This past weekend the Mayo Midnight Marathon welcomed more than 200 runners to the small town to celebrate the summer solstice.

Runners set out from the Mayo Community Hall for a five-kilometre, 10-km, half marathon or full marathon along the historic Silver Trail on Saturday evening.

This year the marathon was organized a little differently. In previous years, there was a mass start at 12 a.m., but this year the event offered a staggered start.

With the old start time, marathon runners would be arriving back from their run at 5 a.m. and later, long after events in the community hall had shut down. with the new start, everyone showed up around midnight to celebrate the run.

"This is also good for the organizers,” said second place marathon winner Keith Thaxter, adding that previously race volunteers would be up until the wee hours of the morning waiting for runners to return.

"As a runner you see it looking out, and it looks pretty good,” he said about the new format.

On Sunday morning, the race volunteers cooked a great breakfast – which is one of the marathon's most famous attractions.

"It's a really nice thing that they do in the morning,” Thaxter said.

The runners were treated to a warm evening for the event, and Thaxter said for his tastes it was perfect.

Thaxter placed second in the full marathon, just over a minute and a half behind first place winner Simon LaPointe. Both men are from Whitehorse.

"I wanted to win,” Thaxter said. But the marathon runner isn't disappointed. "You always want to win if you can.”

Leading for the first 16 kilometres, Thaxter said LaPointe was able to overtake him.

"He was able to get a lead,” he said.

This is Thaxter's sixth Mayo Midnight Marathon. He has placed second five times so far, and won the event once.

"It all depends on who shows up,” he said of the field. Each year he says he improves his time.

"I'm always the bridesmaid,” Thaxter joked.

Mayo Midnight Marathon top five results

Five-kilometre

Name Time

1. Gwendolyn Muir 21.02

2. Mary McBride 24.41

3. Dylan Cozens 26.30

4. Matthew McBride 29.30

10-km female bantam

1. Asia Winter-Sinnott 1:04.34

2. Taiya Melancon 1:13.14

3. Chanel Newell 1:16.32

10-km female junior

1. Nahanni Dynes 51.11

2. Sara Burke-Forsyth 51.23

3. Hazel Phillips 1:14.46

10-km female open

1. Eva Slana 52.04

2. Cassandra Murphy 55.17

3. Kirsten Smith 56.53

4. Staci Kindervater 57.08

5. Shari McIntosh 57.09

10-km female masters

1. Wendy Cairns 53.26

2. Sharon Johnson 1:20.37

3. Karen MacGregor 1:20.37

4. Maggie Leary 1:24.04

10-km female senior

1. Karen Dubois 1:08.57

2. Audrey Norgang 1:20.25

3. Njingje Norgang 1:20.26

10-km male bantam

1. Jared Leary 57.03

2. Will Connellen 1:01.17

10-km male junior

1. Walker Ewing 45.57

2. Tyrell Hope 47.44

3. Trace Couture 51.02

4. Coleman Newell 51.57

10-km male open

1. Yanik Freeman 38.41

2. Matthias Bindig 38.52

3. Ryan Hennessey 43.57

4. Marshall Ewing 50.57

5. Ralph Mease 51.10

10-km male masters

1. Mark Wierda 47.45

10-km male seniors

1. Tom Woodward 1:04.21

2. Ted Staffen 1:11.25

3. Richard Vanleeuwen 1:16.32

10-km walk female open

1. Loralee Johnstone 1:16.31

2. Jennifer Ewing 1:28.43

3. Virginia Howard 1:29.01

4. Eleanor Ford 1:34.02

5. Tina Girard 1:34.51

10-km walk female masters

1. Rhonda Merkel 1:21.58

2. Joan Ewing 1:22.55

3. Barbara Barchen 1:25.59

4. Leanne Adair 1:28.47

5. Hester Wheelton 1:29.01

10-km walk female seniors

1. Susan Dennehy 1:17.44

2. Jan Klippert 1:25.06

3. Marilynn Van Bibber 1:26.24

4. Rosamund Vanleeuwen 1:31.01

5. Juanita Tupper 1:31.01

10-km walk male bantam

1. Ian Hansen 1:34.02

10-km walk male open

1. Jon Emke 1:34.02

10-km walk male masters

1. Alex Robinson 1:30.00

10-km walk male seniors

1. Marc Johnston 1:24.17

2. Frank Duerden 1:24.20

3. Jim Tupper 1:31.25

4. Homer Emke 1:52.44

Half marathon female open

1. Cynthia Freeman 1:41.58

2. Wendy Taylor 1:55.29

3. Lynn Pollard 2:06.26

4. Jessice Watt 2:06.26

5. Kristina Stark 2:07.14

Half marathon female masters

1. Susan Bogle 1:38.11

2. Robin Fairburn 1:56.56

3. Cheryl Klippert 2:05.28

4. Cheryl Rivest 2:05.28

5. Jeanne Burke 2:09.42

Half marathon female senior

1. Susan Staffen 2:17.59

Half marathon male open

1. Karl Blattman 1:26.27

2. Keith Bogard 1:56.38

Half marathon male masters

1. Andy Blattman 1:33.12

2. Rob Legare 1:48.07

3. Wayne Smyth 1:51.13

4. Brian Forsyth 2:09.44

Half marathon male seniors

1. Don White 1:34.02

2. Richard Zral 1:54.16

3. Francis Whiteman 1:57.54

4. Eldo Enns 2:10.17

Half marathon walk female masters

1. Bonnie Love 2:40.55

2. Tanya Astika 2:41.06

3. Mary Hartshurne 3:00.01

Half marathon walk female seniors

1. Patricia Daws 2:14.20

2. Rhona Stalker 3:20.15

3. Mary Joyce 3:36.07

Marathon female open

1. Angela Delia 3:50.01

2. Natalie Thivierge 4:03.16

3. Aiska Montgomery 4:07.52

4. Twila Sloane 4:13.41

5. Elaine Corden 4:42.03

Marathon male open

1. Simon LaPointe 3:02.49

2. Mark Schiefelbein 3:36.40

3. Jan Polivka 3:48.40

4. Petr Polivka 3:48.49

5. Dominique Marsolian 4:25.42

Marathon male masters

1. Keith Thaxter 3:04.18

2. Ken Stubbings 3:16.50

3. Remo Budzahn 4:18.10

4. Glenn Mills 4:18.10

5. Daniel Atkin 4:33.48

Marathon male seniors

1. Vincent Perdue 4:06.28

2. Rich Roth 4:50.41

3. Richard Vogt 5:44.19

4. Ken Best 5:44.53

For complete Mayo Midnight Marathon results, visit www.athleticsyukon.ca