Forecasted rain held off for 5 hours at Two Hearted, allowing the Half Marathon runners and top runners in the 50K and Marathon ideal cool overcast conditions in the low 60s. Complete results are available for all race distances. The 2024 Two Hearted attracted 165 runners from 20 states and Mexico. Both the 50K and Marathon feature a stunning point to point course which includes the iconic mouth of the Two Hearted River, high bluffs above Lake Superior and Culhane Lake on its rolling single track course. The Half Marathon course featured a lollipop configuration, flowing pine needle covered single track and shoreline vistas of remote Clark Lake.
In the 50K, both winners smashed course records. William Cadwell, a former University of Kentucky XC and Track runner, covered the 31 mile point to point course in 3:51:52, the only runner to break 4 hours on this course. Michelle Magagna of Portage, MI also set a new course record for the women. Magagna crossed the line in 4:28:41, not only winning the women's race, but also finishing 4th overall. She would have won the race out right in 2021 and 2022. The next two spots on the men's podium included Patrick Monette (Oxford, MI) in 4:13:32 and James Lilly (Trenary, MI) in 4:22:21. Monette and Lilly ran in tandem until mile 22 where Monette pulled ahead on rolling section of single track near the Little Two Hearted Lakes. On the women's podium Magnaga was joined by Mariana Grohowski of Hancock, MI (5:13:11) and Sarah Raubenheimer of Ann Arbor (5:36:42).
Michelle Magagna breaking the 50K courser record at the 2024 Two Hearted. (Photo: Ian McMerrill)
Overall winners of the marathon were Jackson Rumery of Gobles, MI (4:20:17) and Lynn Marowske of Marquette, MI (4:31:36). Gobles was followed by Ryan Diehl of Walker, MI (4:23:14) and Mike Kostin of Philadelphia, PA (4:28:55). Completing the women’s marathon podium were Abigail McMerrill of Sun Prairie, WI (5:05:05) and Morgan Lindback of Ann Arbor, MI (5:21:49).
Participants in the marathon event had a remarkable age range from 14 year old Gabriel Reginatospence of Mt. Pleasant (5:29:11) to 69 year old Gerhard Fussle of Winona Lake, IN (5:40:58).
Mitchell Klingler of Marshall, MI (1:29:15) and Rachel Mecca of Midland, MI (1:53:44) were overall champions of the Two Hearted Half Marathon. Klingler ran solo the entire distance stretching out his lead by 23 minutes over Jacob Koopman of Nunica, MI in 1:52:37. Third overall among the men was Quentin Bullock of Traverse City, MI in 1:57:05. Erin Cornwell of Pickford, MI finished 2nd among the women in 1:57:10 while Stella Warnes of Traverse City, MI rounded out the Half Marathon podium, crossing the finish in 2:00:10.