Nearly 4,000 runners completed the St. George Marathon on Saturday, each finishing the 26.2-mile course in front of cheering crowds at Vernon Worthen Park.

Both the top overall male and overall female finishers also won the race last year.

Repeating as the overall male champion was Jonathan Kotter of Holladay, while women’s winner Sylvia Bedford established a new course record.

34 year old Kotter whose winning time of 2:18.07 this year which was slower than last years time of 2:16:18, he said he ran a more strategic race this year, keeping pace with St. George’s Aaron Metler for the first 20 miles or so before pulling a bit ahead toward the end.

The 35-year-old Metler clocked in at second place with a time of 2:19:46.

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