Sunday’s Queen Bee Montana Marathon saw about 240 marathoners and 425 half marathoners. Though there were runners from all 50 states, Montana and its neighbors claimed the top slots for both races and genders: an Idaho man and a Wyoming woman topped the podium for the marathon and Billings residents (and MSUB alums) claimed the top male and female spots in the half. Connor Turpin, 24, of Lewiston, Idaho, won the marathon, with a time of 2:37:25.
Kinley Bollinger, 20, of Powell, Wyoming, finished 12 overall and was the fastest woman, with a time of 3:11:53. In the half, Jorey Egeland, 28, finished first with a time of 1:08:27 and Kailee Stoppel, 24, won the women’s race with a time of 1:27:55. Both men’s races were led by former college track teammates, with Montana State University Billings alums taking all three slots on the half’s podium and former Lewis-Clark State College teammates fighting for top spot in the marathon.
“We all work hard together,” Egeland said of Robert Peterson, 31, who finished just 19 seconds after him and Ase Ackerman, 24, who took third place another 50 seconds later. “We run together every week. They made the race today.
” Egeland had started out behind the other two, overtaking them around mile eight. “It’s why I’m in good shape, that I have good friends that race with me and train with me,” Peterson said. “You don’t get that unless you have competition and people pushing you.
” As for the marathon, Turpin ran with Jona.