The Win He Didn’t Know He Had

SONH athlete Ben Langlois set out for Hartford chasing a sub-four-hour marathon. He came home with a first-place finish, another 26.2 miles behind him and even more motivation for what comes next.

October 13, 2026

Ben had a goal when he arrived at the Hartford Marathon: break four hours.

After months of training and a year already filled with big running accomplishments, he was ready to see what he could do over another 26.2 miles. By mile 18, though, tired legs and a warming day were starting to take their toll.

Ben kept going.

He crossed the finish line in 4:07:13, completing the sixth marathon of his running career. It was not the sub-four-hour finish he had hoped for, but there was still plenty to celebrate.

In fact, there was even more to celebrate than Ben realized.

Ben had finished first in the race’s intellectually impaired division.

The only problem? He had no idea.

“I actually didn’t even know I won the award and forgot to actually claim it,” Ben said. “I’m so used to just getting a finisher medal, but have never placed in a category.”

It was fellow runner and friend Thomas Cantara who eventually broke the news.

“Thomas actually told me I won the category last night and I didn’t know what he was talking about,” Ben said. “Then he showed me the picture. That was so awesome of him to do that!”

A Year of Going the Distance

The Hartford Marathon added another accomplishment to what has already been a memorable year of running for Ben.

He shaved 25 minutes off his time at the Boston Marathon, completed his first 50K, earned a personal record at the Clarence DeMar Marathon in Keene and, now, earned his first category win at a marathon.

The Hartford race came less than three weeks after Clarence DeMar, making his 4:07:13 finish something Ben could still feel proud of even without reaching the goal he had set for himself.

“I think even though I didn’t reach my goal it’s still fun to travel and have the ability to say yes to anything with running,” Ben said.

Hartford also gave Ben a course he enjoyed tackling. He described it as flat and well suited for runners chasing a personal record, although the rising temperatures made the second half of the race more challenging.

And Ben was not the only Special Olympics New Hampshire athlete with a reason to celebrate.

Jason Menard finished second in the intellectually impaired division with a time of 4:16:24. In just his second marathon, Jason set a new personal record, beating his Boston Marathon time by about two minutes. Hartford was also the first marathon he completed while running completely independently.

Together, Ben and Jason represented Special Olympics New Hampshire on a course and at an event that left an impression on both runners and their families.

The Next Goal Is Already Waiting

For now, Ben is giving his legs a well-earned break.

But if this year has shown anything, it is that he is not done challenging himself.

“Even just this year alone I made so much improvement,” Ben said. “Always great to keep improving, getting better, and working hard for your goals.”

And that sub-four-hour marathon?

It is still waiting.

“I’m hoping next year to be below 4 hours,” Ben said.

After a year that included faster times, new distances and a first-place finish he did not even know he had earned, there is plenty of reason for Ben to keep chasing it.