Top of Utah challenges runners
Marathon runners from around the United States gathered in the cool crisp of morning Saturday to run the 26.22 mile Top of Utah Marathon.
Excitement stirred as Vance Anderson, the first marathoner using a wheelchair, neared the finish line. Other runners came soon after.
George Towett, from Kenya, crossed the finish line first with swift, sure footing, breaking the course record by almost five minutes with an official time of 2:20:02.9.
The first woman, Cynthia Fowler, #1052, came sprinting past the finish with an official time of 2:47:14.5.
It seemed many new records were set, but the ones the runners were the most proud of were the personal records they broke.
“I broke my personal record by five and a half minutes,” said second-place women’s finisher Kris Lawson.
This was Lawson’s 10th marathon, including the Alaska Marathon, which she won, as well as the Boston Marathon.
“The Boston Marathon was the only one I have cried at the finish,” said Lawson. “The 50,000 people cheering you on as you round the corner is a pretty amazing experience.”
The last 14 miles of the race were lined with friends and family members cheering their runners on. They were holding signs with phrases like, “You’re Our Hero!” and “Go Becky!”
As the finish got closer and the running tougher, people ran the last minutes alongside their runner with words of encouragement like, “You can do it, Dad!”
Then the finish line appeared, where the runners crossed the line to the loud speaker announcement, “Free massages for all runners. I’d imagine that’d feel really good.”
Scott Stokes, from Ogden, also broke a personal record, with a time of 2:59:11 and his sister and nieces were there to celebrate.
“The weather was great. It seemed perfect really – no wind, clear. We just ran and shed the layers of clothes as we went,” Stokes said.
The course starts near Hardware Ranch Elk Refuge and goes down Blacksmith Fork Canyon into downtown Logan. The finish line was at Merlin Olsen Park.
lyndim@cc.usu.edu