I’ve done my best to compile the Boston results for D.C.-area runners, roughly Washington, D.C., Prince George’s and Montgomery County, Md. and in Virginia, Fairfax and Arlington counties, Alexandria, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park and parts of Loudoun and Prince William counties. Please comment if I have omitted you.
Don’t feel sorry for Ben Beach.
Yes, his goal of a string of 45 consecutive Boston Marathon finishes seemed to end on a closed course just miles from the finish line last year, where two bombs rocked the city and the nation. And yes, a 46th consecutive finish would have made Beach, from Bethesda, the sole record holder for consecutive finishes, an achievement he had worked toward all of his adult life. He didn’t get to cross the finish line as planned and for two months, his streak’s fate was in limbo.
If the conditions are right, competitive marathoner Scott Allen, 27, of Washington, D.C., has his eyes on a PR in Boston.
It’s an ambitious goal.
Registering for a marathon is speculation. Runners slap down their entry fees and play the averages, hoping for a good day months away. When a few hundred signed up for the Runners Marathon of Reston, forcing a sellout two months in advance, they bet that the late March race date would keep it out of the reach of winter weather.
No dice.
The leaders at the Rock ’n’ Roll USA Marathon left no doubts. Across the board, between the half marathon and the full 26.2 miles, both the men’s and women’s races held little suspense. Local runners represented the area well in the top groups of finishers, and after an endless winter, runners rejoiced for sunshine and warm temperatures on race day.
HALF MARATHON
With a strong lead in the Marine Corps Marathon, Army Capt. Kelly Calway had her opportunity–run harder now or spend seven months regretting it. With an impending deployment to Kuwait waiting for her a week later, the cool day in Washington was her chance to take care of qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials.
She was able to pull things together and close out the race with a 2:42:15, 45 seconds to spare and a 5:48 lead over Gina Slaby. She finished 25th in the 2012 Olympic Trials while running in the Army’s World Class Athlete Program.
Much like Girma Bedada and Kelly Calway‘s efforts, Mike Kunzer‘s race at the Marine Corps Marathon was the culmination of years of preparation and training.
But Kunzer wasn’t focused on winning the race. He was thrilled to have finished, and it showed on his ebullient face.
They hold their signs proudly while their eyes scan the road.
It’s not easy: being in the right place at the right time.
Wire-to-wire.
It almost has no place in any talk about a marathon, maybe only in a tall tale. The race is too long, too grueling, too open to disruption.
With the reopening of the federal government Thursday, the Marine Corps Marathon is back on for Sunday, Oct. 27.
The Marine Corps Marathon had announced, via Facebook, that the continued government shutdown imperiled the race. If the federal budget situation hadn’t been resolved by Saturday, Oct. 19, organizers would have had to postpone or cancel the race.