In an impressive display of endurance, Youngstown native Bre Rupe won the women’s division of the 47th annual Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic held Saturday in Wheeling, clocking in at 1 hour, 24 minutes, and 13 seconds.

A Challenging Race

This was Rupe’s first time participating in this particular race, and she noted the challenges posed by the course. “It was tough. I looked it up beforehand so I knew there were some big hills. I thought I was mentally prepared, but it was pretty hard,” she stated.

Coaching and Athletic Background

Currently, Rupe serves on the coaching staff for track and field and cross country at Youngstown State University. In her coaching tenure, the women’s team has won the Horizon League Indoor and Outdoor Championships twice, while the men’s team achieved a triple crown during the 2022-23 season and claimed the 2024 Horizon League Cross Country title.

A graduate of Walsh University, she earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2019 and completed her master’s in business administration a year later. During her collegiate career, she was a two-time national qualifier in the Distance Medley Relay and achieved All-America status.

Future Plans and Race Reflections

Despite having participated in limited half marathons, Rupe expressed satisfaction with her performance given the course’s difficulty. “I’ve only run one or two half marathons before very seriously, but for how hard the course was, I’m pretty happy with my time. Winning made the trip here worthwhile,” she said.

When asked about the possibility of returning to defend her title in 2026, she remained noncommittal: “Maybe. I don’t know. That course was pretty mean.”

Other Competitors

The women’s race concluded with standout performances from other participants as well. Springfield’s Laurel le Moigne finished second with a time of 1:25:19, while Wheeling’s Shae Reinbeau secured third place at 1:35:19. Morgantown’s Lindsay Scheffel and Wheeling’s Brenna Tipton rounded out the top five with times of 1:37:39 and 1:38:00, respectively.

Rupe’s husband, Eric, who is also an assistant coach at Youngstown State, participated in the half marathon, finishing third overall in 1:11:19.