Record turnout makes Coeur d'Alene Marathon a community showcase
Nearly 3,000 runners turned McEuen Park into Coeur d'Alene's busiest civic stage, with Hayden neighbors finishing hand in hand and locals leading the results.
McEuen Park and the streets feeding it became Coeur d'Alene’s biggest Sunday gathering as the 49th Coeur d’Alene Marathon drew roughly 3,000 runners for a warm, windy finish and a record field. What unfolded was less a routine road race than a public showcase, with downtown, nearby neighborhoods and the park itself carrying the energy of Memorial Day weekend.
Organizers said nearly 2,800 people had already registered for the marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K before race day, putting the event on track for more than 3,000 participants. The full slate also included an early-start marathon, a virtual run and kids events, underscoring how the race has grown into a broad community fixture rather than a single-distance competition. Much of the course used part of the Centennial Trail, giving the day an added local layer on one of the region’s most familiar public corridors.
The race also produced one of the most memorable local scenes of the morning. In the 10K, Cynthia Craft and Johanna Gertner, neighbors who live across the street from each other in Hayden, crossed the finish line hand in hand. By Craft’s account, the two were laughing and celebrating as they finished together, a small moment that captured the social side of a race that brought out both serious competitors and casual participants.
Local runners also made their presence felt at the front of the field. Cole Olsen of Coeur d’Alene placed fourth overall in the marathon in 2:42:39, making him the top local finisher. Alexandra Cook of Coeur d’Alene was the top local woman in the marathon in 3:27:05. The women’s marathon was won by Shannon Havrilka of Chesterfield, Missouri, in 3:12:42, followed by Anna Brainerd of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in 3:20:45 and Hilary Beck of Westwood, Kansas, in 3:23:40.
The half marathon brought another strong local result. Samuel Moulton of Wilmington, North Carolina, won in 1:16:18, while Matt Robers of Coeur d’Alene finished second overall and was the top local male in 1:18:44. Kai Sharbono of Spokane was the top woman in 1:22:55, and Rachel Salters of Coeur d’Alene was the first local woman across the line in 1:36:17.
Taken together, the results showed why this race matters in Coeur d’Alene: it draws runners from across the country, gives local athletes a chance to shine in front of their neighbors and turns a familiar park and trail into a shared civic stage.
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