Morley secures first professional win representing ASICS and lowers personal best from Michigan, with Murphy and Linden completing women’s podium; Berry College senior Bensley has strong effort to prevail by 10 seconds overall

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Makena Morley, a nine-time All-American at Colorado representing ASICS, earned her first professional road race victory Sunday at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Half Marathon at Jones Park in Gulfport, finishing second overall behind men’s winner Cameron Bensley, an NCAA Division 3 athlete at Berry College in Georgia.

Bensley, a senior, covered the 13.1-mile course in 1 hour, 12 minutes, 5 seconds, just ahead of Morley in 1:12:15, a two-second improvement on her personal best from Oct. 28 at the Michigan Pro Half Marathon in Stony Creek.

Both performances by Bensley and Morley were recognized as course records.

It was an even more inspiring achievement for Bensley, who rebounded after finishing 80th in the men’s open/elite/college 8-kilometer cross country race Nov. 15 at the XC Town USA Meet of Champions, presented by The Garrett Companies, at LaVern Gibson championship course in Terre Haute, Ind.

Bensley also improved from a fourth-place finish in 1:12:58 in December 2019 at the Ole Man River Half Marathon in Louisiana.

Morley is also a two-time winner of the Missoula Half Marathon in Montana, but achieved both victories while attending Colorado.

Zach Perrin, another former Colorado All-American, was the second male finisher and third overall in 1:12:20.

Grayson Murphy, a former Utah All-American representing Saucony and the reigning World Mountain Running Championships women’s gold medalist, was the second female across the line and finished fourth overall in 1:13:23, one minute off her last half marathon effort in September 2019 in Utah.

Gatlin Holland of Alabama was the third male finisher in 1:13:58, followed by Tyler Alverson of Tennessee in 1:14:44.

Desiree Linden, a two-time U.S. Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon winner, was the third-fastest female and seventh overall in 1:15:25. It marked her first half marathon race since September 2019 in Ohio.

Jonathan Mott of Florida won the men’s marathon Sunday at Henderson Point in Pass Christian in 2:18:03, more than 12 minutes ahead of the next finisher.

Ann Centner, also of Florida, secured the women’s marathon victory in 2:43:36, placing eighth overall.