Masters Women Handcycle: Kenton Dominates from Gun to Tape

• Jo Ann Outten Kenton led every single checkpoint and finished in 1:46:35 (4:04/mi) — more than 37 minutes clear of 2nd place.
• Holly Koester held a steady 2nd from start to finish, crossing in 2:24:02 (5:30/mi).
• Michele Gallucci climbed from 8th at the opening checkpoint all the way to 3rd, finishing in 3:16:11 with the 5th-fastest 15K–21K split among the women.
• Lee Kuxhaus and Allison Burrell both made late charges, posting the 4th- and 8th-fastest 40K-to-finish splits among the women to close out 4th (3:30:13) and 5th (3:52:59) respectively.

Jo Ann Outten Kenton from Harrington, DE, turned the Masters Women handcycle race into a masterclass in front-running dominance. She held the lead at every single checkpoint across the full 26.2-mile course through Washington D.C. and Arlington, and her 4:04/mi average pace left no doubt about who owned this race. Her 1:46:35 finish included the fastest women's split on the 5K–10K segment — setting the tone early on a cold, damp morning with temperatures hovering at 43°F.

Behind her, Holly Koester of Walton Hills, OH was equally unwavering, sitting in 2nd place at every checkpoint and finishing in 2:24:02 at 5:30/mi. The top two were locked into their positions from the opening miles, but the battle for 3rd was a different story entirely. Michele Gallucci (East Hartland, CT) was back in 8th at the first checkpoint but steadily worked her way through the field, logging the 5th-fastest split on the 15K–21K stretch and ultimately securing 3rd in 3:16:11.

The final podium spot had long been decided by the time Lee Kuxhaus (Schertz, TX) and Allison Burrell (Washington, DC) made their presence felt late. Both athletes turned in strong closing legs — Kuxhaus posting the 4th-fastest 40K-to-finish split and Burrell the 8th-fastest — to finish 4th in 3:30:13 and 5th in 3:52:59. Heidi Stark of Freedom, PA rounded out the six-woman field in 4:41:45, completing the same iconic loop that defines one of the world's largest marathons.