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Portland Marathon
October 3, 1999
Race Report by Bob Dolphin
It's always an exciting adventure to run the Portland Marathon.
It is
well-organized--a runner's event with every participant treated
like an
elite runner. I first ran there in 1985, 50 this one was my 15th
consecutive Portland Marathon and I wouldn't have missed it for
the
world. At first, I improved my times from 3:20 and ran a 3:03 in
1988.
It's been slower since then, and this was my first Portland race
over
four hours. That's better than any of the alternatives (such as
retiring!) On race day I was the oldest competitor in my age
division
at 69 years, 11 months, and 30 days---which is to say it was a day
before I turned 70 and would move to another group. (Victoria
Marathon,
here I come next week!!
This year's race on October 3, 1999, was won by Matt Messner, 30,
of
Bothell, WA, in a time of 2:24:33. Close behind was Atsushi
Ozeki, 29,
of Japan with 2:26:30 and Jeff Terry, 36, of Birmingham, AL, with
2:29:28. There was an exciting race between the first and second
woman.
Kyra Slade, 32, of Pasadena, CA, won by only one second as she
finished
with a time of 2:48:23 in only her second marathon! There may
have
been a different ending if Jennifer Burningham, 26, of Portland
hadn't
gone off the course in mid-race. She had been leading before she
went
astray and then made up a lot of distance before the climactic
finish
of losing by only a step or two.
At the end of the field were the slower runners and marathon
walkers.
The oldest male participant was John Beeson of Lake Oswego, OR,
who is
87 years of age and had a time of 7:32:35. The oldest female
entrant
was Peggy Lutz, 77, of Prineville, OR, with a 7:05:07 finish.
The last
five recorded finishers were listed at an eleven hour time.
Running friends whom I saw at the Expo or on the course included
Jimmy Smith, Mike Lewis, Dennis Devis, Carol Dellinger, Mac
Bohlman,
Marty Robbins, Mike Mettler, Rick Jensen, Judy Fischer (56,
3:51:15,
3rd), and Roelif Laughlin (77, 7:09:27). Others who came by to
visit
and share in the birthday cake at our table at the awards
ceremony were
Mel Preedy (3:38) and Sonia, Mike Dutton (29, 4:12:11), Russ Akers
(4:09:37) and Joyce, Max Jones (72, 3:34:31), Mike Wakabayashi
(3:04:49),
Terry Cliett (3:20:01) and Cindy and Travis, Fenny Roberts
(marathon
racewalker, 6:32:18) and Larry, Marty Wanless, Martin Rudow, Ole
Bergset (Boise, ID, 2:58:18), Mike Mettler, Phil Weiser (43,
4:36:51),
and Diana Anderson (62, 5:07:29).
My race went well, but slower than I wished. Three weeks ago at
the
Skagit Flats Marathon I had problems with my left calf, but these
problems didn't recur, and I ran 23 minutes faster at Portland to
finish in 4:15:47, 11th in the age class competition. It was my
last
opportunity to compete with some of my younger friends for a few
years
and to close out another fun decade of road racing.
At the award ceremony four of us at our table were honored for
our
combined total of 750 marathons/ultramarathons. Max Jones, 72,
of
Leeds, England, (holder of the UK record for lOOK male runners)
has run
104; Mel Preedy, 66, of Ravensdale, WA, has run 190 and has
placed first in the age class for many of them; Russ Akers, 66, of
College
Place, WA, has completed 213 marathons, including 21 Portland
Marathons;
and my tally was 243 marathons/ultras since 1981.
Thanks to the Portland Marathon Group and their many volunteers
who
maintain their reputation as the best-organized marathon---and
thanks
to the awards committee for presenting plaques to the first 15
runners
in every age group. Running injured and being the oldest person
in
the 65-69M division made me really appreciate this. My fifteen
year
record of placing in my age group isn't broken, and I treasure my
most
recent Portland Marathon plaque.
Written by Bob Dolphin
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