Butler Road Race 2025 women’s results, photos: Texas resident Jess wins 5-mile in record time; Saxonburg youth Portman takes 2K
The 50th Annual Butler Road Race on Saturday led to a homecoming for Blaise Supler, one that produced a first-time winner and historic finish, at the event.
A Butler native, Supler competed in the very first road race in Butler in 1976.
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Family roots on Blaise Supler, who ran in the first ever Butler Road Race, as she crosses the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Blaise Supler, who ran in the 1st ever Butler Road Race 50 years ago, crosses the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Blaise Supler, who ran in the 1st ever Butler Road Race 50 years ago, crosses the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Addison Portman is the first female to cross the finish line in the 2K race during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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5-mile runners take off at the start line of the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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2K runner Scarlett Rushlander approaches the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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2K runners Carly Thompson, Eden Thompson and Joshua Thompson cross the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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5-mile runners take off at the start line of the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Runners of the 5-mile and 2K approach the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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5-mile runners take off at the start line of the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Eva Jess is the first female 5-mile runner to cross the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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A 2K runner drinks water while watching runners cross the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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2K runner Eden Thompson is congratulated after crossing the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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2K participants watch as other runners cross the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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2K runner Hudson Kidder crosses the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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5-mile runners take off at the start line of the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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5-mile runners Matthew Schaefer and Olivia Murphy high five after crossing the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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5-mile runner Rebecca Pennington crosses the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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5-mile runners take off at the start line of the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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5-mile runners take off at the start line of the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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5-mile runners take off at the start line of the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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2K runner Zenaido Rivera approaches the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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2K runner Cynthia Reddick approaches the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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5-mile runners take off at the start line of the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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2K Runners take off at the start line of the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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5-mile runner Amy Leslie crosses the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Eva Jess is the first female 5-mile runner to cross the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Bryson Myrlie is the first 2K runner to cross the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Eva Jess is the first female 5-mile runner to cross the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Eva Jess is the first female 5-mile runner to cross the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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CJ Singleton is the first runner to cross the finish line for the 5K during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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2K runner Eden Thompson claps for runners as they cross the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Mom and daughter Eva Jess, left, and Blaise Supler pose for a picture together after crossing the finish line during the 50th Butler Road Race in downtown Butler on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
“I was 15 at the time and finished second or third in my age group,” said Supler, who ran cross country and track at Butler High School. “I competed here for the first 20 years of the event.”
Supler, who now lives in El Paso, Texas, decided a year ago that she would return to compete in the race again this year. Several family members, including her daughter, Eva Jess, joined her.
Jess won the women’s 5-mile race in a record time of 27 minutes, 31.55 seconds. She recently wrapped up a track career at the University of Texas, where she broke Longhorn records in the women’s outdoor 10,000-meter run and indoor 5,000 meters.
Jess had visited Butler several times as a kid, but never tested herself in the road race, which takes runners from Diamond Park to Alameda Park and back to downtown for the finish line.
“I came here to celebrate the 50th year of the race with my mom, but was definitely looking to win,” said Jess. “The course is beautiful. We have nothing like this where I’m from, it’s just sand and dirt.
“I’m not used to this humidity, though. It gets very hot in El Paso, but it’s also very dry.”
Saturday’s event was just the latest stop in what promises to be an accomplished career for Jess.
“I’m moving to Michigan in a few weeks and will be joining a professional running club there,” she said. “My goal is to qualify for the Olympics one day.”
Running has had a lasting impact on Jess’ family. Her mother and father, Carl Jess, met each other while competing in an ultra marathon in Texas. Carl and Eva’s brother, Trevor, also ran in Saturday’s event.
“This started as a way to celebrate the bicentennial in 1976,” Supler said. “It was a big party atmosphere. I’m glad to see they’ve kept it going. It’s something people look forward to.”
Addison Portman earned a nice feather in her cap in her burgeoning running career.
The 10-year-old from Saxonburg won the women’s 2K portion of the Butler Road Race with a time of 9:05.71.
“I took the lead after the turn (onto Main St., with several hundred meters left),” Portman said. “I ran in the 5-mile race last year and was first in my age group. I was looking to run that again, but I was OK with the 2K.”
She recently broke her elementary school’s record in the 100 dash and hopes to start running cross country when she reaches seventh grade. She will soon compete in a 4-mile race in Texas while visiting family.
Her parents, David and Robin Portman, like to keep Addison and her brother, Austin, moving.
“They’ve both played multiple sports — hockey, baseball, soccer and basketball,” said Robin, who ran with her daughter in the road race. “We like them to stay active and it keeps them in shape.”
Following are women’s results from the 2025 Butler Road Race.
Top 10
5-mile
1-Eva Jess 27:31.55; 2-Ava Brewster 31:50.33; 3-Becca Pennington 33:38.87; 4-Zari Golojuh 33:58.50; 5-Ava Kidder 36:46.31; 6-Olivia Murphy 37:03.92; 7-Lillianna Briscoe 37:32.66; 8-Annie Woller 38:47.28; 9-Evonne Patterson 40:32.98; 10-Kiersten Zajac 40:56.79
2K
1-Addison Portman 9:05.71; 2- Zetta Snyder 9:20.40; 3-Sadie Rushlander 9:25.67; 4-Sara Young 9:27.69; 5-Robin Portman 9:47.15; 6-Kerrigan Best 9:51.72; 7-Tristen Best 9:51.93; 8-Jen Beachem 9:59.42; 9-Mandy James 9:59.58; 10-Anna Balouris 10:01.33
