Migration Run honors mothers, supports youth runners

Published 12:30 pm Thursday, May 14, 2026

Despite Sunday’s wet weather, nearly 80 runners turned out for the Kachemak Bay Running Club’s annual Migration Run on the Homer Spit.

The event coincided with both the final day of the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival and Mother’s Day. Members of the Homer High School track team handed out sunflowers to mothers crossing the finish line of the official 5K race.

Runners of all ages competed in the race, with a 3-year-old as the youngest registered runner and the oldest at 72 years old. A majority of the 76 competitors were from Homer, though several also came from other parts of the state including Wasilla and Kodiak, and others from Outside.

KBRC Board of Directors member Alec McLaughlin crossed the finish line first after 17 minutes and 3 seconds, beating his previous time from the 2025 Migration Run by more than a minute.

Seward’s Sean Ulman took second place for the men’s division with a time of 21 minutes and 4 seconds, followed by Charles Dimarzio, also from Seward, in third with 21 minutes and 40 seconds.

McLaughlin said he regularly competes in KBRC events and always races in the Migration Run. Last year he came in second place, behind Homer’s Pedro Ochoa, with a time of 18 minutes and 7 seconds.

“It was great,” he said at the finish line, of the overall race day experience and conditions. “Not too windy, nice and cool — made for a good run.”

Janessa Hirniak from Eagle River came in second overall and earned first place for the women’s division with a time of 20 minutes and 6 seconds. She was closely followed by Alisa Vereshchagin from Anchorage, who took second place for the women’s division with 20 minutes and 8 seconds. Homer’s Britni Siekaniec came in third with 21 minutes and 15 seconds.

Siekaniec, having completed her second Migration Run Sunday, said she didn’t achieve the time she wanted, but that the race was a fun experience overall.

“There was some fast competition out there. Lots of people were out — birders, and kids running,” she said, referring to the graduating participants of Homer’s Girls on the Run and Let Me Run youth programs who completed their own celebratory 5K race on Sunday. Siekaniec said that the kids, whose race course ran in the opposite direction of the Migration Run, would give her high-fives as they passed each other.

“Thanks to the running club for putting this on,” she said.

KBRC treasurer Matthew Smith said via email Monday that the club expected to have raised “a little more than last year for our youth fund, which was just north of $1,100.”

“The club was thrilled to have a decent turnout in spite of the weather, and even a few more registrants compared to last year,” he wrote.

Find the full race results online at my.raceresult.com/385057/.

Lifelong building blocks

Kids and mentors celebrated the completion of this year’s Girls on the Run and Let Me Run programs Sunday morning with a noncompetitive 5K race, coinciding with the Migration Run. Marcee Gray, program coordinator with South Peninsula Haven House, said via email Thursday that both programs emphasize “fun, team building (and) positive, correct physical education skills as life long building blocks.”

“Girls on the Run and Let Me Run are two wonderful opportunities for grade school children to connect with caring, mentor adults and their local community. These two programs introduce all school age children to goal setting (and) peer connectedness with a focus on building healthy, safe relationships,” she wrote.

“Mentoring with trusted adults and schoolmates provides a place to explore themselves, the community (and) each other while growing into their athletic possibilities. Team building, basic physical education skills and fun are mixed together to encourage meaningful support and connections.”

Haven House has supported Girls on the Run as one of their prevention programs for several years. The nonprofit was able to introduce Let Me Run as a similar effort, aimed toward school-age boys in the community, for the first time this spring.

“Incredible male and female volunteer coaches from all over our community have made this effort not only possible, but amazing! I have seen the powerful reverberations throughout our young children, coaches, families and our local community,” Gray wrote. “I feel honored to have been witness to and part of this unique social opportunity in our area and town.”

Learn more about Girls on the Run in Alaska online at www.gotrgreateralaska.org/, and Let Me Run at letmerun.org/find-a-team/.

2026 Migration Run Results

Men

1. Alec Mclaughlin, Homer, 17:03; 2. Sean Ulman, Seward, 21:04; 3. Charles Dimarzio, Seward, 21:40; 4. Cory Carver, Soldotna, 21:53; 5. Bryce Boothby, Wasilla, 21:57; 6. Andy Lorentz, Seldovia, 22:26; 7. Parker Lowney, Homer, 23:09; 8. John Hamilton, Homer, 24:37; 9. Casey Siekaniec, Homer, 24:41; 10. Trenten Dodson, Kenai, 24:41; 11. Woods Miller, Wasilla, 27:09; 12. Brantley Erickson, Homer, 27:40; 13. Bill Winfrey, Highland Park, 28:15; 14. Norm Jones, 30:56; 15. Gideon Plate, Soldotna, 31:13; 16. Matt Clarke, Homer, 32:04; 17. Lawrence O’Neal, Homer, 33:12; 18. Marshal Erickson, Homer; 34:31; 19. John Erickson, Homer, 34:32; 20. Brian Himelbloom, Kodiak, 41:24; 21. Hans Clugston, Prescott, 42:17; 22. Lavon Gall, Anchor Point, 43:56; 23. Lucas Parsley, Homer, 44:13; 24. Maxim Matveev, Homer, 44:28; 25. Jan Spurkland, Homer, 1:01:00; 26. Erik Spurkland, Homer, 1:01:01.

Women

1. Janessa Hirniak, Eagle River, 20:06; 2. Alisa Vereshchagin, Anchorage, 20:08; 3. Britni Siekaniec, Homer, 21:15; 4. Kristen Buckwalter, Homer, 21:25; 5. Lauren Flynn, Homer, 22:58; 6. Amber Kantonen, Mahtowa, 24:03; 7. Jackie Leigible, Homer, 25:41; 8. Cynthia McMillin, Sterling, 26:46; 9. Simone Owens, Soldotna, 27:23; 10. Melinda Erickson, Homer, 29:43; 11. Taya Coles, Homer, 29:48; 12. Norah Cameron, Ninilchik, 30:06; 13. Cheryl Chiodi, Bridgewater, 30:07; 14. Mackenzie Bindas, Homer, 30:12; 15. Jamie Fleck, Liberty, 30:48; 16. Jacqueline McDonough, Homer, 30:50.