Thousands gather for El Paso Marathon, race against time & wind

Just before winds slammed El Paso with 60mph winds, more than 2,000 runners hit the road for this year’s El Paso Marathon Sunday morning.

The number of runners grew by more than 20 percent this year, organizers said.

Around 450 people ran the full marathon.

The winner of the men’s race, 32-year-old El Pasoan Bashar Ibrahim, crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 44 minutes and 34.2 seconds.

The winner of the women’s race was Larisa Pitchkolan, 43, whose time of 3 hours, 14 minutes and 0.16 seconds earned her the top award for the fourth year in a row.

Sunday’s race also drew thousands for the Half Marathon and a 5k contest.

The El Paso Marathon, with a net elevation drop of 1,584 feet, is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.