"That was so hard" – Ilona Maher's DWTS partner Alan Bersten makes his feelings known after running his first half marathon in Brooklyn

Ilona Maher’s Dancing with the Stars partner, Alan Bersten, ran his first half marathon this past weekend at the 43rd Annual RBC Brooklyn Half Race Day. The event marked nearly 28,500 runners crossing the finish line.

USA Rugby star Ilona Maher was paired with Alan Bersten on the 33rd season of DWTS, where the duo finished as runners-up. They also appeared on the show’s live tour, which concluded last month.

The race started at the Brooklyn Museum and finished along the Coney Island boardwalk. Bersten made his half-marathon debut and helped raise funds for the NYRR Team for Kids (TFK). Following the race, on May 17, Bersten posted a photo on Instagram with the iconic medal-biting pose alongside Danny Dlawn. He captioned the post.

"We did it!!!! My first half marathon! That was so hard! My official time was 1:38:43! Shout out to all these incredible runners. So proud of you, @dannydlawn, and I’m so happy @theemmaslater was here to support me!! ❤️"

The top finishers were Mulgeta Birhanu Feyissa in 1:04:57 (men), Felicia Pasadyn in 1:15:37 (women), and Galo Vasquez of Westchester Track Club in 1:13:18 (nonbinary).

Prize money was awarded as follows: $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second, and $500 for third, with smaller prize awards of $200 and $100 for fourth and fifth place finishers, respectively.

After Ilona Maher’s run on DWTS, the American athlete is now representing the USA Women’s National Rugby Team, the Women’s Eagles, in the Pacific Four series. The team recently faced off against Australia on Saturday, May 17, at GIO Stadium, Canberra, Australia.

In the match, Australia beat the USA, 27-19. This was the team’s second loss in the tournament; in the opening, the USA lost to Canada, 14-26.

Ilona Maher represented Team USA in Rugby Sevens at the Paris Games and helped the team win its first-ever bronze medal. The American athlete started playing rugby at the age of 17 and has earned three National Intercollegiate Rugby Association titles and the MA Sorensen Award.

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"I find joy on the rugby pitch, whereas Alan finds it dancing and being graceful in the ballroom"- Ilona Maher reflects on her DWTS journey

Ilona Maher at Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby Semi Final - Source: Getty

Ilona Maher is one of the most followed rugby players on social media. She has amassed a combined following of over eight million across Instagram and TikTok.

Maher finished in second place on season 33 of DWTS. In an interview with People magazine, Maher opened up about what she learned during her time at the competition.

"Well, I've learned that dance is very hard and that it maybe is not what brings me so much joy, but I love watching it," Maher says. "I love going on tour and watching them all dance, how amazing they are — but I think it's just so interesting how we all find joy in different things.", Maher said.

I find joy on the rugby pitch, whereas Alan finds it dancing and being graceful in the ballroom. I think it taught me that it's okay to maybe not be the best at everything, but it's also good to try out things to see what you like to test your body," she added.

The 28-year-old athlete and her team will now focus on the final match in the series, to face New Zealand on May 24.