NORTH OLYMPIC DISCOVERY MARATHON (Updated): Marathon, half-marathon run in near ideal conditions

Published 2:15 pm Saturday, June 6, 2026

PORT ANGELES — A near-perfect day with light winds greeted runners in Sunday’s North Olympic Discovery Marathon Sunday half-marathon and marathon.

Winners came from Seattle, Portland, Ore., Port Townsend and as far away as Alaska.

Winning the marathon in a time of 2 hours, 43 minutes, 53.77 seconds was Alexander Roederer of Seattle. He said he nearly lost his way a couple of times in the races where the Olympic Discovery Trail splits into a trail adjacent to a roadway, but that he otherwise had a good race.

“At about the 20-mile mark I was with a couple of other guys and I decided to make a move,” he said. “I did a 2:44, I didn’t think that would be in the cards today.”

Roederer beat Jack Weaver of Bremerton (2:45:52.52) by two minutes. Weaver also won Saturday’s 10K. Coming in third was Alejandro Aguirre Ramirez of Sammamish at 2:45:56.86.

The women’s marathon winner was Rissa Eilmes of Bremerton, who finished in 3:20:09.47. Eilmes said it was not only her first time running the NODM, it was her first marathon victory.

“It’s very exciting. This is a really good course. I feel tired but really happy,” she said. “Everyone here is so amazing. The volunteers are so supportive.”

The second-place women’s marathon runner was Alyna Kjenvet of Kaukauna, Wis., in 3:29:04.17 and third was Kara Shepard of Silverdale in 3:34:29.12.

The half-marathon winner was a repeat winner, Nico Errichetti, 16, of Port Townsend. At the Sequim Railroad Run 10K in April, which Errichetti won, he said he planned to win the half-marathon in June. He finished in a time of 1:19:25.0.

“I was aiming for 1:13,” he said. “I really hit a wall after the second mile. Its hard. At three miles, I realized you still have another 10 miles to go.”

Errichetti is planning on winning in all five races of the Race the Peninsula series. He has won the 10K at the Sequim Railroad Run, the Jamestown S’Klallam Glow Run and the Elwha Bridge Run. He only has the Spruce Railroad run in October left to complete the feat.

Coming in second was Kurt Lamon of Golden, Colo., right behind at 1:19:31.23 and third was Nate Wietbrock and Lake St. Louis, Mo., in a time of 1:20:23.53.

The women’s half-marathon winner was Paige Gilchrist of Portland, Ore., who was fifth overall at 1:24:37.25.

She ran track at Northern Arizonia University and it was her first time running the NODM.

“I can’t speak highly enough of your volunteers,” she said. “I was happy to come in under 1:30. It feels good for my first effort in a long time.”

Second place for the women (and sixth overall) was Erin Frederickson of Port Angeles in a time of 1:28:38.56 and third (10th overall) was Lauren Larson of Boise, Idaho, and Port Angeles in a time of 1:29:45.5.

The team marathon winner was team DEI out of Alaska.

The NODM’s title sponsor is 7 Cedars Casino with the Olympic Medical Center as a presenting sponsor of Saturday’s 5K, 10K and kids’ marathon. Run the Peninsula’s title sponsors are the Sequim Gazette and Peninsula Daily News.

Conditions were considerable better than last year, which was one of the hottest NODM’s ever run with temperatures in the low 80s. Runners like it cool with no wind.

Saturday’s 5K/10K

Two of the winners in the North Olympic Discovery Marathon’s Saturday races had run in numerous Run the Peninsula races, placing in the top 10.

Saturday was their day to shine in the NODM sun, literally and figuratively. The morning started out cool with light sprinkles and little wind, but any time the clouds parted it warmed up, creating a variety of conditions along the trail.

Michael Higuera, who has run in nearly all of the Run the Peninsula races for years and consistently finishes in the top five runners, had never actually won a RTP race. That is until Saturday.

Higuera came in first in the men’s 5K in a time of 19 minutes, 45.72 seconds.

“There was always another guy [at least a couple of times a woman]. Today there wasn’t,” Higuera said.

Higuera, 54, of Port Angeles, was usually beat by much younger runners in their teens, also often times losing to runners from Kitsap County or Seattle. He beat them all on a gorgeous morning along the Port Angeles waterfront.

“That’s OK [losing to teens]. It’s the natural order of things. Today I disrupted that order for a day,” Higuera said. Higuera will be running in the marathon Sunday.

First for the women was Jennifer Cerelli, 32, of Bellevue, who finished the 5K in a time of 20:33.83. Unlike Higuera, it was Cerelli’s first time at the NODM.

“This was pretty great. The conditions were perfect,” Cerelli said. LaNette Herrell, 61, of Spokane took third overall in a time of 21:03.15.

Also winning was another “veteran,” Alli Applewhite of Port Townsend. Applewhite, 14, took first in the women’s 10K in a time of 45:34.98. Applewhite is part of a long tradition of Port Townsend distance runners who have taken part in Run the Peninsula races. Another one, Nico Errichetti, is running Sunday in the half-marathon in his attempt to take a first-place medal in all five Run the Peninsula races.

“I’m tired but I’m really proud,” Applewhite said. “There were some warm spots along the trail, but this was great weather for running.”

Taking first overall in the 10K was last year’s champion Jack Weaver of Bremerton. He is a veteran 10K runner, but the NODM is the only one he has won. He finished in a time of 38:42.51.

“It felt great. It was a lot cooler than last year. My goal was to break 39 minutes, so I hit my goal,” Weaver said.

Second overall in the 10K was Justin Serrill, 39, of Issaquah in 39:16.74 and third was Bryan Strang, 30, of Sequim in 40:16.08.

Times and placements are still unofficial. Full names are not available for children under 13. To find full results, people can go online to https://tinyurl.com/2026NODMResults.

Top 10 finishers (Unofficial)

Men’s Marathon — Alexander Roederer, first, 2:43:53.77; Jack Weaver, second: 2:45:52.52; Alejandro Aguirre Ramirez, third, 2:45:56.86; Christopher Houser, fourth, 3:06:39.58; Parker Dahl, fifth, 3:06:39.87; Harrison DeSio, sixth, 3:06:41.92; Qiang Song, seventh, 3:07:58.95; Yi Wang, eighth, 3:07:59.1; Chris Burcal, ninth, 3:09:36.3; David Foley, 10th, 3:12:04.7.

Women’s Marathon — Rissa Eilmes, first, 3:20:09.47; Alyna Kjenvet, second, 3:29:04.17; Kara Shepard, third, 3:34:29.12; Debby Vannoy, fourth, 3:38:26.0; Lindsey Doermann, fifth, 3:38:48.88; Sally Kim, sixth, 3:40:20.6; Lizette Drennan, seventh, 3:44:00.84; Elizabeth Frank, eighth, 3:44:44.9; Alexandra Kabbourg, ninth, 3:46:05.54; Julie Gilchirst, 10th, 3:52:02.87.

Men’s Half-Marathon — Nico Errichetti, first, 1:19:25; Kurt Lamon, second, 1:19:31.23; Nate Wietbrock, third, 1:20:23.53; Langdon larson, fourth, 1:22:49.30; Brian Baleva, fifth, 1:26:43.51; Niels Mitchell, sixth, 1:27:31.77; Will Havard, seventh, 1:29:41.22; Leyton Larson, eighth, 1:29:58.1; Jackson Taylor, ninth, 1:30:26.91; Evan Wendel, 10th, 1:31:33.71.

Women’s Half-Marathon — Paige Gilchirst, first, 1:24:37.25; Erin Fredrickson, second, 1:26:38.56; Lauren Larson, third, 1:29:45.5; Sara Kuethe, fourth, 1:37:39.45; Beth Cadol, fifth, 1:40:29.95; Lara Donison, sixth, 1:41:23.79; Janay Geiser, seventh, 1:42:54.20; Jessica Carmody, eighth, 1:43:20.0; Jennifer Mathews, ninth, 1:46:03.68; Cassidy Parr, 10th, 1:46:36.46.

Men’s 10K — Jack Weaver, first, 38:43.51; Justin Serrill, second, 39:16.74; Bryan Strang, third, 40:16.08; Jack Mantkowski, fourth, 41:07.03; Axel Swanson, fifth, 41:19.50; Justin McLarty, sixth, 41:42.29; Scott Clayton, seventh, 42:06.49; Paul Christensen, eighth, 42:08.67; Jaden Robertson, ninth, 42:11.94; Brandon Sherlinksi, 10th, 43:43.31.

Women 10K — Alli Applewhite, first, 45:34.98; Kristie Cotroneo, second, 47:45.62; Madeline Walton, third, 48:38.01; Amanda Rodgers, fourth, 48:39.02; D. Cadol, fifth, 49:46.72; Kate Grayum, sixth, 50:33.99; Elenore Bhatraju, seventh, 50:43.52; Emma Tschaikowsky, eighth, 50:47.31; Arwen Osborne, ninth, 51:49.17; Sarah Certano, 10th, 51:54.15.

Men’s 5K — Michael Higuera, first, 19:45.72; Patrick Ross, second, 21:39.5; Luis Smith, third, 22:32.7; Reid Randall, fourth, 22:36.33; Jason Ford, fifth, 22:44.71; Martin Galvin, sixth, 22:46.53; Christopher Roark, seventh, 22:51.58; Brandon Wieschhaus, eighth, 23:05.68; Josh Krzysiak, ninth, 23:32.4; Levi Donahue, 10th, 23:56.54.

Women’s 5K — Jennifer Cerelli, first (second overall), 20:33.83; LaNette Harrell, second (third overall), 21:03.15; Maren Rodgers, third (fifth overall), 22:04.71; Celbie Karjalainen, fourth, 23:25.87; Cecily Erickson, fifth, 23:30.98; Cassandra Karjalainen, sixth, 23:59.04; Sade Khorami, seventh, 24:07.96; Sofia Doryland, eighth, 24:21.72; Natalie Randall, ninth, 24:48.75; Nancy Patel, 10th, 25:18.16.