Grandma's Marathon 2016 Results: Men's and Women's Top Finishers

Elisha Barno and Sarah Kiptoo triumphed Saturday morning in the 40th edition of Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota.

Barno's win makes him a back-to-back champion in the annual road race, which is named after its first sponsor, though the name might make it seem like only women with grandchildren are allowed to enter. Kiptoo is also a two-time winner in the event. She previously set the course record in 2013.

Here's a look at the top finishers from both the men's and women's competitions:

Rank	Runner (Men)	Time	Difference
Rank	Runner (Women)	Time	Difference
1	Elisha Barno	2:11:26	-
2	Weldon Kirui	2:12:26	+1:00
3	Kimutai Cheruiyot	2:14:02	+2:36
4	Jacob Chemtai	2:16:59	+5:33
5	Werkuneh Seyoum Aboye	2:17:07	+5:41
1	Sarah Kiptoo	2:33:29	-
2	Serkalem Abrha	2:34:20	+0:51
3	Clara Santucci	2:34:57	+1:28
4	Lauren Jimison	2:35:32	+2:03
5	Kelsey Bruce	2:36:09	+2:40

Barno might be starting an individual Grandma's Marathon dynasty, but his victory didn't come without some fierce competition. Eight runners were within five seconds of the lead at the halfway point, and there was a three-way tie as they hit 20 miles.

The next five miles were the difference. The 30-year-old Kenya native went from tied with Kimutai Cheruiyot and Weldon Kirui to 39 seconds ahead of the pack during that stretch. The remarkable surge allowed him to coast to the end.

Louie St. George III of the Duluth News Tribune highlighted the winner crossing the finish line without his nearest rival in sight:

Alec Ausmus of WDIO pointed out it's just the third time in men's race history that a runner has captured back-to-back titles.

While the winning margin on the women's side was slightly less, Kiptoo was never challenged during the second half of the race. She opened up a 51-second lead midway through, and that was also the final deficit, though she did increase the lead for a while.

Sasquatch 106.5 FM showcased her victory and celebration:

Kiptoo's time was nearly seven minutes slower than her record-setting mark (2:26:32) three years ago. At least some of that drop-off is likely due to the fact the talented Kenyan built such a sizable lead in the early going, though, leaving nobody to push her during the latter stages.

Ultimately, it's a sport all about crossing the finish line first, and she did exactly that against a crowded field. KFGO reported more than 20,000 runners were expected between the marathon, half marathon and 5K races, including people from all 50 states and 39 countries.

Spokeswoman Kate Kucinski told KFGO those numbers represent the largest overall field in the event's history. Yet, despite the increased number of competitors, Barno and Kiptoo remain at the head of the class in Grandma's Marathon.  

All checkpoint and overall race times courtesy of MTEC Results.