SEATTLE MARATHON
November 30, 2008
It was a good day for the running of the Seattle Marathon on Sunday, November 30, 2008. At the 8:15 a.m. start near the Space Needle landmark in Seattle, Washington, the temperature was 50 degrees. It was calm and overcast with high fog.
There were about 2,300 marathoners who followed 5th Street through the city center onto an I-90 on-ramp to express lanes reserved for the runners. After going through a tunnel, we ran across Lake Washington to Mercer Island and back on a floating bridge.
As I ran in my 5th and 6th miles, I met many others going in the opposite direction in their 7th and 8th miles. It’s always a pleasure to exchange greetings with runners whom I know as we pass each other. The first one to hail me was Annie Thiessen, 38, a Marathon Maniac (MM) from Tacoma. She veered into my lane to give me a big smile as we high-fived for a fleeting moment.
It was reported that she took the lead for the women in the 20th mile. For sure, she ran well on a difficult course and finished in 3:02:04 with better than a seven minute per mile pace and a one minute lead over the second place women’s finisher, Nell Stephens, 34,of Preston (3:03:27). Zosia Brown, 29, came in third (3:06:08).
Annie has had a phenomenal year of marathoning. The Seattle Marathon where she ran her first one in 1995 represented her 8th MARATHON WIN in 2008!!! She finished as the first woman at the Yakima River Canyon Marathon (3:00:25), Whidbey Island Marathon (3:04:04), Tacoma City Marathon (3:00:21), Capital City Marathon (3:05:34), Newport Marathon (2:56:12), Mayor’s Marathon (3:01:29), City of Trees Marathon (3:02:19), and the Seattle Marathon (3:02:04). She also was the third woman overall at the New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon (3:02:57) and the Royal Victoria Marathon (3:00:54). She had a great year, and her record in 2007 was impressive as well.
The overall winner of the Seattle Marathon was Stuart Burton, 37, of Beaverton, OR, who ran a 2:33:54 and is Boston Marathon bound for 2009. Only 18 seconds behind Stuart was Caleb Knox, 23, of Mill Creek (2:34:12). He’s a University of Washington veteran of their cross country team. The third place finisher was Jess Stevik, 26, of Olympia (2:38:44).
Before the marathon started, I had an opportunity to visit briefly with MM Larry Macon, 63, from San Antonio, Texas. At Seattle he ran well and finished in 5:07:22, a good time for a marathon with a hilly second half. We’ve come to appreciate the fact that Larry has been running about 79 marathons per year as a norm. I didn’t become aware until several weeks after the Seattle Marathon that Larry pursued and attained a WORLD RECORD for marathoning in 2008. In 2007 he ran 93 marathons and learned that the record as posted by the Guinness Book of Records was 99 marathons. He rose to the challenge by running many weekend doubles all year long. By so doing he exceeded the old record by six events! On December 19th at the Dallas White Rock Marathon, he ran his 105th marathon as his last one for 2008.
This total averages out to two marathons per weekend and one or more triple. He even ran two in one day …..in two different states….the Darkside Marathon in Georgia and the Vermont City Marathon on May 25, 2008!!! CONGRATULATIONS to Larry Macon for achieving this world record which will be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records.
My run went well for the first half (2:35:54), but I faded badly in the second half and did a lot of walking to finish with a 5:45:04, 2,011th of 2,128 and second of three in the 75+ Male Division. Mel Preedy, 75, ran well to finish with a 5:07:04 for first in this division.
Congratulations to Oliver Chapman, 50, MM #1205 (5:27:14) and Brett Bellevue, 50, MM #1206 (5:46:01) for qualifying to be Marathon Maniacs at this race by running three marathons within three months. I enjoyed visiting with these new members on the course and in the finish area.
It was good to see Richard Hudson, 69, and his family in the finish area. Richard walked the marathon in a commendable 6:39:30. He’s the father of our niece’s husband, marathoner Kirk Hudson. Both have participated in the Yakima River Canyon Marathon. I admired Richard’s fast walking pace as he passed me in the 19th mile and pulled away.
I missed not having Lenore at the finish line to give me a hug and a finishers medal. However, we did get to volunteer side by side at packet pickup for marathoners at the Westin Seattle Hotel on Friday, two days before the race.
Steve Frederiskson, 62, MM from Kent, defied his back problems and took an early start with 200 others to finish with a 5:50:18. Semper Fi!!
Thanks to MM Lauri Fauerbach Adams, for taking my picture on the race course and sending me a copy. Lenore and I enjoyed seeing her at the Expo after previous visits at the Walt Disney World and Paul Bunyan Marathons in Florida and Maine.
Thanks to race director Louise Long, Seattle Marathon Association president John Kokes and the hundreds of others for putting on the Seattle Marathon and related events.
………………………………Written by Bob Dolphin
Edited, Typed and Distributed by Lenore Dolphin
2:33:54 Stuart Burton, 37, Beaverton, OR, FIRST OVERALL, First in Age Division
2:34:12 Caleb Knox, 23, Mill Creek, SECOND OVERALL, 1st
2:38:44 Jess Stevik, 26, Olympia, THIRD OVERALL, 1st
3:02:04 Annie Thiessen, 38, Tacoma FIRST WOMAN OVERALL, MM, 1st
3:03:27 Nell Stephenson 34, Preston, 1st
3:06:08 Zosia Brown, 28, 1st
3:08:45 Tony Phillippi, 47, Tacoma, MM
3:08:58 Chris Warren, 41, Renton, MM
3:10:13 Trish Steidl, 32, 2nd
3:10:30 Dane Rauschenberg, 32, MM
3:20:16 Doug Beyerlein, 58
3:20:29 Bryan Robertson, 33, MM
3:22:42 Greg Walchli, 46, Woodinville, MM
3:25:07 Doug MacLean, 56, MM
3:25:30 Rick Cooney, 50, MM
3:26:36 Jennifer Yogi, 33, MM
3:27:29 Cliff Banister, 47, Pendleton, OR
3:28:49 Mark Looi, 49, MM
3:30:35 Gary Kobold, 54, MM
3:35:15 Steve Walters, 28, MM
3:38:04 Guy Yogi, 54, MM
3:40:45 Eric Barnes, 52, MM
3:40:53 Robert Lopez, 42, Seattle, MM
3:43:44 Steve Wisner, 51, MM
3:43:49 Jill Banister, 49, Pendleton, OR, 4th
3:46:13 Sherry Mahoney, 44, Palm Desert, CA, MM, 6th
3:47:58 Kurt Lauer, 47, MM
3:48:11 Chuck Bodeen, 57, Yakima
3:48:11 Gretchen Bodeen, 28, Yakima
3:50:55 Ashley Kuhlmann, 22, Lakewood, MM
3:53:49 Van Phan, 37, Maple Valley, MM
3:54:01 David Jones, 62, Seattle, MM
3:54:13 David Olsho, 57, Seattle
3:54:56 Janet Green, 55, Courtenay, BC
3:57:19 Judy Fisher, 65, Auburn, MM, 1st
3:59:28 Jon Mahoney, 56, Palm Desert, CA, MM
4:02:08 Mike Warren, 48, MM
4:07:02 Michael Shiach, 58, MM
4:08:52 Bill Voiland, 60, Evil Triplet
4:09:17 Linda Barton, 34, MM
4:10:24 Ron Fowler, 61, Seattle, Evil Triplet
4:11:07 Jess Mullen, 33, MM
4:12:05 Francesca Carmichael, 49, MM
4:13:44 Ray Shaw, 50, Puyallup, MM
4:13:48 Jim Kunz, 59, Seattle, Evil Triplet
4:14:05 Bill Torsen, 59
4:20:42 Herb Allen, 66, Bainbridge Island, MM, 2nd
4:23:39 Jill Hudson, 46, MM
4:28:03 Jim Scheer, 66, Vancouver, WA, MM, 3rd
4:29:19 Cheri Pompeo, 56, Woodinville, MM
4:32:16 Robert Jacobsen, 50, Mt. Vernon, MM
4:32:59 Tom Rogers, 63, Bellevue, MM
4:34:02 Steve Hamling. 40, MM
4:34:52 Steve Yee, 49, Renton, MM
4:34:57 Susie Ro, 37, MM
4:36:14 Mike Kuhlmann, 58, Lakewood, MM
4:37:32 Amanda Cohn, 40, MM
4:39:01 Ed Hansen, 62, Stayton, OR
4:39:16 Ken Briggs, 57, MM
4:50:19 Takao Suzuki, 43, MM
4:54:50 Sandra Noel, 59
4:55:11 Janet Burgess, 47, Renton, MM
4:56:21 Kimberly Kuhlmann, 30, Lakewood, MM
4:56:59 Diane Wilcox, 56
4:58:04 Rick Haase, 63, MM
4:58:55 Cyndie Merten, 52, Corvallis, OR, MM
5:02:22 Marilyn Pyke, 47, MM
5:04:45 Andrew Dunn, 40
5:07:02 Larry Macon, 63, San Antonio, TX, MM
5:07:04 Mel Preedy, 75, Ravensdale, MM, 1st
5:10:32 Richard Smith, 55, MM
5:12:29 Paul Fouch, 74, Klamath Falls, OR, MM, 4th
5:12:34 Evan Fagan, 71, Victoria, BC, 5th
5:13:42 Tory Kiementsen, 43, MM
5:13:59 Gary Wright, 40
5:14:01 Lynn Yarnall, 58
5:14:32 Todd Byers, 45, Long Beach, CA
5:15:51 Giles Barbeau, 53, MM
5:17:48 Jeanette Quintana, 31, Edmonds, MM
5:22:40 David Spooner, 40, MM
5:27:14 Oliver Chapmen, 50, MM
5:42:19 Lauri Fauerbach Adams, 38, MM
5:45:04 Bob Dolphin, 79, Renton/Yakima, MM, 2nd
5:46:01 Brett Bellevue, 50, MM
5:48:45 Ultra Al Miller, 54
5:50:18 Steve Frederickson, 62, MM
5:53:13 Bernadette Langdon, 55, Portland, OR
5:58:45 Evelyn Smith, 48, MM
6:06:33 Jenny Appel, 35, MM
6:06:33 Michelle Barnes, 50, MM
6:06:34 Robert Hester, 35, MM
6:13:30 Ric Hart, 61,1 MM
6:16:14 Monte Pascual, 48, Federal Way, MM
6:39:30 Richard Hudson, 69, Kennewick
6:56:56 Gene Bruckert, 73
6:57:43 Max Welker, 66
8:07:58 Tracey Smith, 39