We ran together the whole way. Side-by-side the whole way. We were going to run this race together, and finish it together. – Riley Cook
SALT LAKE CITY — A champion was dethroned early Monday in the Deseret News Classic Half Marathon. Riley Cook, the 2016 runner-up, defeated Brett Hales, the defending champion, in a photo finish. Cook finished the race with a time of 1:05:25.9 (chip time), while Hales finished barely a tenth of a second behind, at 1:05:26.
That is the story on paper at least. The story that official times and results tell. In truth, what happened at the finish line of the Deseret News Classic Half Marathon was something else altogether.
Cook and Hales, both former Weber State Wildcats, are regulars at the Deseret News Classic. In each of Hales' victories over the past few years, Cook has been right there, usually finishing in second place after providing a consistent threat to Hales to the very end. This Pioneer Day, the two runners took a different approach.
“You usually have a game plan coming into a race like this, and for me, I have another race Sunday (Hales is set to run in the World Mountain Trail Championships, to be held in Premana, Italy) and I wanted to get a good workout in,” said Hales. “Riley is always super fit, and he has been preparing for St. George (Cook will run the St. George Marathon in October where he will look to defend his 2016 victory). We started out neck-and-neck and about four miles in we looked at each other and just said ‘Do you want to do this thing?’”
“We ran together the whole way,” said Cook. “Side-by-side the whole way. We were going to run this race together, and finish it together.”
Of the state of the course, the two long distance veterans were of a similar mind, with Hales noting, “It is a beautiful course, especially coming out of the canyon.”
Cook’s eye was a tad more practical.
“It’s a good race, but it was hot. Really hot. A little bit of a breeze helped though, and we looked out for each other.”
“We shared the pacing responsibilities," added Hales. “Tried to keep the runners' code.”
Early on the pair were just two in a large group of runners. It wasn’t until around the four-mile mark, after coming to their mutual understanding, that Cook and Hales began to pull away.
“We came in wanting to finish first and second,” said Cook. “That was the plan coming into today.”
At the conclusion of the 13.1094-mile course, the two elite distance runners crossed the end line hand-in-hand, securing, at least in their minds, something better than champion and runner-up.
“We both are winners,” said Cook. “We tied for first.”
Coming in third place, four minutes behind Cook and Hales, with a time of 1:09:24.5 was Jason Holt, of Clearfield, Utah.
On the women’s side, former Iowa Hawkeye and Utah Ute Jocelyn Todd claimed the ultimate prize, finishing with the top time of 1:15:32.5 (her time was good enough for seventh place among all finishers). While Todd’s finish may have lacked the drama of the Cook and Hales draw, the next closest female finisher, Emily Jameson, finished over a minute behind with a time of 1:16:52.1, it was momentous on its own.
“This feels amazing,” said Todd. “Last year I came out and ran 1:21 or something close to that. It wasn’t a super fast time. I was coming off my last season of collegiate racing at Utah in May and I didn’t have a ton of speed workouts under my belt. That cost me. This year I came into this race much more prepared. I had no idea I would win, there are so many talented runners out here. I hoped I would though.”
For Todd, the race was won around the nine-mile mark, a point she paid special attention to.
“I was running with a lady and a gentleman, we were just cruising. Right around the eight or nine-mile mark, where the race starts to get hard and flatten out, I just chilled out a bit and started to pull away,” said Todd. “I just had the better day, I guess. That was what made the difference.”
Following Todd and Jameson for third place was Laura Young, who finished two seconds behind the leader with a time of 1:17:04.9.
EMAIL: twood@deseretnews.com