Alene Reta of Ethiopia etched his named into News and Sentinel Half Marathon history Saturday morning when he became only the second runner to win his third half marathon championship and the first to win the race three consecutive years. Photo by Jeff Baughan

PARKERSBURG —Perfect weather. More than 1,700 finishers. A trio of three-time champions. Those were the highlights of Saturday’s News and Sentinel Half Marathon and 2-Mile race. With overcast skies and the temperature hovering around 70 degrees, Alene Reta of Ethiopia etched his named into half marathon history Saturday morning when he became only the second runner to win his third half marathon championship and the first to win the race three consecutive years. The 27-year-old Reta claimed the $3,000 first prize with a winning time of one hour, 4 minutes and 15 seconds, winning the race by a margin of a minute and 14 seconds over runnerup Kennett Kiptoo of Kenya. Reta joins Godfrey Kiprotich of Kenya as the only three-time winners of the race. Kiprotich won in 1992, 1994 and 1995. With Ethiopians and Kenyans claiming the first six places, the United States national championship awarded by the Road Runner Club of America went to seventh place finisher Steven Crane of Arlington, Va., who finished in one hour, 8 minutes and 41 seconds to win his second straight American title. A Kenyan, 27-year-old Hellen Jemutai, won the women’s championship, in a time of one hour, 15 minutes and 57 seconds, beating 24-year-old Divina Jepkogei, also of Kenya, to the tape by one second. Phebe Ko from Baltimore, Md. finished fifth overall and claimed the U.S. national championship.