SHAWNEE – Hannah (Helker) McGovern, an Oklahoma Baptist Hall of Fame Inductee from 2020 and class of 2015 graduate, recently was the first-place female finisher at the Jersey City Marathon.
She posted a winning time of 2:33.40 and cleared a cool five grand in prize money.
From the Jersey City Marathon release:
"Branchburg, New Jersey resident Hannah McGovern was the first female finisher in the 2026 Jersey City Marathon, with a winning time of 2:33.40. She received a first prize of $5,000. McGovern is a native of Edmond, Oklahoma. She ran the 800 and 1500m events primarily at Oklahoma Baptist University. "This was my first marathon," McGovern said. "The energy the entire race was really inspiring, from spectators on the street to runners in the race. I questioned if I could finish from mile 10 on. I was fortunate to be first."
During her time at OBU, she was a 19-time NAIA national champion. That included a pair of national titles in the 1000- and 800-meter races. McGovern was also a Drake Relays individual champion and still has her name in five OBU outdoor records and two indoor records.
