HELENA — The 50th Governor's Cup kicked off this weekend in Helena with racers from around the state and the country toeing on the start line on Saturday.
Race officials anticipated over 2,300 runners participating in the events on Friday and Saturday from 38 states as far as Florida.
Ranjeet Singh, whose mission this year is to run 50 marathons in 50 states as he approaches his 50th birthday to help the YMCA, finished 24th in the marathon.
He says that the Governor's Cup, celebrating its 50th anniversary, will be one to remember.
“I can say, out of the 25 I have run, this is a really nice course actually, I have seen a really nice view actually so I’m going to release this video and people will like that. It’s a nice view actually. You will never get bored,” said Singh.
It’s a race unique to many running around the city of Helena, basking in its beauty.
As many know for the Queen City of the Rockies, there are lots of rolling hills in the area, which can make it challenging for runners.
“From mile 16 to mile 20, is very tough. There is so many hills there. When you're crossing one, then going down, and again another hill. I count almost, from mile 16 to 20, there was almost five hills,” said Singh.
The day consisted of runners from the marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, the 10k and 5k crossing the finish line at Anchor Park.
At 11 a.m. an award ceremony was hosted in Pioneer Park where Helena High School and Carroll College graduate Layne Ryerson, for his third time in a row, walked up to receive first place for the marathon, clocking in a time of 2 hours and 29 minutes.
“I can't believe it, man. First of all, time goes by really fast. It's hard to think it's been three years, but it's fun. It's something that I look forward to, coming back to, every year. I went to high school and college in Helena and for me just to be able to come and do something in my hometown is really neat,” said Layne.
His brother Clayton he wasn't too far behind with a time of 2 hours and 28 minutes, finishing second in the marathon.
It's a family sport they both love, and say that they push each other every day to get better.
“Our whole family is like a running family. So like, you know, we've always been together from a young age and like always, you know, competitive and a variety of different things. So, I mean, this is a great way to kind of show that,” said Clayton.
You can say the Governor’s Cup can be an uphill battle at times. Whether you finish first, last or anything in between, as long as you cross the finish line that is what counts.
2024 champions:
- Men's Marathon: Layne Ryerson (Manhattan, MT): 2:29:03.99
- Women's Marathon: Mariah Bredal (Bozeman, MT): 2:48:21.91
- Men's Half Marathon: Micah Drew (Whitefish, MT): 1:16:33.73
- Women's Half Marathon: Nicaole Murray (Missoula, MT): 1:27:40.98
- Men's 10k: Cody Moore (Whitefish, MT): 33:46.21
- Women's 10k: Katrina Ivancic (Bozeman, MT): 37:11.54
- Men's 5k: William Mcgonical (Hailey, ID): 15:32.06
- Women's 5k: Jaelyn Ruybal (Sheridan, WY): 20:53.59
- Marathon Relay: Vigilante Masters (Michael French, Michael Kaiser, Patrick Judge, Steve Lipetzky): 2:44:36.52
The full results of each race can be found on the Governor's Cup results page.
