Ben Tuttle Wins Eighth Annual Bridgehampton Half Marathon

Ben Tuttle tagged along with his wife, Kristine, to the Bridgehampton Half Marathon. He wound up winning it.

The 2011 Eastport-South Manor graduate who currently resides in East Moriches has, within the past year, gotten into Ironman races, which is a 1.2 mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile, or half marathon, run, so having not to do the swim or ride probably helped Tuttle, 29, who completed Saturday morning’s race in 1:10.42, a mile pace of 5:24, nearly 13 minutes ahead of the next finisher and was just mere seconds off of the course record of 1:10.15 set in 2015 by Nick Lemon.

“My wife wanted to do it, so I figured I’ll just go in support of her and decided to see how I do with fresh legs with not having to do a swim or bike beforehand,” Tuttle explained. “I felt good. I finished my race then ran back to her and helped her finish her race.”

A successful long distance runner in high school, Tuttle continued his competitive running career at Cedarville University, from which he graduated in 2015. An injury over a year ago stopped him from running a little bit, so Tuttle got into swimming, which eventually led to him competing in Ironmans. Tuttle and his wife of six years own an educational business together which helps nurses pass nursing tests. He said as long as he’s around next year, he could see himself returning to defend his new title.

As for the race overall, conditions could have not have been much better for the eighth annual event, with temps rising to over 70 degrees under partly cloudy skies — the complete opposite from a year ago when it rained throughout the race.

The half marathon saw 588 runners cross the finish line, with another 183 finishing the 5K which preceded the longer race.

Diane Weinberger, half of the race organizer team, along with Amanda Moszkowski, said they were a bit overwhelmed with the number of people who registered in the days, and minutes, leading up to the race, most likely due to the positive weather forecast. Ultimately, though, it turned out to be a great day for all involved.

Weinberger said the race route returned to its original course that brought runners back over Bridge Lane, which was nice, she said, because it really showcases the beauty of Bridgehampton and the East End. Construction to the bridge on that road had forced the route to change since 2017.

Jordan Gershman, 28, of New York City finished second overall behind Tuttle in 1:23, while Ian Mook, 27, of Hastings-on-Hudson finished in 1:23:36. Ethan Goldman, 33, of Manorville finished fourth overall in 1:24:15 and Chad Friedberg, 27, of New York City rounded out the top five finishers in 1:25:04.

Laura Heintz, 46, of New York City, who won the Bridgehampton Half the last time she ran it in 2019, was once again the female champion, crossing the finish line on Saturday in 1:29:16, just slightly behind her time from four years ago, which was 1:27.06. Jamie Sutherland’s mark of 1:25.30 for women, set in 2015, remains intact.

Heintz said her friends who ran the race with her told her the conditions last year were terrible, but said when she ran it in 2019, conditions were very similar to Saturday’s and she really likes the race.

“It’s a great run. It’s super flat,” she said. “I’m used to training in upstate New York. This is nice and flat.

“Me and my friends live out there,” Heintz added. “Five or six of us, bunch of friends, come out and have a nice Saturday. Now we’ll go drink some wine, celebrate.”

Ana Sofia Llano Tamayo, 31, of Brooklyn, finished second among females in 1:29:38; Sarah Johnson, 39, of New York City, finished third in 1:29:54; Sheeva Talebian, 47, also of New York City, finished fourth in 1:30; and Maggie Patry, 43, of Fair Haven, New Jersey, finished third in 1:30:34.

Zachary Fischer, 39, of New York City won the 5K in 19:03. Susan Yun, 24, also of New York City, was the female champion of the 3.1-mile race finishing in 21:09.

Full results can be found at areeventproductions.com/results.

While the Hamptons Marathon and Half Marathon, which are in September, have become Weinberger and Moszkowski’s big production, they try to keep a small town feel with the Bridgehampton Half Marathon. They partnered with local businesses such as the Bridgehampton Dunkin’, Lululemon in East Hampton and Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy in Water Mill, and continue to support the community through post-race donations.

This year, the race is supporting Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, Project Most, the Bridgehampton Library and — new this year — Strongpoint Theinert Ranch, a restorative program for veterans that promotes health and wellness through outdoor experiences in New Mexico, named after U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant Joseph J. Theinert, a Sag Harbor native who was killed in action.

“Even though we are joined by runners from around the U.S., this continues to be a community event with a small town feel,” Weinberger said. “We could not make this race a success without the help of an army of volunteers, so we would love to shout out to the docs who provided essential medical services, the vital packet pick-up team and everyone out on the course managing traffic and helping with water tables. Thank you all.”