“Once I turned 60, I thought I’d try and get back fit and qualify for Boston for next year,” Mobbs said. “I just showed up hoping to run a qualifying time — hopefully I’m well inside now.”

Mobbs, who is from the United Kingdom and competed in the 60-65 age group, had never raced in Lake Placid before and had only discovered the marathon while on a business trip.

“I’d obviously known about Lake Placid from the Olympics way back when I was a kid,” Mobbs said. “I saw the race was on and I thought it would be a cool place to race and run. It just seemed like a neat idea and it’s been enjoyable. I think I’ll have to come back next year.”

Mobbs finished the 26.2-mile course in 3 hours, 7 minutes, 46 seconds.

Lake Placid Marathon champion Christopher Mobbs raises his hands as he crosses the Lake Placid Marathon finish line on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

“It was just a really nice day to run in,” Mobbs said. “It was perfect weather for me. It was really an enjoyable race. I love running out by the river — it’s just so great.”

Landon Legrand, of Marlboro, took second place in the men’s division in 3:17.14, while Andrew Spring, of Boston, Massachusetts, was third in 3:19.26.

Although Mobbs won the men’s race by nearly 10 minutes, his overall win didn’t come easy.

Megan Bouton, of Campbell, who ultimately finished as the women’s top marathon runner led the race nearly the entire way before being caught by Mobbs. Bouton finished the race in 3:08.37.

“It was a really tough course and the elevation gain and rolling hills,” Bouton said. “It was challenging for sure.”

At left, Kathleen and Paul Hoey, of Saranac Lake, cross the finish line of the Lake Placid Half Marathon together on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

Had Bouton won, she would’ve been the first woman to claim the top spot overall in the Lake Placid Marathon — a feat she said she had in mind when starting the race.

“I just felt comfortable and my stomach was kind of rocking me, so I just settled into a groove,” Bouton said. “I was alone for a little while, so I just hung tight. Eventually I saw the first male (Mobbs) and I was like ‘alright time to get tough.'”

Despite narrowly walking away with the overall title, Bouton had to battle the top women’s spot which ended up being decided by less than a second with Ginger Smith, of Redding, Connecticut, taking third place overall and second place in the women’s race in a time of 3:08.42.

“The second-place female came up right behind and I was like ‘Oh my gosh,'” Bouton said. “She killed it and really inspired me to put some fire under my butt and it was great.”

Following the top three overall finishers, were two more women. Hillary Schmitt, of Skillman, New Jersey, finished next in 3:09.36 to earn fourth place overall and Canada’s Heather Colasuonno took fifth in 3:16.13.

David Bea, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was the first half marathon runner to cross the finish line on Sunday.

“Once I got going I felt really good,” Bea said. “I felt like I pushed at least half the race faster than I probably should have and I kind of felt it in the last 5K coming back on the main drag coming back into town. All you have to do at that point is hold on for dear life and you know you’re going to finish well.”

Bea is not a stranger to the Lake Placid Marathon and Half Marathon, as he has previously won both races. He won the full marathon in 2018 and the half marathon in 2019.

“I really enjoy the half, so that’s why I opted to that this year,” Bea said. “We’ll see, maybe next year I’ll continue the half.”

Bea finished the 13.1-mile race in 1:12.16, which was 27 seconds faster than his half marathon time in 2019.

Sean Davis, of Willsboro, finished in second place in 1:17.31 and Jonathan Cyganik, of Fayetteville, finished third in 1:18.17.

On the women’s side, Katherine Irgens, of Mystic, Connecticut, came away with the win.

“The first 5K is super fast and super awesome with great crowd support,” Irgens said. “Mirror Lake was beautiful and outrageous, but it was tough. It was a little hot towards the end, some nice tough hills, but overall it was good.”

Irgens earned the win in 1:22.51, while Rutland, Vermont native Catherine Kluchinski took second place with a time of 1:26.31 and Mia Vigener, of Sudbury, Massachussetts, finished in third in 1:30.21.

“This is kind of wrapping up my season,” Irgens said. “I’m mostly a marathoner, but these past five months I’ve been doing a lot of 10-milers and stuff, I’ve been trying to get ready for this race to cap off a good racing season.”

For full results, go to sportstats.ca.