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Aunesty Reikofski / Special to the Sentinel

Runners compete in the inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon - The Dark Side at Walt Disney World on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Aunesty Reikofski, Special to the Sentinel)

Aunesty Reikofski / Special to the Sentinel

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Runners compete in the inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon - The Dark Side at Walt Disney World on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Aunesty Reikofski, Special to the Sentinel)

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By Stephen Ruiz

UPDATED: June 11, 2018 at 5:57 AM EST

Katie McGrath was victorious but confused.

The runner from Oakdale, N.Y., thought for the longest time Sunday morning she would cross the finish line of the inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon: The Dark Side at Disney World in second place.

“I saw someone, when we started, with a long ponytail in first — in front of all of the guys,” McGrath said. “I never saw her. I heard people say I was first, but then I thought, ‘Maybe she is so far ahead, they didn’t see her.”’

The long ponytail that McGrath saw belonged to Jason Ryf, the top finisher among 19,500 registered runners in the 13.1-mile race. Ryf finished in 1 hour, 13 minutes, 39 seconds. McGrath won the women’s division in 1:24:05.

“You never know who is going to be here and what sort of competition you’re going to have,” said Ryf, a high-school art teacher from Oshkosh, Wis. “Plus I’m 45, so I am at the end of my fast time. My hyper speed doesn’t really work anymore, so I just have to go with what I can do on that day.”

Ryf, a two-time Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, topped runner-up Marc Burget (1:14:38) of Jacksonville by nearly a minute. Chris Trebilcock of Tampa finished third in 1:15:27.

Ryf placed second in the inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon at Disneyland last year.

“It is surreal I won, but I don’t know that I should have because I didn’t think I ran that fast,” Ryf said. “On this day, I was, so I will take it. Someone else will come and beat my time, but I get to be the first one.”

McGrath, 31, topped Elizabeth Meadows-Harland (1:26:36) of Nashville, Tenn., by 2 1/2 minutes. Bridget Dawes (1:28:56) of Antelope, Calif., was third.

“My pace was faster than I thought, but I felt good,” McGrath said. “It got a little tough in the middle, and I tried to conserve energy, just maintain [my] pace and it felt good. Everyone out there was so supportive. I felt like I was smiling the whole time.”

Charisse Winter (1:32:31, 10th) of Apopka, Kelly Howell (1:35:59, 14th) and Stefanie Shimansky (1:38:13, 18th) of Winter Springs placed among the top 20 women’s finishers.

The race weekend drew more than 43,000 entrants. The Star Wars race was the first half-marathon to debut at Disney World since the 2009 Princess Half Marathon.

sruiz@orlandosentinel.com

Originally Published: April 17, 2016 at 11:19 PM EST