Masters Men Half Marathon: Watkins dominates a deep local field

• John Watkins, 46, wins in 1:17:03 (5:53/mi) — posting the fastest men's split on the 2.5M→4.8M segment and holding 2nd among all men from mile 2.5 to the finish line.
• Joshua Askvig, 42, runner-up in 1:18:36 — closing with the 2nd-fastest men's split on the 10.7M→Finish stretch to lock up 2nd place in Masters Men and 3rd among all men.
• Jimmy Skjod, 57, earns 3rd in 1:27:47 — the standout age story of the day, climbing from 13th to 8th among all men across the race while posting the 6th-fastest men's split on the 6.7M→8.7M segment.
• Brandon Schirado, 4th in 1:30:23, arrived having already claimed 3rd in the Men's 5K earlier at this same event — a genuine double-race effort worth noting.

In crisp 39°F air under clear Bismarck skies, the Masters Men turned in a race that was decided at the front early and emphatically. John Watkins wasted no time asserting himself, moving from 3rd to 2nd among all men by the 2.5-mile mark and never relinquishing that position. His fastest men's split on the 2.5M→4.8M stretch set the tone, and he held his 5:53/mi average wire to wire to win in 1:17:03 — a commanding margin of 1:33 over his nearest Masters competitor.

Joshua Askvig, also of Bismarck, gave chase the entire way at 5:60/mi and made his boldest move late, recording the 2nd-fastest men's split on the final 10.7M→Finish segment. That closing kick secured his 1:18:36 and 2nd place in Masters Men, but Watkins was simply too far ahead to be caught.

The subplot of the race belonged to Jimmy Skjod, 57, of Mandan. While the top two were racing each other, Skjod was quietly picking off competitors — moving from 13th to 8th among all men and clocking the 6th-fastest men's split on the 6.7M→8.7M segment. His 1:27:47 at 6:42/mi earned him 3rd in Masters Men and stands as the most impressive age-relative performance in the field.

Behind the podium, Brandon Schirado's 4th-place 1:30:23 deserves its own mention: he had already raced to 3rd in the Men's 5K at this same event, making his half marathon finish a legitimate two-race day. Bruce Canham rounded out the top five in 1:30:55, just 32 seconds back, in a Masters Men field of 107 that showed plenty of depth all the way through.