There are moments in life that you remember for a very long time. Like seeing your newborn child for the first time or falling in love. For many, one of those moments is finishing a first marathon. It is an accomplishment that seems so distant and out-of-reach, yet through hard work and dedication it becomes a reality. Overcoming the fear of the unknown and the insecurity to finally cross the finish line and bask in the glow of personal achievement is a great feeling. Just ask Mary Puccio of Boise, Idaho, who finished her very first on October 6, 2002 at the Portland Marathon.
"I'll tell you, half way through I was thinking I can see how people get hooked on this," said Puccio who finished in 6:08.10. "I can see how come they keep coming back. You feel so, so accomplished. It’s awesome."
For Puccio as with most of the 7,500 runners and walkers who trained hard and pushed themselves to their limits, the Portland Marathon offers the chance to succeed. For 31 years, this nationally recognized event has been providing people with the opportunity to test themselves by giving them a great course, dedicated volunteers and a nice city to visit. Puccio shared the experience with her daughter, Tracy Custer, who also came all the way from Idaho to run her first marathon. Her daughter ran it in 4:07.50, and afterwards said of her adventure, "It's just a phenomenal experience from the beginning to end."
It was also Lisa Checkhi's first marathon. In a lighthearted moment after finishing the 26.2-mile event in 4:18.03 she laughed and admitted she did it, "Because I'm stupid!" Her joy bubbled over as she shared her happiness with Amy White of North Bend, Oregon, who she met during the race. "This is a PR! Wahoo!"
White finished the run in 4:14.12 and was happy about her new-found friendship. "We ran almost the whole thing together," said White.
"It was great, a little tiring but good. My best is exactly 4 hours on the dot, but that was nine years ago, so I'm slowing down," said White. Then laughing she added, "I've had a kid since then."
For some, running the marathon with friends makes it all the more special. Robin Norton of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, got together with her friend Kendra Horger of Richmond, Virginia, and another friend who lives in Oregon to run the marathon.
"I thought it was great, we ran it together, and it was a fantastic run," Norton said. "I thought it was tough. I've run two Bostons, and three other ones; this is tougher than Boston by far. More hills. The up hill and down hill about killed me. It was tough on your legs, but it was a great run."
Running with friends had its advantages for Horger, who, at 3:34.18 was just nine seconds behind Norton. "We'd both done marathons, but not together,” she said. “So this is the best one by far. I don't think I would have made it past 20 if she hadn't been there."
For some people like Bob Dolphin running marathons is more of a way of life. Dolphin, who spends part of the year in Renton, Washington, and part in Yakima, competes in many events around the country each year. He completed this year’s Portland in 4:12.22.
"This is about my 14th I think this year; I lost track," said Dolphin, who is 73 years old. "I want to do 22, so the year isn’t over yet. I've done this one every year since '84; I'm like an old pro coming back doing the Portland Marathon." He gave a lot of credit to the friendly volunteers, the crowd, and the organization. "It's very well done. It's the largest marathon I've been to that is this well organized."
Leilani Wilson of Milwaukie, Oregon, is another athlete who has completed her share of marathons. Wilson said she has run Portland nine or ten times now, as well as the Honolulu and Nashville Marathons. Of her 6:07.41 finish this year she said, “It was a little faster this time. I enjoyed the music; the music was really inspirational. The weather was fantastic as well. I have a lot of friends who do it; it's good camaraderie.”
Wilson is one of a number of participants who also helps out as a volunteer with registration and in other areas. “I try to give a little bit of my time as a volunteer, and I like to participate too,” she said.
This year's marathon winner was Akihiro Oshikiri of Aichi, Japan, in a time of 2:19.56. Through an interpreter he said that he was motivated by all the people rooting for him along the course. He ran with another countryman for 25 miles, and then said he pulled away. He admitted that it was hard. This was his third marathon, and even though he hoped for a better time he was pleased that he beat his goal of 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Seattle's Katie Galdabini won the women's competition with a time of 2:54.09. "It was tough at the end, I was getting pretty tired," she said. "I was worried about that girl in second, because I was thinking she'd come on pretty strong at the end and I was really tired." It was her first time in Portland and she said. "I think it’s just beautiful. I'd love to come back and run it again."
Spokane's Jerry Martin won the marathon wheelchair race." The only competition I had was the Japanese guy ," said Martin. "We kept going back and forth now and then, but I finally got ahead of him."
Like many marathons, there are other events that take place on race day as well, one being the 5-Miler. Ian Solof of Portland won the 5-mile race with a time of 24:20 and said afterwards, "It was good, good conditions. There were a lot of people cheering, there were a lot of marathoners going the opposite way cheering, and that helps."
Christy Lacey-Krietz, also of Portland, finished first in the 5-Miler for the women in a time of 30:33. She said she loved all the music, the volunteer support and the down-hill finish. When asked if she had any competition, she said, "Yeah, my step-dad, I followed him the whole way. I had to kick to get past him. It was a family affair."
Her step-dad, Dan McNeil, was as proud of her as he could be. Finishing just behind her in 30:45, he said, "It was an impressive, impressive finish." He said he had run with her for over 12 years. ”I used to kill her; now she killed me. I've got to work harder."
For one marathoner, it was a very special event. Susan Hawkins of Portland, who was running her third marathon, finished in a blistering 3:07.44. Written on her right leg were the words "For my Dad." "I'm dedicating this race to my dad," she said as she was cooling down. "My father lost his leg due to an infection. He's out there on the finish line and just watched me cross. So I gave him my right leg today."
Race Director Les Smith gives a lot of credit to his all-volunteer committee for what Runner's World calls one of the best marathons in the U.S.A. He keeps the course open and staffed for eight hours so that walkers get the same experience as the runners. Smith likes to make sure everyone gets the best race he can offer.
If you've never had that feeling of accomplishment that comes with finishing a marathon, you might want to mark October 5, 2003 on your calendar and start planning your training. It's an experience you will remember for a long time.
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