Photographer Doug Stroud asked runners to do just about the last thing they wanted to do after finishing a race — pose for a photo and talk about themselves. And they obliged, right near the Marine Corps Marathon and 10k finish line. A few came back after accepting awards.
Bethany Sachtleben of Alexandria won the 10k in a course record time of 34:07, using the race to prepare for the Richmond Marathon. She ended up qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials in Richmond, winning the race in 2:39:00.
Team Big D and Marc — Marc Hodulich, (37), of Atlanta and Don Tavious Ridley in the in the recumbent wheelchair — participated in the 2017 Marine Corps Marathon, their first marathon as team. They finished in 3:58:41. During the race Big D asked Marc if they could do another marathon together, “I had such a good time.” Marc laughed and rather hoarsely replied, “Let’s finish this one first”. Big D:”This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”Ohio’s Brent Shirley finished in 3:08:49. This was his first Marine Corps Marathon but his 44th marathon in 33 states at the age of 31. Shirley’s goal is to compete in a marathon in every state.Denzel Ramirez won the 10K in 32:17. “I feel great, that is the fastest I have ever run in a 10K”. “It’s more of community thing for me, I use it [sic] running to enhance my professionalism, I don’t have an actual goal, I do it for fun like any other person, it’s form of dedication, to help clear your mind and your soul.Efayomi Carr finished the marathon in 3:43:09. It was his first time running MCM. He just returned home to D.C. and had friends who are Marines who were running and he wanted to join them. Carr has now run three marathons.
Erin Bellissimo finished in 3:18:32. She lives in Little Rock now, but keeps coming back to D.C., where she once lived, for Marine Corps. “I love it, that is why I keep coming back. It’s an awesome crowd and seeing all the monuments.”Jose Louise Sanchez served with the Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan, losing a leg while on ground patrol in 2011. He lives in San Antonio and finished the 10K in 54:38. “I try to motivate and inspire others to push their own limits, push through adversity, and rise above.” Sanchez the marathon in 2015, then followed it up with the Boston Marathon in 2016 and 2017.Matt Spang, of Monument, Colo., finished the 10k in 2:12:32. “I do stuff like this, I like being with my brothers, my veterans especially, they push me and I push them which makes us a better person overall. The course was full of beautiful scenery, it was a fun day and lot of people came out and cheered that helped us.” Matthew Haviland serves as a Indiana State Trooper in Greensburg, Ind. He finished his second MCM in 3:57:37. While deployed with the Army in Afghanistan, he and a friend who was in Iraq with the Marine Corps decided to run a marathon together. Along the way, he said he raised more than $3,000 for the Paralyzed Veterans of America.Maureen Valladares, of Guatemala, finished the marathon in 3:21:32. It was her seventh marathon and her second of the year. “It’s a beautiful city to run, the sightseeing and everything was so beautiful”. After having miscarriage a few years ago, started running to get out of depression. Nate Harrison of Kansas City, Mo. served with the Marines in Fallujah, Iraq. He started off on his legs, then traded off between pushing himself, others pushing and then finishing the 10k on his legs. He has set a goal of returning to run the full marathon without the assistance of his chair or others help.Peter Isberg of Wellesley, Mass. finished the marathon in 3:11:54. He used to live in D.C., but never ran Marine Corps before. “This course is so inspiring and what all the Marines do for us… I wanted to do this.”
Robert Duran of San Antonio the marathon in 3:14:55. While watching his sister run a marathon, “I looked at all the people variety of people that were out there I thought there is no excuse not to try this at least once and as long as I have the ability for it I should be grateful for it and get out there and utilize it. That I can so I do and there a lot of people that can’t.”
Sarah Bishop finished fourth in the 2016 Marine Corps Marathon, falling short of her goal of top three, so for 2017 she aspired to better her results. Doing that and more Bishop, of Fairfax, won the 2017 race in 2:45:07. After taking a long break from running, getting married and becoming a mother of four she started running again. Her sights are next on the California International Marathon in December and hopes to run under 2:45.
Sue Davis an Air Force veteran from Greenville, S.C. who won the women’s hand cycle race in 1:51:37. Davis typically rides a bicycle competed in her first hand cyclist event after an injury and surgery earlier in the spring. “I got a couple of buddies, Eddie and Joe I ride with and a couple great mechanics that help keep it [sic] hand cycle running, it was broken when I got it and I came up today to just to celebrate with everybody. The course is challenging with all the turns, it is a beautiful course, it was awesome”!Wambui Waweru was born and raised Kikuyu, Kenya and now lives in New York, where she works for New York Road Runners. She finished her first MCM in 3:50:56. “The beginning was challenging, it was very very narrow. We visited every iconic monument, we go to Washington, back to Virginia, back to Washington, back to Virginia, what a beautiful course.”
Wesley Turner finished second in the marathon in 2:27:35. His wife and newborn son were waiting for him at the finish line of his seventh Marine Corps Marathon. He traveled from Danville, Va. and once he got to the course, he still got lost in the first mile. “I was trying to set a PR of 2:25, I was a little off that, but you know… it happens.”
William Smith is from Sierra Leone, West Africa and now lives at Andrews Air Force Base. He ran his first MCM in 3:25:22, but because he wasn’t familiar with the course, he had to manage his speed. “I’m glad with my time, I’ve done better than any of my other marathons, I’m glad with my time”. He runs with Team Red White and Blue. “It’s one of the groups I admire for the fact of what they do for the veterans and that is I decided to run on them today.” He will run the Philadelphia Half Marathon and Marathon on back-to-back days.
Yves Jackson, of Woodbridge, ran the 10k, and he has also done the Marine Corps Historic Half. “I like to support all the organization that put the runs on, and I just like being a part of it”.
Locals contribute to NCAA titles, another Trials qualifier, Prince William County moves toward an indoor track and comments are sought for the Capital Crescent Trail.
We are just days away from the 4th annual Run The Greenway Race and spots are filling up fast! We don’t want any Jedi to be left behind at this year’s 5K, 10K, or 800-meter Kids Fun Run, or virtual
![Photo By Doug Stroud Denzel Ramirez of Phoenix, AZ took top honors in the 2017 Marine Corps Marathon 10K finishing in first place for men with a time of 32:17. "I feel great, that is the fastest I have ever run in a 10K". "It's more of community thing for me, I use it [sic] running to enhance my professionalism, I don't have an actual goal, I do it for fun like any other person, it's form of dedication, to help clear your mind and your soul.](https://s26562.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Denzel.jpg)
![Photo By Doug Stroud Sue Davisan Air Force veteran of Greenville, SC took first place in the Womens Division for hand cyclists with a time of 1:51:37 in the 2017 Marine Corps Marathon. Davis who typically rides a bicycle competed in her first hand cyclist event after an injury and surgery earlier in the spring, " I got a couple of buddies, Eddie and Joe I ride with and a couple great mechanics that help keep it [sic] hand cycle running, it was broken when I got it and I came up today to just to celebrate with everybody. The course is challenging with all the turns, it is a beautiful course, it was awesome"!](https://s26562.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Sue.jpg)
