AUSTIN, TEXAS (February 18, 2008) The clear blue skies and near-perfect temperatures at the 2008 AT&T Austin Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday, Feb. 17 made this year’s race an enjoyable one for the record 11,250 starters and approximately 30,000 spectators.
It was a mild 40 degrees at the start line near Cesar Chavez and Congress Avenue, providing excellent, cool temperatures for runners. Following an enthusiastic welcome from Texas Governor Rick Perry – a participant in the half marathon - runners took off at 7 a.m. as the sun began to rise and a 10-minute fireworks display lit up the sky as they crossed the Congress Avenue Bridge.
The ideal weather conditions were all the more surprising after severe weather warnings, thunderstorms and a 47-degree high on Saturday. During a particularly intense downpour on Saturday afternoon, it was hard to foresee such a favorable turnaround.
Meanwhile, things like bib numbers turned out to be a bit more telling. Jacob Frey and Mike Sayenko, runners on the United States team participating in the first International Marathon Challenge, were given bib numbers one and two, respectively.
As it happened, Frey and Sayenko finished the marathon in places one and two after breaking away in the final stretch to edge out Kenya’s Joseph Mutinda, the third-place finisher.
Trusting their strategy, Frey and Sayenko paced themselves throughout the race, letting Kenyans Wesley Ochoro and then Joseph Mutinda lead the pack. Near Mile 19, the Americans began to make their move. By Mile 26, Frey and Sayenko had taken the lead and sprinted to a thrilling finish down Congress Avenue just ahead of the Kenyans.
Hugging at the finish line, it was clear the Americans had won the race together on behalf of their team and their country. As Frey said in an interview to FOX’s Austin affiliate, “There’s really no other option than to run your best when you’re wearing red, white and blue.” Frey finished with a time of 2:20:38, Sayenko was close behind at 2:20:42, followed by Mutinda at 2:20:43.
One the women’s side, Lucy Hassell from the Great Britain team won with a personal best time of 2:36:26. She was all smiles even before crossing the finish line and seemed to grin as soon as she passed the Capitol on Congress Avenue and 11th Street.
Hassell was followed by American Becki Michael, who came in at 2:43:42 – a time that qualified her for the Olympic Trials in Boston. Amazingly, this was Michael’s first time running a marathon.
Close behind Michael was Canada’s top female marathoner, Nicole Stevenson who finished at 2:44:46.
No comments:
Post a Comment