BELLINGHAM, Washington -- Patrick Smyth reclaimed his title and Kimber Mattox earned the women’s crowns at the 2015 USATF Half Marathon Trail Championships on the Lake Padden Trail in Bellingham, Washington, on Sunday, Oct. 18.
 
Defending champion Smyth (Salt Lake City, Utah), also the 2015 USATF Mountain Running Champion completed the course in 1:18:29 for the first-place finish. Andy Wacker (Boulder, Colorado) as second in 1:22:12 and Max King (Bend, Oregon) was third in 1:22:35.
 
Mattox (Eugene, Oregon), the 2014 World Xterra Trail Champion and sixth-place finisher at 2014 World Mountain Running Championships, was the women’s victor, finishing in 1:32:20 and 11th place overall. Allison Morgan (Bend, Oregon), who finished top-10 at 2015 USATF Mountain Running Championships, was the second-place female finisher in 1:34:02 before Ladia Albertson-Junkans (Seattle) came across the line at 1:36:24.
 
Ninth-place finisher Chris Grauch (Boulder, Colorado) was the first masters athlete across the line as the 43-year-old made his finish in 1:31:47. The second masters finisher, also from the M40-44 age group was 40-year-old, Dominic Battistella (Bellingham, Washington), who finished in 1:38:54. Scott Dunlap (Woodside, California) with best M45-49 time was the third masters overall finisher in 1:42:17.
 
The W40-44 age group accounted for the top three masters women’s performances as Lizi Bolanos-Nauth (Boulder, Colorado) was top finisher in 1:49:04. Hometown competitor Kathleen Harri (Bellingham, Washington) was next in 1:53:24, and Faye Britt (Everett, Washington) rounded out the top-three for the age group in 2:18:55.