RunTri Racing Coverage || By Raymond Britt, RaceBoston.com
Qualifying for the Boston Marathon was the reason I decided to become a serious runner in 1995. I qualified by 32 seconds that year, and looked forward to a thrilling experience in my Boston debut in 1996.
One thing I know for sure after all those years: Boston is unpredictable, and I have the personal data to prove it. See below. Good Luck on your journey to Boston.
In this piece, I'll share mile-by-mile splits for seven of my Boston Marathons. Spanning from a 2:54 finish time to 3:41, and commentary below, illustrate how to run Boston fast, slow, or how to handle it when injured.
I finished that 1996 race, and while it was not pretty, it was the first of a wide variety of experiences on the Boston Marathon course. Depending on the year, I have run my PR on the course, have run aching and slow, or have started blazing and ended up finishing barely able to walk.
1996, Injured and Slow: My First Boston, the year I sprained my ankle in the airport, of all places, preparing to board the plane to fly to Boston (don't ask how). I met with race doctors the day before the race, who advised me not to run. But I had to. So I went to the start line, determined to run slowly and carefully, sure to keep my foot and ankle always facing forward. As the Centennial edition of the race, the field was packed with 39,000 runners, so it was fairly impossible to run fast anyway. The splits you'll see on the spreadsheet were fairly steady, and not a bad example of how to run a 3:40ish Boston, based on the terrain.
1997 Faster, But Injured: I was determined to perform better in 1997, despite an overtraining injury that left my ilio-tibial band in pain after longer distances. I started out fast, trying to build momentum, but the pain kicked in at about the same time as the hills did. I remember running miles 21-24 almost stiff-legged, but seeing the finish line helped me speed up again.
1998 Faster: I ran the 1998 race within one minute of my marathon PR at the time, and it was possible to say I lost that one minute in a very slow first mile. Otherwise, it was a textbook way, for me, to run a 3:11 on the course. Note that miles 2 through 9 were steady. That became a pattern in my better races. And I was able to keep times on the hilly miles under 8 minutes/mile.
1999, Repeat: 1999 very closely mirrored my 1998 race, attempting to find an advantage by conserving energy with a slower start, but running the last half in almost the same time as 1998. I was disappointed, though. I wanted to run faster.
2001 Fast and Slow: I was becoming a better runner and triathlete in 2001, with a new 3:05 PR from Chicago 2000, under my belt. I wanted to do that well on the Boston course. I blazed the first half in 1:25, and if you want to run a 1:25 first half, my times are the way to do it. Unfortunately, I left nothing for the second half, and blew up immediately when the hills started. See a 9:31 Heartbreak Hill mile to know I walked the whole thing, slowly and panting for air. This is not the way to run Boston.
2002 PR: I had run a 2:59 in Milwaukee 2001, so I was a better marathoner, but I could not afford to make the same mistakes I made in Boston 2001. So I studied those mistakes and had basically one rule for 2002 -- do not start out too fast. I ran conservatively, and hit the 13.1 mile marker slower than I had in any recent marathon. But I was also fresh, and fast at that point, ready to attack the hills, especially Heartbreak Hill. I was the only race that I've experienced relatively breezy 6:30ish miles near the finish. But I had to work for it every second. Mantra: The Only Thing You Need Now is to Want It Bad Enough.
2003 Doomed: You'll note in 2003 I tried to repeat the recipe from 2002, and did it according to plan in the first few miles. The problem was, by 10k I knew I was doomed. I was having trouble breathing (asthma and allergies), and had lost my inhaler earlier, somewhere on the course. I had to slow down to survive, and I knew by the 13.1 mile mark in Wellesley that it would be a mighty struggle to finish. Not a fun way to run a 3:06. But I'll take a 3:06 in Boston any day.
The Other Years? I ran in 2000 after nearly two days without sleep while negotiating a large business deal; time didn't matter. By 2004, I kind of lost interest in tracking mile-by-mile splits, as I felt I knew the course pretty well. I ran a 3:02 in 2005, and a 3:09 in 2006, each time eight days after completing Ironman Arizona. In 2007, I ran under 4 hours, stopping often to shoot photos throughout the entire race.
No matter how your day goes in Boston, it will be special when you cross the finish line.
Questions? Feel free to email me. Good luck in Boston.
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Also see
- Boston Marathon 2008: What to Expect
- Boston Marathon 2008: Photos
For more, return to the home page: RaceBoston.com
Ford Ironman Florida 2008: Qualified for Kona
RunTri.com Racing Coverage ||
The day after Ironman Florida 2008 concluded, 72 deserving triathletes claimed their Kona qualifying slots, and began to look far ahead, to competing at the 2009 Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona Hawaii.
Congratulations to all Kona qualifiers. Welcome to the club.
TOTAL TIME LAST NAME FIRST NAME RACE DIVISION SWIM TIME T1 BIKE TIME T2 RUN TIME
8:57:37 WETZEL MICHAEL M18-24 54:13:00 3:11 4:49:25 7:20 3:03:28
9:08:16 DELSAUT TREVOR M18-24 1:04:07 5:00 4:44:56 1:57 3:12:17
9:02:12 PABLO URETA M25-29 56:25:00 2:42 4:50:10 2:45 3:10:12
9:07:41 BROWN ADAM M25-29 53:53:00 4:59 4:51:54 3:29 3:13:29
9:19:48 BUECHLER MARCUS M25-29 54:50:00 3:12 5:03:13 3:28 3:15:06
9:01:27 VELDEMAN STIJN M30-34 58:36:00 3:13 4:58:44 2:32 2:58:25
9:05:33 VELDEMAN STEFAAN M30-34 57:23:00 4:12 4:58:55 2:54 3:02:12
9:12:26 NAPIER MATHEW M30-34 1:04:29 5:25 4:57:31 2:41 3:02:21
9:13:42 ARLANDSON DAN M30-34 56:22:00 6:33 4:46:38 3:27 3:20:44
9:17:42 MCCARROLL CHARLES M30-34 1:03:04 4:14 4:48:00 1:47 3:20:40
9:19:53 PETERSEN MORTEN M30-34 57:20:00 2:46 4:49:42 2:17 3:27:49
8:53:30 BECHT JEROME M35-39 56:34:00 3:45 4:48:55 1:54 3:02:25
9:07:34 MATHESON DAVID M35-39 57:33:00 3:12 4:50:04 2:13 3:14:34
9:09:56 SCHRECK MARCO M35-39 58:17:00 3:41 5:06:37 3:02 2:58:21
9:12:05 ERAT PABLO M35-39 55:33:00 3:10 4:45:43 1:57 3:25:43
9:12:44 SPYCHER DOMINIK M35-39 55:28:00 4:44 4:49:11 4:11 3:19:12
9:21:54 BIELEN MARKUS M35-39 1:08:03 3:38 4:56:23 3:50 3:10:01
9:26:41 HENGGELER DANIEL M35-39 1:00:50 3:02 4:59:27 2:05 3:21:19
9:27:24 JACOBSEN OLE M35-39 53:00:00 2:54 4:55:38 3:17 3:32:35
9:00:42 GIOVANOLI BRUNO M40-44 55:34:00 3:44 4:46:14 4:42 3:10:30
9:12:57 AUGER EMMANUEL M40-44 59:40:00 3:09 4:46:06 1:21 3:22:44
9:16:56 NIXON RICHARD M40-44 59:21:00 4:19 4:56:11 2:53 3:14:13
9:17:33 SHEEHAN GREG M40-44 1:05:37 4:43 4:54:28 2:10 3:10:36
9:18:22 HEYDEMANN ULRICH M40-44 57:06:00 3:58 4:59:01 2:16 3:16:04
9:23:21 BERKER ANDRE M40-44 58:27:00 5:28 4:56:35 3:06 3:19:47
9:23:59 BURKE SHAWN M40-44 56:06:00 4:01 4:52:10 3:20 3:28:23
9:29:42 PANTER JOERG M40-44 1:06:16 4:33 5:00:09 3:21 3:15:25
9:31:13 TOSCANI ANDREA M40-44 1:01:50 4:27 4:57:24 2:03 3:25:30
9:14:38 KESTER STEVEN M45-49 56:18:00 3:34 4:49:33 2:19 3:22:57
9:34:51 DANIEL CHRIS M45-49 53:54:00 2:48 4:54:44 2:21 3:41:06
9:34:59 TRIBLE JOHN M45-49 1:02:58 4:48 5:03:51 3:26 3:19:59
9:39:33 WOELK DIRK M45-49 1:04:19 4:46 4:55:33 4:12 3:30:44
9:49:53 LESAGE XAVIER M45-49 1:05:46 6:02 4:55:53 2:35 3:39:38
9:52:56 PRINZBACH JOACHIM M45-49 1:01:14 5:46 5:08:39 2:59 3:34:20
9:53:19 LARSON DAVE M45-49 1:02:21 4:58 5:10:56 2:33 3:32:34
9:12:41 BONNESS JOE M50-54 1:02:08 5:16 4:42:01 2:54 3:20:24
9:36:53 CALI LAURENT M50-54 1:02:19 4:32 4:48:25 4:34 3:37:03
9:37:57 SZWAGRUN ADAM M50-54 1:01:13 5:22 5:00:57 3:43 3:26:44
9:47:42 ZOUBEK ANDREAS M50-54 1:17:00 5:13 4:54:36 3:57 3:26:59
9:58:17 RICHARDSON ALLAN M50-54 1:12:44 4:51 5:12:09 2:42 3:25:54
9:47:10 CHURLET DANIEL M55-59 1:03:29 4:10 4:54:33 3:39 3:41:21
9:52:45 SATTLER HANS-LUDWIG M55-59 58:01:00 3:18 5:06:40 3:17 3:41:32
10:56:42 PARTEL KEN M60-64 1:15:19 8:49 5:22:59 8:26 4:01:11
12:57:20 LETTNER TOMMY M65-69 1:27:29 6:52 6:11:21 4:34 5:07:07
13:42:39 WEBER JOHN M70-74 1:19:55 9:03 6:29:18 8:23 5:36:03
15:44:29 HENDERSON NEAL M75-79 1:26:47 15:46 6:54:49 14:29 6:52:38
8:07:59 EVANS TOM MPRO 48:15:00 1:44 4:19:00 1:44 2:57:19
8:17:51 SINDBALLE TORBJORN MPRO 48:30:00 2:05 4:21:31 2:14 3:03:33
8:23:00 VABROUSEK PETR MPRO 53:18:00 2:18 4:29:34 2:16 2:55:37
8:24:41 BASTIE CHRISTOPHE MPRO 53:15:00 2:10 4:25:13 1:41 3:02:25
8:25:34 WIDMANN UWE MPRO 51:16:00 2:10 4:30:26 1:49 2:59:56
10:30:38 JACKSON CATRIONA W18-24 1:00:09 2:53 5:29:08 2:45 3:55:44
10:05:42 GROSS NICOLE W25-29 55:06:00 2:55 5:28:09 2:28 3:37:07
10:06:40 FLAHERTY REBECCA W25-29 1:00:39 2:17 5:04:46 1:51 3:57:08
9:58:36 STILES CHRISTINA W30-34 1:01:14 4:24 5:26:09 2:53 3:23:58
9:59:46 ZELTNER TAMARA W30-34 1:05:36 4:26 5:13:59 3:00 3:32:48
10:05:55 JOHNSON JOY W30-34 1:11:06 4:34 5:17:07 2:52 3:30:18
9:56:00 HINTERBERGER ELKE W35-39 1:04:21 5:00 5:07:13 2:43 3:36:45
9:56:53 ROTHGANG HEIDI W35-39 1:10:26 3:11 5:09:59 2:59 3:30:21
10:25:47 HUME JILL W35-39 1:04:31 3:54 5:13:02 3:45 4:00:36
10:29:54 ANDERSON ADRIENNE W35-39 1:14:36 4:32 5:13:21 3:25 3:54:02
10:02:58 BUEHLMANN TANJA W40-44 1:01:48 4:01 5:12:11 3:21 3:41:39
10:27:50 GIOVANOLI GABI W40-44 1:08:56 4:16 5:17:35 4:23 3:52:42
10:31:54 ARLANDER BODIL W40-44 1:06:54 4:32 5:21:16 4:03 3:55:11
10:10:59 REINHARDT MANUELA W45-49 1:00:06 5:27 5:02:52 2:39 3:59:58
10:33:06 ROTOVNIK KOZJEK NADA W45-49 1:02:15 4:49 5:25:38 4:20 3:56:06
10:39:00 I-JAKOBSEN KAISA W45-49 1:09:55 5:25 5:14:48 2:13 4:06:40
10:22:54 BEIL BRIGITTE W50-54 1:06:49 4:51 5:18:59 3:46 3:48:31
11:43:58 BURKE VIOLA W55-59 1:16:33 6:04 5:31:02 3:37 4:46:45
12:49:49 PHIPPS MARIANA W60-64 1:21:51 6:40 6:13:28 4:03 5:03:48
9:14:15 KOZULINA TAMARA WPRO 59:10:00 1:46 5:04:25 2:00 3:06:56
9:26:46 WEE BREE WPRO 53:16:00 2:31 5:05:50 2:10 3:23:00
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Return to RunTri.com Home Page, or RunTri.com Site Map.
The day after Ironman Florida 2008 concluded, 72 deserving triathletes claimed their Kona qualifying slots, and began to look far ahead, to competing at the 2009 Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona Hawaii.
Congratulations to all Kona qualifiers. Welcome to the club.
TOTAL TIME LAST NAME FIRST NAME RACE DIVISION SWIM TIME T1 BIKE TIME T2 RUN TIME
8:57:37 WETZEL MICHAEL M18-24 54:13:00 3:11 4:49:25 7:20 3:03:28
9:08:16 DELSAUT TREVOR M18-24 1:04:07 5:00 4:44:56 1:57 3:12:17
9:02:12 PABLO URETA M25-29 56:25:00 2:42 4:50:10 2:45 3:10:12
9:07:41 BROWN ADAM M25-29 53:53:00 4:59 4:51:54 3:29 3:13:29
9:19:48 BUECHLER MARCUS M25-29 54:50:00 3:12 5:03:13 3:28 3:15:06
9:01:27 VELDEMAN STIJN M30-34 58:36:00 3:13 4:58:44 2:32 2:58:25
9:05:33 VELDEMAN STEFAAN M30-34 57:23:00 4:12 4:58:55 2:54 3:02:12
9:12:26 NAPIER MATHEW M30-34 1:04:29 5:25 4:57:31 2:41 3:02:21
9:13:42 ARLANDSON DAN M30-34 56:22:00 6:33 4:46:38 3:27 3:20:44
9:17:42 MCCARROLL CHARLES M30-34 1:03:04 4:14 4:48:00 1:47 3:20:40
9:19:53 PETERSEN MORTEN M30-34 57:20:00 2:46 4:49:42 2:17 3:27:49
8:53:30 BECHT JEROME M35-39 56:34:00 3:45 4:48:55 1:54 3:02:25
9:07:34 MATHESON DAVID M35-39 57:33:00 3:12 4:50:04 2:13 3:14:34
9:09:56 SCHRECK MARCO M35-39 58:17:00 3:41 5:06:37 3:02 2:58:21
9:12:05 ERAT PABLO M35-39 55:33:00 3:10 4:45:43 1:57 3:25:43
9:12:44 SPYCHER DOMINIK M35-39 55:28:00 4:44 4:49:11 4:11 3:19:12
9:21:54 BIELEN MARKUS M35-39 1:08:03 3:38 4:56:23 3:50 3:10:01
9:26:41 HENGGELER DANIEL M35-39 1:00:50 3:02 4:59:27 2:05 3:21:19
9:27:24 JACOBSEN OLE M35-39 53:00:00 2:54 4:55:38 3:17 3:32:35
9:00:42 GIOVANOLI BRUNO M40-44 55:34:00 3:44 4:46:14 4:42 3:10:30
9:12:57 AUGER EMMANUEL M40-44 59:40:00 3:09 4:46:06 1:21 3:22:44
9:16:56 NIXON RICHARD M40-44 59:21:00 4:19 4:56:11 2:53 3:14:13
9:17:33 SHEEHAN GREG M40-44 1:05:37 4:43 4:54:28 2:10 3:10:36
9:18:22 HEYDEMANN ULRICH M40-44 57:06:00 3:58 4:59:01 2:16 3:16:04
9:23:21 BERKER ANDRE M40-44 58:27:00 5:28 4:56:35 3:06 3:19:47
9:23:59 BURKE SHAWN M40-44 56:06:00 4:01 4:52:10 3:20 3:28:23
9:29:42 PANTER JOERG M40-44 1:06:16 4:33 5:00:09 3:21 3:15:25
9:31:13 TOSCANI ANDREA M40-44 1:01:50 4:27 4:57:24 2:03 3:25:30
9:14:38 KESTER STEVEN M45-49 56:18:00 3:34 4:49:33 2:19 3:22:57
9:34:51 DANIEL CHRIS M45-49 53:54:00 2:48 4:54:44 2:21 3:41:06
9:34:59 TRIBLE JOHN M45-49 1:02:58 4:48 5:03:51 3:26 3:19:59
9:39:33 WOELK DIRK M45-49 1:04:19 4:46 4:55:33 4:12 3:30:44
9:49:53 LESAGE XAVIER M45-49 1:05:46 6:02 4:55:53 2:35 3:39:38
9:52:56 PRINZBACH JOACHIM M45-49 1:01:14 5:46 5:08:39 2:59 3:34:20
9:53:19 LARSON DAVE M45-49 1:02:21 4:58 5:10:56 2:33 3:32:34
9:12:41 BONNESS JOE M50-54 1:02:08 5:16 4:42:01 2:54 3:20:24
9:36:53 CALI LAURENT M50-54 1:02:19 4:32 4:48:25 4:34 3:37:03
9:37:57 SZWAGRUN ADAM M50-54 1:01:13 5:22 5:00:57 3:43 3:26:44
9:47:42 ZOUBEK ANDREAS M50-54 1:17:00 5:13 4:54:36 3:57 3:26:59
9:58:17 RICHARDSON ALLAN M50-54 1:12:44 4:51 5:12:09 2:42 3:25:54
9:47:10 CHURLET DANIEL M55-59 1:03:29 4:10 4:54:33 3:39 3:41:21
9:52:45 SATTLER HANS-LUDWIG M55-59 58:01:00 3:18 5:06:40 3:17 3:41:32
10:56:42 PARTEL KEN M60-64 1:15:19 8:49 5:22:59 8:26 4:01:11
12:57:20 LETTNER TOMMY M65-69 1:27:29 6:52 6:11:21 4:34 5:07:07
13:42:39 WEBER JOHN M70-74 1:19:55 9:03 6:29:18 8:23 5:36:03
15:44:29 HENDERSON NEAL M75-79 1:26:47 15:46 6:54:49 14:29 6:52:38
8:07:59 EVANS TOM MPRO 48:15:00 1:44 4:19:00 1:44 2:57:19
8:17:51 SINDBALLE TORBJORN MPRO 48:30:00 2:05 4:21:31 2:14 3:03:33
8:23:00 VABROUSEK PETR MPRO 53:18:00 2:18 4:29:34 2:16 2:55:37
8:24:41 BASTIE CHRISTOPHE MPRO 53:15:00 2:10 4:25:13 1:41 3:02:25
8:25:34 WIDMANN UWE MPRO 51:16:00 2:10 4:30:26 1:49 2:59:56
10:30:38 JACKSON CATRIONA W18-24 1:00:09 2:53 5:29:08 2:45 3:55:44
10:05:42 GROSS NICOLE W25-29 55:06:00 2:55 5:28:09 2:28 3:37:07
10:06:40 FLAHERTY REBECCA W25-29 1:00:39 2:17 5:04:46 1:51 3:57:08
9:58:36 STILES CHRISTINA W30-34 1:01:14 4:24 5:26:09 2:53 3:23:58
9:59:46 ZELTNER TAMARA W30-34 1:05:36 4:26 5:13:59 3:00 3:32:48
10:05:55 JOHNSON JOY W30-34 1:11:06 4:34 5:17:07 2:52 3:30:18
9:56:00 HINTERBERGER ELKE W35-39 1:04:21 5:00 5:07:13 2:43 3:36:45
9:56:53 ROTHGANG HEIDI W35-39 1:10:26 3:11 5:09:59 2:59 3:30:21
10:25:47 HUME JILL W35-39 1:04:31 3:54 5:13:02 3:45 4:00:36
10:29:54 ANDERSON ADRIENNE W35-39 1:14:36 4:32 5:13:21 3:25 3:54:02
10:02:58 BUEHLMANN TANJA W40-44 1:01:48 4:01 5:12:11 3:21 3:41:39
10:27:50 GIOVANOLI GABI W40-44 1:08:56 4:16 5:17:35 4:23 3:52:42
10:31:54 ARLANDER BODIL W40-44 1:06:54 4:32 5:21:16 4:03 3:55:11
10:10:59 REINHARDT MANUELA W45-49 1:00:06 5:27 5:02:52 2:39 3:59:58
10:33:06 ROTOVNIK KOZJEK NADA W45-49 1:02:15 4:49 5:25:38 4:20 3:56:06
10:39:00 I-JAKOBSEN KAISA W45-49 1:09:55 5:25 5:14:48 2:13 4:06:40
10:22:54 BEIL BRIGITTE W50-54 1:06:49 4:51 5:18:59 3:46 3:48:31
11:43:58 BURKE VIOLA W55-59 1:16:33 6:04 5:31:02 3:37 4:46:45
12:49:49 PHIPPS MARIANA W60-64 1:21:51 6:40 6:13:28 4:03 5:03:48
9:14:15 KOZULINA TAMARA WPRO 59:10:00 1:46 5:04:25 2:00 3:06:56
9:26:46 WEE BREE WPRO 53:16:00 2:31 5:05:50 2:10 3:23:00
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Oprah's Marathon: Act Two
RunTri.com Racing Coverage ||
It's a marathon of a different kind, this time.
The story is out. Oprah weighs 200 pounds. She's embarrassed. She looks at photos that show her, well, a bit more fit. Fit enough to run the Marine Corps Marathon in 1994.
But can she run a marathon today? She's probably tell you: no.
We're here to say: we think she can. It has everything to do with attitude. A sign at the 2002 Boston Marathon said it best: All You Need Now is to Want it Bad Enough. Easy as that.
Or so several thousand 200+ pounders who race and complete the Chicago Marathon each year. For them it's about the goal, the challenge, the discipline, the dedication, and the execution. Size doesn't matter to them; the goal does.
Maybe Oprah doesn't want to be her old marathon self. Fine, too. She is who she is today, but she will also always be known as a marathon runner and a marathon finisher, no matter her size.
That's the Oprah you'll always know; the one who can do epic things one day, and then cheer others attempting their own epic challenge the next.
As Oprah did in 1994, one week after running her Marine Corp Marathon, she was at the 21-mile point of the Chicago Marathon. No entourage, just Oprah, standing on the curb, clapping and cheering.
I was running my debut marathon that day, realistically against all sense and reason. There was no way I could ever run a marathon, others said. I wasn't sure myself. But there at mile 21, there was support and encouragement.
Honestly, at that point, I didn't care all that much that it was Oprah. I finished that day in just under 5 hours, among the last 15%.
It could have been enough, I could have been done with running. But once you've been there, once you find that something extra, you know you can do more.
I got the sense that Oprah was saying that by being at mile 20 for thousands of runners, and I get the sense that thousands, millions, are there for her now.
She did it then, she'll do it now. Before it was a marathon. Now, its a different journey, but as long as she wants it bad enough, she'll get there. And millions will learn from her example.
The AP 'Oprah is 200 Pounds' story is here. The better story, the one about her inspiring 1994 Marine Corps Marathon is here.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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It's a marathon of a different kind, this time.
The story is out. Oprah weighs 200 pounds. She's embarrassed. She looks at photos that show her, well, a bit more fit. Fit enough to run the Marine Corps Marathon in 1994.
But can she run a marathon today? She's probably tell you: no.
We're here to say: we think she can. It has everything to do with attitude. A sign at the 2002 Boston Marathon said it best: All You Need Now is to Want it Bad Enough. Easy as that.
Or so several thousand 200+ pounders who race and complete the Chicago Marathon each year. For them it's about the goal, the challenge, the discipline, the dedication, and the execution. Size doesn't matter to them; the goal does.
Maybe Oprah doesn't want to be her old marathon self. Fine, too. She is who she is today, but she will also always be known as a marathon runner and a marathon finisher, no matter her size.
That's the Oprah you'll always know; the one who can do epic things one day, and then cheer others attempting their own epic challenge the next.
As Oprah did in 1994, one week after running her Marine Corp Marathon, she was at the 21-mile point of the Chicago Marathon. No entourage, just Oprah, standing on the curb, clapping and cheering.
I was running my debut marathon that day, realistically against all sense and reason. There was no way I could ever run a marathon, others said. I wasn't sure myself. But there at mile 21, there was support and encouragement.
Honestly, at that point, I didn't care all that much that it was Oprah. I finished that day in just under 5 hours, among the last 15%.
It could have been enough, I could have been done with running. But once you've been there, once you find that something extra, you know you can do more.
I got the sense that Oprah was saying that by being at mile 20 for thousands of runners, and I get the sense that thousands, millions, are there for her now.
She did it then, she'll do it now. Before it was a marathon. Now, its a different journey, but as long as she wants it bad enough, she'll get there. And millions will learn from her example.
The AP 'Oprah is 200 Pounds' story is here. The better story, the one about her inspiring 1994 Marine Corps Marathon is here.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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