Brady Johnson led a host of Boston Marathon qualifiers to the finish line Sunday morning at the fourth annual Boston or Bust marathon at Ditto Landing.
Johnson, 24, of Nashville, finished in 2:31:14 and had a 5:46 pace. Originally from Pickerington, Ohio, Johnson competed collegiately for Lipscomb University on the indoor and outdoor teams.
Whitley Waldrep, 32, of Guntersville won the women’s division in 3:05:28. She easily qualified for the Boston Marathon by 20 minutes and was 24th overall.
Numerous runners made their Boston qualifying times Sunday morning. The Boston or Bust course begins and ends at Ditto Landing, taking runners on a flat, fast route along the Aldridge Creek Greenway and back to Ditto. Loops around Ditto and along the Tennessee River provide a bit of elevation and leg-stretching flats. Marathoners made two circuits while half-marathoners enjoyed one.
Mallie Hale, 40, of Cullman, won the Masters Women’s title with a time of 3:14:16. Ryan Nast, 41, of Birmingham, took the Masters Men’s title in 2:59:07
Boston or Bust, one of the nation’s final qualifying events, attracted runners from more than 20 states including Massachusetts, Colorado, Ohio, Texas and Arizona. Registration for the 130th Boston Marathon opens Monday morning for five days. It has changed and tightened qualifying times and procedures over the years, and will do so again for 2027 with a net-downhill index formula.
A host of Alabama and Tennessee runners target Boston each year, some on an annual basis and others as a one-time goal. More than 500 runners registered for the Boston or Bust marathon and half-marathon this year.
Boston or Bust Half-Marathon
Wesley John and Catherine Terwilliger sped to the gold in the half-marathon race Sunday morning.
John, 24, of Watkinsville, Ga., took the win by more than a minute in 1:12:06. Fuji Anday, 23, of Billings, Mont., was second in 1:13:13.
Terwilliger, 34, of Huntsville, smoked a personal-best 1:25:57 for the women’s title. She was 12th overall. Nina Sillivant, 31, of Huntsville, was second (15th) in 1:29.
Kimberly Bookout, 42, of Birmingham, grabbed Masters Women honors in 1:32 and finished 23rd. Robert Perdue, 57, of Russellville, was ninth and took Masters Men honors in 1:23.
The half-marathon had more than 270 official finishers including runners from Montana, Wisconsin, Arizona and Hawaii. Both races are put on by Running Lane Events.
See all of the Boston or Bust marathon results here and half-marathon results here.
See all of the photos from Spencer Cox Photography here.
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