association through November.