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Mentzer and Gurmu Win 2009 Marine Corps Marathon
By Brenda Barrera
Washington, DC 2009
October 25, 2009
For the Washington Running Report
Photo above by Brenda Barrera: Mark Clingan (38) from Stafford, VA carried the American flag for 26.2 miles bolstered by the cheers from the thousands of spectators along the historic route. He ran an impressive time, 3:06:26.
Under sunny skies and ideal weather conditions, a field of 20,936 runners finished Sunday's 34th Annual Marine Corps Marathon with a course that begins near Arlington National Cemetery, winds through the streets of Arlington, VA and Washington, DC past many famous monuments, to the dramatic finish at the Marine Corps War Memorial.
With no defending champions in this year's mix, the event had new faces on top of the podium. Representing the Navy, (photo) John Mentzer (33) from Kittery, ME broke the tape in 2:21:47. Ethiopian Muluye Gurma (25), who lives in Silver Spring, MD, was the first woman in 2:49:48.
The men's field had a few front runners early on, but by mile 7 Mentzer passed Sean Birren from St. Louis, MO (who did not finish). By the halfway mark, the race was pretty much in his hands as he ran unchallenged to the finish.
"The last 10 miles were tough . . . this was the toughest last 10K I've ever had in a marathon," said the Lieutenant Commander stationed at the Portsmouth, NH Naval Shipyard. He improved his 2005 time here where he finished fourth overall in 2:24:26, but was off his time of 2:18:23 that he set at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in New York.
"The crowds were awesome," Mentzer noted about the support along the course, but he might have drawn a little more inspiration from a two-month old spectator, his new daughter.
Second place finisher Jacob Johnson (32) of Sherwood, AR followed his pre-race strategy. "It was to be controlled to mile 18 and my theme was patience," said the top Air Force competitor. He capped off his morning with a time of 2:25:02.
Rounding up the top three was Mexico's Salvador Miranda (38) who came in just 22 seconds after Johnson in 2:25:24. The top masters runner was Mark Croasdale (44) from Great Britain who finished in 2:39:07.
The women's race proved tactical as Gurma sat on the shoulder of Arlington's Melinda Keesee (who did not finish) for most of the race and then Air Force Captain Jaymee Marty from Sacramento, CA (photo by Drew at mile 21) before outkicking her down the final stretch for the victory.
"Easy" and "coasting" were two descriptors used by Gurma through an interpreter after the race. She also said it was a slow pace for her but near the end she felt confident that she would win.
Marty (42) who finished in 2:50:15 was also the top masters division finisher, which is pretty remarkable considering she just ran a 2:46:26 marathon on October 4 at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in Saint Paul, MN. Another surprise came from third place finisher Kyla Barbour (31) from Atlanta, GA who simply wanted to break three hours and exceeded her expectations with a 2:50:47 finish.
Among the locals who completed the race, it was a special birthday treat for Matt Haslinger from Arlington who turned 30. Not only did he set a PR with his 3:09:05 finish, he also qualified for the Boston Marathon.
In the Challenge Cup competition, the Royal Navy/Marines beat the United States Marine Corps with a combined time of 8:01:17 to 8:03:47 respectively. In the Armed Forces Marathon competition, the United States Air Force team captured the crown with a combined time of 15:40:49.
There were 20,936 finishers for this year's marathon with 12,656 men and 8,280 women. In the 10K presented by Aetna, Wyatt Boyd (25) of Washington, DC was the overall winner in 32:54 and Kim Magee (26) of Bloomington, MN was the first woman in 39:20. There were 5,370 10K finishers with 2,048 men and 3,322 women.
For more information visit www.marinecorpsmarathon.com.
Top Marathon Finishers
Men
1. John Mentzer, 33, Kittery, ME - 2:21:47
2. Jacob Johnson, 32, Sherwood, AR - 2:25:02
3. Salvador Miranda, 38, MEX - 2:25:24
4. Benjamin Payne 28, Columbus, MS - 2:26:30
5. Corey Duguette, 27, Seattle, WA - 2:27:34
Women
1. Muluye Gurma, 25, ETH - 2:49:48
2. Jaymee Marty, 42, Sacramento, CA - 2:50:15
3. Kyla Barbour, 31, Atlanta, GA - 2:50:47
4. Emily Potter, 30, Charlottesville, VA - 2:51:53
5. Martha Nelson, 28, Washington, DC - 2:57:20
