Northside native Cruz Rodriguez, 49, and his girlfriend Michelle Gannon run 25 to 28 miles a week. They accidentally signed up for two different races on Feb. 26 — the 10K race and the 5K race at the 44th annual Cowtown Marathon at the Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 Lancaster Ave.
“Just mostly for myself to stay healthy meantally, my body and soul. But, we do like to do the races — it’s fun,” Rodriguez said.
The couple now live in the River Oaks neighborhood and they find themselves occasionally running from their home to downtown Fort Worth and back.
Cowtown Marathon runners prepare to begin the 10K race on Feb. 26. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Cowtown Marathon runners walk to the starting point on Feb. 26. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Runners begin the 10K race at the 44th annual Cowtown Marathon on Feb. 26. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Water stations are set up at the finish line on Feb. 26. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Signs encourage runners to keep going. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A designated area for spectators is blocked off from the running route. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Fort Worth police officers block off traffic in front of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Runner Cruz Rodriguez tracks his girlfriend Michelle Gannon’s performance with the Cowtown App during her 10K run. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Fort Worth native Cruz Rodriguez waits for his girlfriend to finish the 10K race — Rodriguez signed up for the 5K race. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Keith Kotar, center, is the first to finish 10K Marathon on Feb. 26. Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes, left, and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, right, hold a banner up for Kotar to run through. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Ryan Siebert wins second place in the 10K run on Feb. 26. He ran the 10 kilometers in 34 minutes and 48 seconds. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Keith Kotar, left, and Ryan Siebert, right, congratulate each other after running the Cowtown Marathon’s 10K race. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Second place runner Ryan Siebert, left, and third place runner Dustin Wernicke, right, walk to the VIP Tent near the race’s finish line. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A Cowtown Marathon worker wears a bright yellow vest on Feb. 26. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Runner Amani Terrell is directed to the VIP Tent on Feb. 26. Terrell ran the 10K race in 38 minutes and 39 seconds. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)
The 44th annual Cowtown Marathon returned to normalcy after a year of COVID-19 restrictions — the 2021 Marathon was postponed for months and held for one day on May 8, 2021. Roughly 10,000 runners were expected to participate in the marathons from Feb. 26 to Feb. 27.
The 10K and 5K races were on Feb. 26. The half marathon, full marathon, ultra marathon and the Healthy Hig Half-Marathon Relay were run on Feb. 27. Virtual races were available for the public.
A number of participants took on the Cowtown Challenge, which is running both a short distance and long distance race — Rodriguez and Gannon were among the Challenge participants.
“The goal is never to come in first; for us, the goal is to finish it,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve never done that before. We’ve never done that many miles in two days, just back to back.”
The Cowtown benefits Children’s Activities for Life and Fitness, or C.A.L.F., a program that provides physical education and running equipment to thousands of children in 17 school districts surrounding the Metroplex serving more than 42,000 children, according to a press release.
Cristian ArguetaSoto is the community engagement journalist at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him by email or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
Unofficial results for Feb. 26 and Feb. 27 races are:
10K Unofficial Results:
MEN: Course Record Set 2017 Time 30:50.0
First – Keith Kotar, Aledo, TX, 31, Time 34:18.1
Second – Ryan Siebert, The Colony, TX, 30, Time 34:48.1
Third – Dustin Wernicke, Grapevine, TX, 35, Time 35:00.1
WOMEN: Course Record Set 2011 Time 35:24.0
First – Amani Terrell, Fort Worth, TX, 42, 38:39.7
Second – Heather Rodriguez, Burleson, TX, 39, 42:55.9
Third – Sara Hernandez, Long Island City, NY, 30, 43:36.8
5K Unofficial Results:
MEN: Course Record Set 2013 Time 15:00.0
First place – Caleb Calderon, Austin, TX, 23, Time 16:40.2
Second – Connor Downs, Pittsburgh, PA, 18, Time 17:19.3
Third – Gustavo Roskosky, Arlington, TX, 27, Time 17:34.7
WOMEN: Course Record Set 2016 17:25.0
First – Jessica Smith, Trophy Club, TX, 44, Time 19:04.7
Second – Sarah Simmons, Denton, TX, 33, Time 19:12.1
Third – Mayden Mitchell, Weatherford, TX, 12, Time 20:20.0
Half Unofficial Results:
MEN: Course Record Set 2017 (1:04:23)
First – Daniel Kemoi, Coon Rapids, MN, 35, 1:04.15 (new course record)
Second – Lawrence Kipkoech, Lubbock, TX, 29, 1:04:28
Third – Alex Spencer, Lubbock, TX, 19, 1:11.28
WOMEN: Course Record Set 2016 (1:11:47)
First – Kelsie Perry, Allen, TX, 25, 1:16.33
Second – Caitlin Keen, Westworth Village, TX, 29, 1:17.44
Third – Jennifer Pope, Plano, TX, 35, 1:17.56
Marathon Unofficial Results:
MEN: Course Record Set 2014 (2:17:12)
First place – Joseph Darda, Fort Worth, TX, 34, 2:27.55
Second – Scott Preston, Cedar Hill, TX, 40, 2:48.02
Third – Zachary Smith, Northlake, TX, 31, 2:48.05
WOMEN: Course Record Set 2014 (2:42:31)
First – Annifer Flores, Richland Hills, TX, 28, 2:59.29
Second – Christine Hickson, Keller, TX, 42, 3:14.32
Third – Anna Hailey, Tioga, TX, 42, 3:18.48
Ultra Marathon Presented by Miller Lite Unofficial Results:
MEN: Course Record Set 2014 (3:00:21)
First – Javier Vilchis, Irving, TX, 45, 3:36.42
Second – Matthew Taylor, Dallas, TX, 47, 3:38.57
Third – Chris White, Granger, IN, 48, 3:39.01
WOMEN: Course record 2016 (3:21:33)
First – Maddie Stier, Frisco, TX, 28, 3:36.58
Second – Joanna White, Granger, IN, 46, 3:52.24
Third – Shandra Moore, Bedford, TX, 36, 4:02.04
HealthyHig Relay Presented by Higginbotham Unofficial Results
Overall winning team: Scrambled L-eggs Time 2:39.54
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