Henderson man wins 1st place in Disneyland Half Marathon

A Henderson man conquered a half marathon over the weekend at the “Happiest Place on Earth.”

According to a news release, in his first time competing in a Disneyland Half Marathon, Peter Banks, 38, of Henderson, came in first place with a time of 1:15:02.

The company said Banks’ winning finish was four seconds faster than the second place finisher, Brandon Wolfe, 32, of Pasadena, California, who was also the race’s defending champion.

Race officials said Banks “trailed Wolfe for much of the race but made a charge at the end.”

For the women’s race, organizers said Jennifer Masamitsu of Denver, Colorado crossed the finish line with a winning time of 1:23:38. Masamitsu’s win came seven years after she claimed the title during the 2017 Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon, the release said.

As part of the race, Disney said runners from across the nation and around the globe ran past the theme park’s iconic attractions such as Cars Land, Pixar Pal-A-Round, Sleeping Beauty Castle and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The 13.1-mile course also had participants racing past several Anaheim landmarks.

According to organizers, the weekend event marked the first time in seven years that the event was held after taking a “hiatus.”