SYRACUSE, N.Y., They shut down the streets of downtown Syracuse on Sunday morning, and more than 2,250 runners gave the city exactly the kind of energy it deserves in late March.
The 13th annual Syracuse Half Marathon kicked off at 7:30 a.m. in front of the Oncenter Convention Center on South State Street, sending a river of runners north through some of the city’s most recognizable neighborhoods for 13.1 miles of pavement, cheering crowds, and personal finish lines.
The Champions: A Fayetteville Sweep
In a race-day storyline that couldn’t have been scripted any better, both the men’s and women’s champions hail from Fayetteville, NY.
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Nicholas Ryan, 30, of Fayetteville, took the men’s title in a blistering 1:07:16, a 5:08-per-mile pace that had him pulling away from the field early and never looking back. Ryan hit the 5K split in 16:19 and the 10K mark in 32:01, running negative splits the rest of the way to break the tape on South State Street to a roaring crowd.
Stephanie Ryan, 29, also of Fayetteville, claimed the women’s championship with a time of 1:20:48, a 6:10 pace, finishing 55th overall in a field of more than 2,250 finishers. She broke through the USATF CHAMPION banner to cheers from the crowd lining South State Street.
Top Men’s Finishers
| Place | Name | Age | Hometown | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicholas Ryan | 30 | Fayetteville, NY | 1:07:16 | 5:08/mi |
| 2 | Jared Burdick | 39 | Fayetteville, NY | 1:08:58 | 5:16/mi |
| 3 | Braden York | 24 | Auburn, NY | 1:09:39 | 5:19/mi |
| 4 | Humberto Wallace | 27 | Brockport, NY | 1:09:40 | 5:19/mi |
| 5 | Brian Tholl | 35 | Pennsylvania Furnace, PA | 1:09:48 | 5:20/mi |
Top Women’s Finishers
| Place | Name | Age | Hometown | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephanie Ryan | 29 | Fayetteville, NY | 1:20:48 | 6:10/mi |
| 2 | Gabby McCarthy | 22 | Liverpool, NY | 1:21:38 | 6:14/mi |
| 3 | Emily Young | 26 | Camillus, NY | 1:22:00 | 6:16/mi |
| 4 | Jennifer Boerner Selig | 43 | Elmira, NY | 1:22:03 | 6:16/mi |
| 5 | Charlotte Tysall | 22 | Ithaca, MA | 1:22:19 | 6:17/mi |
Notable: Emily Young of Camillus, who won the 2025 women’s title in 1:20:39, returned to defend her crown and placed third overall among women with a time of 1:22:00, proving the depth of local talent in the CNY running community.
The Course: 13.1 Miles Through the Heart of Syracuse
The route took runners from the Oncenter north on South State Street, right onto James Street through residential neighborhoods, then through a loop that wound past parks, local businesses, and historic cemeteries before swinging along Grant Boulevard. Runners got the unique experience of looping past Destiny USA along Hiawatha Boulevard and Harborside Drive before heading back downtown to the finish.
Eight aid stations were spread along the course, and the race maintained a 3-hour, 30-minute time limit, a 16-minute-per-mile pace, with the finish line staying open until 11:00 a.m.
By the Numbers
- 2,250+ finishers crossed the line on South State Street
- 1,110 male finishers and 1,140+ female finishers
- Participant cap: 2,900 registered runners
- Race start: 7:30 a.m., 43°F and overcast, perfect running weather for late March in CNY
- Age divisions: 20-and-under through 70+ for both men and women
USATF Masters Championships
This year’s race doubled as the USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships, bringing elite runners age 40 and over from across the country to compete for national-level honors on Syracuse streets. Jennifer Boerner Selig of Elmira, who finished 4th among women overall in 1:22:03, was a standout in the 40-44 division.
More Than a Race
The Syracuse Half Marathon has grown into one of Upstate New York’s premier road races since its founding in 2013. For most of the 2,250 people who crossed that finish line today, whether in 67 minutes or three hours, it was about setting a goal in the dead of a Central New York winter and chasing it down State Street on the first real weekend of spring.
The post-race celebration didn’t disappoint. Finishers were greeted with commemorative medals, the signature Syracuse Half Marathon performance jacket, a hot breakfast, live music, and unlimited beverages, which, after 13.1 miles in late March Syracuse weather, is exactly the right call.
13 Years and Counting
What started in 2013 as a new addition to Syracuse’s running calendar has become one of the most well-regarded half marathons in the Northeast. For every runner who crossed that finish line on South State Street today, it was a reminder that Syracuse shows up. The city showed up to cheer. The volunteers showed up to hand out water cups. And the runners showed up to prove that 13.1 miles through downtown, in late March, in CNY, is exactly the kind of challenge worth taking on.
Full results are available at syracusehalf.com.
Sources
- syracusehalf.com, official race site, course details, results
- RunSignUp / Leone Timing, official race results and chip times
