Story and Photos by George Banker
“I was initially drawn to this event because I was invited by my friend, Jordan Whetstone, to run the Juneteenth Half Marathon with the Rising Hearts team. Jordan is the founder of Rising Hearts, an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to amplifying community voices through kinship, movement, advocacy, and storytelling. The opportunity to bring the team together was made possible through a donation supporting the effort, along with Rising Hearts’ collaboration with Freddie Irby, the Run Juneteenth founder and organizer, to build a growing kinship between Rising Hearts and Run Juneteenth to ensure a fun, community experience,” stated Shayla Manitowabi of Albuquerque, NM.
Saturday, June 13, 2026, was the 7th running of the Juneteenth Half Marathon and 10K (Fort Stanton Park, Washington, DC). The purpose is to celebrate Juneteenth. Juneteenth, observed on June 19th, marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. This announcement came over two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, highlighting the challenges and delays in ensuring freedom for all.
The racecourse used the trail system that connects the Civil War Defenses of Washington (Fort Mahan, Fort Chaplin, Fort Dupont, Fort Davis, Battery Ricketts, Fort Stanton).
Half Marathon
The two events started uphill along the trail. To be successful was going to require a strategy to negotiate the hills. The level of competition increases each year. Ethan Ready of Washington was the defending champion (1:28:16) and challengers included Perry Bennett of Baltimore, the 2025 runner-up (1:29:29). In the field was the 2023 winner (1:45:52), Baba Damilola Alao of Arlington, VA. In addition, Jonathan Ladson of Woodbridge, VA, the third-place finisher from 2025 (1:32:48).
As the runners approached the bottom of Greene Street, Ready was the first to make the turn to start the climb with a comfortable lead. Ready negotiated the last hill to retain his title with a time of 1:29:15. Bennett settled for runner up with a time of 1:32:58. Former boxer, Ladson placed third with a time of 1:37:12. Last year Ladson was third with a time of 1:32:48.
Alao placed 7th with a time of 1:42:04. In 2025, Alao was 5th in the 10K 48:51.
“My attraction to running the event, I love taking on challenges that force me to push past my limits. Beyond that, Juneteenth represents the day all enslaved people were finally freed, so that they put on this amazing event for free and bringing the community together is something I really admire. These are the events I love to support,” stated Ladson.
“I met the race director over the winter. When I learned about the history of the event and its impact on the local running scene, I was excited to be a part of such a special event in the city,” stated Rob Wolfe of Washington with a time of 1:49:41 (18th place).
Wolfe adds, “I thought it would be a challenge – warm, humid weather, tough hills… so I tried to be cautious. I was running with a group that pushed towards the end, and I could hang with them. I didn’t think I would feel good towards the finish, so it was fun to compete. I was grateful to be a part of it. Outside of the meaningfulness of the event, I had some energy left at the end, so I came away with some confidence in the trajectory of my fitness.”
Shayla Manitowabi pulled an upset to take first place with a time of 1:53:57. The runner-up was the 2025 winner (1:55:42), Allison Lee of Washington, with a time of 1:55:42. Ali Grainger of Potsdam, NY was third with a time of 1:57:21.
“My takeaway from the day was that I wanted to dive more into the history and purpose of the event. I had the honor of meeting Freddie at the Run In Beauty film screening in partnership with On, where he took part in a post-film panel. Hearing more about his running journey and what inspired him to start the event made the experience even more meaningful,” added Manitowabi.
“This race is very special – the love that Freddie and so many others pour into the event every year is above and beyond any other race event I’ve experienced. From the community-powered plogging events leading up to the race, the support from so many local run groups, and Juneteenth history so thoughtfully honored – it truly is a unique event,” stated Lee.
Lee adds, “The course itself is fun and challenging! I’ve done it several times before (it is still difficult). My strategy was to run by effort – ignore pace, walk up inclines when needed, hydrate early and often. I enjoyed seeing so many people out on the trail (including Freddie himself!), experiencing the race together and encouraging each other. Thank you, thank you to everyone who volunteered!”
“My attraction to running the event, I am excited that this event exists. It means so much to Black History. It helps to bring awareness to everyone about challenges in our past and how it connects to our present,” stated Coach Bertha Cross of Washington with a time of 3:16:46.
Cross adds, “My takeaway was keep doing challenging events like the Juneteenth because the more you are prepared for peaks and valleys. I would do it again. This race was well organized, lots of volunteers to help you along the course, beautiful scenic course and just knowing you are stepping on the path of greatness.”
The 10K
Runners in the 10K avoided Greene Street. The winner was Brandon Dunston of Brentwood, MD, with a time of 46:18. Last year Dunston was 4th with a time of 48:34. The runner-up was Tristan Seales of Baltimore with a time of 48:21. Davon Singletary of Baltimore was third with a time of 50:26. In 2024, Singletary was third with a time of 48:50.
Cheniya Sharpe of Springfield, VA, was the female winner, finishing in 55:20. The runner-up was Erin Dandridge of Springfield with a tie of 57:03. The third place was Kristen Schulz of Washington with a time of 57:50. Schulz was the 2025 winner (55:05).
“I love celebrating Juneteenth!!! This is such an awesome community, and as someone who really loves to hike, it’s really cool to have a race on the trails,” stated Sharpe.
“My strategy was to take advantage of the downhills, especially in the second half. I didn’t want to burn all of my energy in the first half and not be able to finish strong so climbing uphill, I tried to just stay steady, but if my pace lacked a little bit, I didn’t sweat it because I knew I could catch my breath and get a little faster on flat road and the downhills,” stated Sharpe.
7th Juneteenth Half Marathon
Fort Stanton, DC 6/13/2026
Top Men
1. 1:29:15 Ethan Ready, Washington, DC
2. 1:32:58 Perry Bennett, Baltimore, MD
3.1:37:12 Fogell Ladson, Woodbridge, VA
4. 1:37:39 Will Chaplow, Washington, DC
5. 1:38:57 Steve Hill, Washington, DC
6. 1:41:43 Benjamin Guerini, Bethesda, MD
7. 1:42:04 Baba Damilola Alao, Alexandria, VA
8. 1:42:35 Brendan Hill, Bartlett, TN
9. 1:43:07 Abdikadir Eftin, Alexandria, VA
10. 1:43:38 Sam Neff, Princeton, NJ
Top Women
1. 1:53:57 Shayla Manitowabi, Albuquerque, NM
2. 1:55:42 Allison Lee, Washington, DC
3. 1:57:21 Ali Grainger, Potsdam, NY
4. 1:59:11 Rachel McKee, Burlington, VT
5. 2:00:21 Elise Mullenniex, Falls Church, VA
6. 2:00:26 Heather Dougherty, Washington, DC
7. 2:00:42 Melina Devoney, Los Angeles, CA
8. 2:02:11 Rachel Bruce, Washington, DC
9. 2:03:50 Alexa Zafarana, Richmond, VA
10. 2:08:07 Jordan Whetstone, Penn Laird, VA
7th Juneteenth 10K
Fort Stanton, DC 6/13/2026
Top Men
1. 46:18 Brandon Dunston, Brentwood, MD
2. 48:21 Tristan Seales, Baltimore, MD
3. 50:26 Davon Singletary, Baltimore, MD
4. 50:42 Joel Torney, Baltimore, MD
5. 53:51 Sheridan Fuller, Washington, DC
6. 56:42 Stelios Tamouridis, Alexandria, VA
7. 57:05 Stacey Kennedy, Alexandria, VA
8. 57:19 Charles Lyles, Baltimore, MD
9. 57:50 Kermit Bryant, Baltimore, MD
10. 58:01 Jacob Tower, Washington, DC
Top Women
1. 55:20 Cheniya Sharpe, Springfield, VA
2. 57:03 Erin Dandridge, Springfield, VA
3. 57:50 Kristen Schulz, Washington, DC
4. 59:28 Julia Serfass, Washington, DC
5. 1:00:53 Dajah Massey, Alexandria, VA
6. 1:01:17 Birukti Hadero, Alexandria, VA
7. 1:01:34 Tia Gray, Washington, DC
8. 1:03:47 Makiah Green, Alexandria, VA
9. 1:04:01 Kimberly Ogolla, Lutherville, MD
10. 1:04:21 Consuelo Ortiz, Hyattsville, MD
3131 David Kadis 30th 1:57:00
Categories: Race Coverage
Runner's Gazette 
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