Cleveland Marathon 5K: Amanda Hinton Takes the W25-29 Title

• Amanda Hinton won the W25-29 age group in 36:28, averaging 11:44 per mile.
• Elena Nail rounded out the two-woman field in 1:08:24, averaging 22:01 per mile.
• The gap between first and second was 31 minutes and 56 seconds.

The W25-29 age group at the Cleveland Marathon 5K came down to a two-woman showdown on a humid Sunday morning — 67°F, 83% humidity, and a 15 mph wind making conditions feel heavier than the calendar date might suggest.

Amanda Hinton, 25, made no mistake. She crossed in 36:28 at an 11:44-per-mile clip, a steady and controlled effort that was good enough to claim the top spot outright. With only two athletes in the group, there was no margin for error and no pack to hide in — Hinton ran her own race from start to finish.

Elena Nail, 29, completed the 5K in 1:08:24, a 22:01-per-mile average that suggests a challenging day on the course, whether from the conditions, a personal circumstance, or simply the grind of getting to the finish line — which she did. In a two-finisher field, crossing the line is the whole story, and Nail did exactly that.

The 31-minute, 56-second gap between them tells you this wasn't a close contest at the front, but both women showed up and finished a 5K in wind and humidity that would have kept plenty of people on the couch. That counts for something in Cleveland in May.