Photo Credit: Track Shack Events
Florida’s first half marathon welcomes national-caliber field and two-time Olympian Des Linden on Dec. 5
ORLANDO, Fla. (October 23, 2026) – Defending champions Reid Buchanan and Sophia King will return to the OUC Orlando Half Marathon on Saturday, Dec. 5, joining a field of Olympic Marathon Trials qualifiers, record holders and emerging distance runners for the race’s 50th running in downtown Orlando.
The field includes nationally accomplished athletes, returning race champions and rising talent competing in Florida’s first half marathon. Two-time Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon Champion Des Linden will also participate in the milestone event with a special fundraising challenge benefiting the Track Shack Youth Foundation.
“Having both defending champions return for our 50th running is exciting, especially with the depth of talent joining them,” said Jon Hughes, co-owner of Track Shack and Track Shack Events. “We’ve always wanted this race to be a place where accomplished runners and emerging athletes can compete, and this year’s field reflects that.”
Buchanan, 33, of Kansas City, Missouri, returns after winning in 2023 and 2025. Earlier this year, he won the 50th Lilac Bloomsday 12K in Spokane, Washington, in 34:30, becoming the first American man to win the race since 1986. King, 30, of Richmond, Virginia, won the women’s race in 2025 and is a 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon qualifier.
Also returning is Elkanah Kibet, 43, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, who set the OUC Orlando Half Marathon men’s event masters record of 1:05:53 in 2025. He also competed in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon in Orlando, where he set a then-U.S. men’s masters marathon record of 2:10:02.
Other men’s elite contenders include James Quattlebaum, 31, of Greenville, South Carolina, runner-up at the 2024 OUC Orlando Half Marathon and winner of the 2026 IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in in the title1:02:27; Garret Lee, 33, of Denver, Colorado, who placed 27th at the 2024 Olympic Trials in Orlando and has qualified for the 2028 Trials; and Noah Stevenson, 28, of Mission, Kansas, who recorded a half marathon personal best of 1:04:13 earlier this year.
The women’s elite field includes Savannah Berry, 30, of Orem, Utah, a three-time U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon qualifier who finished 12th at the 2024 Trials; former University of Central Florida standout Anne-Marie Blaney, 33, of Rochester Hills, Michigan, a three-time Olympic Trials qualifier who established 16 school records during her collegiate career; and Flannery Davis, 32, of Boulder, Colorado, who has qualified for the 2028 Olympic Trials. Also competing is Lindsay Hayman, 34, of Newark, Delaware, a University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Famer who is pursuing the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon qualifying standard while balancing work and motherhood.
EMERGING RUNNERS JOIN COMPETITIVE FIELD
The 50th running will also feature sub-elite athletes competing through Track Shack Events’ Athlete Development Program, which supports emerging distance runners by providing opportunities to compete against established athletes in a national-caliber race.
Among the men’s sub-elite competitors is Chris Cabret, 29, of Orlando, winner of the 2025-26 Track Shack Running Series. Cabret finished the 2026 Boston Marathon in 2:31:39 and is targeting a sub-1:10 finish in Orlando.
Two-time OUC Orlando Half Marathon champion Fredison Costa, 49, of Kissimmee, also returns. Costa won the race in 2015 and 2019 and has more than 100 victories in national and international competitions, including seven Walt Disney World Marathon titles.
Other notable men’s sub-elite competitors include Ben Payne, 44, of Colorado Springs, a three-time Olympic Trials qualifier; Alexander Colon, 45, of Orlando, holds the Puerto Rico masters half marathon records in the 40-44 and 45-49 age divisions; and Kevin Collington, 41, of Longmont, Colorado, a former professional triathlete with three U.S. national championship titles.
Additional men’s sub-elite competitors include Neftali Colon, 42, of Orlando; David Morris, 43, of Crewe, England; David Proudfoot, 41, of Lakewood Ranch, Florida; and Paul Wales, 26, of Tampa, Florida.
The women’s sub-elite field includes Clermont, Florida resident Gabrielle “Gabbi” Suver, 36, a professional IRONMAN triathlete who returned to competition this year following a serious hit-and- run bicycle accident in November 2025. Also competing are Tampa’s Chloe Byrd, 26, who set her half marathon personal best in Orlando in 2024, and Jacksonville’s Ellie Abraham, 24, a former U.S. Naval Academy steeplechase record holder.
Rounding out the women’s sub-elite field are Emily Davidson, 32, of New York; Christiana Kalotihos, 24, of Cambridge, Massachusetts; Andrea Corazzari Ugalde, 47, of San José, Costa Rica; and Alyssa Vassallo, 31, of Saddle Brook, New Jersey.
OLYMPIANS JOIN THE 50TH CELEBRATION
Two-time Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon Champion Des Linden will take on a different challenge during the milestone race. Linden will serve as official race starter before beginning the half marathon in last place. For every participant she passes along the 13.1-mile course, $5 will be donated to the Track Shack Youth Foundation to support youth health and fitness programs throughout Central Florida. Linden will present the donation check before the Suncoast Credit Union Lake Eola 5K on Sunday, Dec. 6.
Also participating is 1996 Olympian Keith Brantly of St. Augustine, Florida, who won this race in 1994 when it was known as the Florida Citrus Sports Half Marathon. The race will be broadcast live on WESH 2, a local NBC TV station.
The OUC Orlando Half Marathon celebrates its 50th running on Saturday, Dec. 5, with a 7:15 a.m. start in downtown Orlando. This marks Orlando Utilities Commission’s 27th year as title sponsor.
For athlete profiles and accomplishments, visit Track Shack’s elite field announcement and sub-elite field announcement.
For more information or to register, visit OrlandoHalfMarathon.com. Follow on social media at @OrlandoHalfMarathon on Instagram and on Facebook at ouchalfmarathonand5K.
Athlete field is subject to change.
About the OUC Orlando Half Marathon
Celebrating its 50th running in 2026, the OUC Orlando Half Marathon is Florida’s first half marathon and one of the Southeast’s longest-running road races. Produced by Track Shack Events, the race has earned Silver and Gold certifications by the Council for Responsible Sport. It is the first event in Florida to earn any level certification from the Council, a sustainability certification program that recognizes sporting events for their commitment to sustainability and responsible event management. Visit OrlandoHalfMarathon.com for more information.
About OUC—The Reliable One
For more than 100 years, OUC—The Reliable One has provided exceptional value to its customers and community through the delivery of sustainable and reliable services and solutions. The utility provides electric, water, chilled water, lighting and solar services to more than 400,000 accounts in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties. As OUC prepares for the next century, it remains committed to its goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 while supporting its community with conservation, sustainability and energy efficiency resources. Visit www.ouc.com to learn more.
About the Track Shack Family of Companies
Track Shack of Orlando opened for business in 1977 as a small retail operation focused on selling running shoes and apparel. Owners Jon and Betsy Hughes were awarded Florida’s Retailer of the Year 2015 by the Florida Retail Federation. Jon and Betsy also own Track Shack Events, a sports marketing company that specializes in marketing, management, and production of active lifestyle events. The award-winning professional staff has earned Track Shack Events a reputation as one of America’s top sports marketing companies. Track Shack Events co-produced the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon in Orlando. The mission of Track Shack Events is to produce events that benefit the entire community, including runners, walkers, sponsors, and charities. Run to TrackShack.com.