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by Bob Dolphin
For many years I have wanted to run the San Francisco Marathon, On July 12, 1998, I fulfilled this wish, and the event was up to my expectations. The weather was warm for running--peaking at 70 F. under clear skies with light winds. That is to be expected in a summer marathon at sea level. The course was flat to rolling for fourteen miles. Then there were four major hills and many minor ones as the city by the bay lived up to its "hilly" reputation. The race started at 7 a.m. in a park by the Golden Gate Bridge. As we ran across the bridge toward the San Francisco skyline, there were great views of the city and bay. The early miles were a guided tour without the "tour bus!" We passed the Presidio (former fort), the Marina, Chinatown, and the historic Ferry Building, ran on the Embarcadero, and saw a clipper ship before leaving downtown and heading to communities such as Haight-Ashbury. In the sixteenth mile we entered Golden Gate Park, a beautiful urban park about four miles long and one mile wide. We finished out the run within the park, and for a short stretch we ran in one direction as the front runners ran in the other for their last mile of the race. In the lead was Hamid Oubadriss, 25-29, from France who would go on to win in a time of 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 54 seconds. He was closely followed by Borislav Devik, 35-39, from Yugoslavia who finished second in 2:24:37. The two runners ran together for 21 miles before Oubadriss picked up the pace and ran alone to the finish in Kezar Stadium. The first woman to finish was Salina Chirchir, 25-29, from Kenya in a time of '2:45:36, while Maria Trujillo de Rios, 35-59, of Los Gatos, CA, a former winner, was second with a time of 2:47:43. I saw several friends and acquaintances from the Northwest and found the names and times of others in the printed race results. Jim Mahar of Issaquah, WA, ran a 3:00:40 for third place in the 40-44M division. Glenn Tachiyama, 40, a Marathon Achiever from Seattle, ran conservatively with friends and finished with a 3:37:05. Kristin Kissel, 30-34, of Seattle ran with Glenn and finished in 3:37:06. Andrew Dunn, 35-39, of Seattle had a 3:59:38, Ed Hansen, 50+, of Stayton, OR, had a time of 4:29:36. I saw Diane Wilcox, 45, of Bellevue on the course briefly. Her finishing time was 4:32:44. Bill Torsen, 45-59, of Bellevue came in at 4:18:01. Russ Akers, 65+, MA, of College Place, WA, a long-time friend, and I talked at the staging area. He finished in 4:38:43 to add another one to his 200+ marathon list. My race went as it usually does at 70' F. I felt fine but couldn't go very fast. I walked some on the steepest grades and had to stretch periodically to break leg cramps in the second half. I finished with 4:06:58 in 1,195th position of 3,659 finishers. In the 65-69 male division I was third of seventeen and won a plaque and a wristwatch. It was a great race, and I was welcomed at Kezar Stadium by my wife Lenore, her daughter Jan, and our son-in-law Simon.
Thanks Bob Dolphin for sharing your report with us ! Have you got a human interest story about a runner you know or a race report to share ? OTR is happy to share stories like this with our readers. Send us your stories, your expierences!
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