Flanagan Cruises to 2021 Half Marathon Victory

By Myles Dannhausen Jr. , Peninsula Pulse – October 31st, 2021

Relena Del Toro Ribbons came within 14 seconds of setting a new women’s course record at Saturday’s Door County Half Marathon in Peninsula State Park. Photo by Rachel Lukas.

Francis Flanagan of Milwaukee was the first of 981 runners to reach the finish of Saturday’s Door County Half Marathon. The 36-year-old finished in 1:15:07, outpacing four-time winner Rodee Schneider by a minute and 46 seconds. Tim Kowols of Green Bay finished third. Former Gibraltar cross country runner Greg Bott, 44, finished 7th in 1:22:46.

On the women’s side the top finisher came up just shy of a new course record. Relena Del Toro Ribbons, 34, of Appleton finished in 1:22:19, just 14 seconds slower than the course record set by Hanna Christensen in 2019. Maggie Priebe of Green Bay finished second in 1:26:01, and Hannah Lyons of Milwaukee finished third (1:34:28). Carina Derenne of Luxemburg finished sixth in 1:39:54.

In the Nicolet Bay 5k, Christopher Mahoney of Chicago topped the field in 17:48, followed by Brian Busse of De Pere in 18:33 and Scott Cayo of Wauwatosa in 18:46. Thirteen year-old Alejandro Cantarero of Aurora, IL finished seventh in 19:51, folowed by Logan Davison of Windsor, WI in 20:11.

For the women, youth ruled the day as Madeline Mrozinski, age 15 of Menomonee Falls, finished first in 21:03. That was just three seconds ahead of Inez Schmidt, age 13 of Rice Lake. Gemma Mrozinsky of Manitowoc finished third in 22:06. Eleven of the top 18 finishers were age 15 or younger.

Next year’s Door County Half Marathon and Nicolet Bay 5k returns to the first Saturday in May, May 7, 2022. Registration opens Nov. 1.

Complete race results>>