Photo by Eric Ayres Dan Nehnevaj won the 2026 Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Walk on Saturday with a blistering time of 1:52:30. A resident of Charleston, W.Va., and a newcomer to the Ogden Wellness Weekend, Nehnevaj said his ultimate goal is to try to make the cut and compete in race walk events in the 2028 Olympics.

WHEELING – Dan Nehnevaj, a newcomer to the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine, was in it to win it Saturday when he participated in his first Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic Walk, and he did so with authority.

Walking at a record pace during Saturday’s event, Nehnevaj registered a time of 1:52:30 when he crossed the finish line, solidly earning the top spot on the podium.

“I’m happy with it,” he said. “I was shooting for anything sub-two hours, and I just got it.”

A resident of Charleston, West Virginia, Nehnevaj grew up in Vancouver, Washington. He participated in the events of the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine for the very first time this weekend.

“I found out there was a walking division this year, and that’s what brought me up,” he said. “That hill was no joke. I’ve been trying to prepare by walking hills in Charleston, but there’s nothing that long.”

Challengers walking in the head of the pack during Saturday’s race helped push him to keep a fast pace, Nehnevaj said.

“I think the previous champion, he actually caught me on the last downhill, and that got me worried,” he said. “I was like ‘I need to put some ground on him in the flat part in case he catches me on the last downhill.'”

Nehnevaj said participates in other events on a regular basis and keeps in practice as much as possible between races.

“I do a lot of walking, a little bit of biking, too, and a very small amount of running right now,” he said. “I used to do more, but I’m mostly focusing on walking. I’m trying to get into the 2028 Olympics which is the end goal.”

Competitive walking in recent years has lit a fire under him to reach for big goals and to keep pushing himself toward victory in the longer race walks.

“I got fifth at the 2024 Olympic trials actually,” he said of the walking event.

This weekend, he noted that he had every intention of going for the top prize.

“I was hoping for it,” he said, noting that the cool temperatures really helped him tackle the tough course. “I’m really glad it didn’t rain.”

After taking the prize in Wheeling, Nehnevaj said he plans to continue training and taking part in regional races.

“I just found out that there’s a walk division in the Parkersburg Half Marathon, so I’m thinking about that,” he said.