Nearly 1,500 participants at Ion Bank Cheshire Half Marathon & 5K

On Sunday April 10th, the 11th annual Ion Bank Cheshire Half Marathon & 5K drew a crowd of nearly 1,500 participants in the Half Marathon, 5K and Kids Run. New Haven’s Benjamin Decker set the ½ marathon record winning in 1:06:43.

Decker’s time shattered Everett Hackett’s record of 1:08:38 set in the 2017 race. Decker, a graduate of Williams College, is getting his MBA at Yale. The women’s ½ marathon was won by Bristol’s Brittany Telke in 1:27:21. Cheshire’s top ½ marathon finisher was James Robitalle who finished 11th in 1:26:51. Kristen Mellit was Cheshire’s top female finishing in 1:44:04.
Ansonia’s Timothy Milenkevich won the 5K race in 16:37. Southington’s Gina Levesque won the women’s 5K in 22:00. Christopher Denke was top Cheshire finisher placing 5th in 21:34. Kaitlyn D’Andrea was Cheshire’s top female finishing 6th in 23:47.
Hamden’s Amalia Bickerton (age 6) won the Kids 400 meter run in 2:06. The top Cheshire finisher (4th overall) was Owen Simaitis (age 5) in 2:15. Hamden’s Luke Machado won the Kids 800 meter run in 3:19. He was closely followed by Cheshire’s Alana Sapelli who finished 2nd in 3:23.

The Cheshire Half Marathon Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports charities that assist those with special needs and their families. This year’s race and their participants will raise over $50,000 for its signature charities including Abilities Without Boundaries, Best Buddies CT, and Cheshire Lions Club.

The Cheshire Road Races is sponsored by Ion Bank. Other major sponsors include Audi of Wallingford, Porsche of Wallingford, Yale New Haven Health, and Connecticut Orthopaedics.

---- All photos courtesy of Capstone Photography