When records are set on an indoor track, it usually happens at shorter distances. But this weekend, several records fell at the Armory NYC Indoor Marathon presented by the New York Road Runners.
On the women’s side of the 211-lap race around the Fort Washington Avenue Armory's 200-meter track, Laura Manninen, 43, of Espoo, Finland, won the event in 2:42:30, setting a new world record by more than two minutes. New York City’s Kate Pallardy also eclipsed the previous record set by Allie Kieffer last year (2:44:44) by running a 2:44:11, setting a new American record for the indoor marathon.
In the men’s race, Christopher Zablocki, 28, from Essex, Connecticut, eked out a world-record time of 2:21:48, crossing the finish line just a few seconds ahead of last year’s record time of 2:21:56 set by Malcolm Richards.
Zablocki beat out Tony Migliozzi, who finished second last year, and other big names in running like Michael Wardian. (Wardian’s most recent accomplishment is crushing the Olympian Elle St. Pierre Is Expecting Second Child.)
“This feels good,” Zablocki said in a postrace interview for ArmoryTrack.com. “It’s been years of training hard, and to get a world record is payback. The last two or three (miles) I was at a pretty bad place, but I wanted the record.”
Manninen and Zablocki each received $1,000 for the win and an extra $5,000 bonus for their world records.
While speedy for 26.2 miles, both records are still far from their outdoor counterparts (2:02:57 for men and 2:15:25 for women).
Brian has spent more than a decade focused on creating compelling news, health, and fitness content—with a particular interest on enthusiast activities like running and cycling. He’s coordinated coverage of major events like the Paris Olympics, Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, and Tour de France, with an eye toward both the professional race and the engaging stories readers love.
