Race Information: Portland Marathon

All of the runners and walkers who participated in the Portland Marathon on September 30, 2001, had the privilege to be in a running event in which a world record was set. John Keston, a well-known runner from McMinnville, Oregon, ran a 3:22:59 marathon to set a world record for a 76 year old male. Not only is this a remarkable time for this world class athlete, it reflects a remarkable comeback from an accident that might have ended his running career.

Several years ago as John was biking, the front wheel of his bicycle caught a steel groove. The result was a bad fall, and John had a broken bone at the femur and hip joint area. A surgical steel plate was set into his hip, and a long recuperation period followed. Two years ago John sang the Nation Anthem at the start of the Portland Marathon. This year John sang for us again and ran his first marathon since his accident. I predict that other world and national records will fall to John as he continues his phenomenal road racing.

Another type of record was set by the front runners. Both the first man and first woman winners were from Japan. I don’t recall that happening before. Winning his first marathon in 31 races was Manabu Otaki, 31, ofAsaka-Shi who ran unchallenged to a 2:33:01 finish. Yoshimatsu Chigusa, 21, of Kumamoto also ran with no competitors nearby. She used male runners as windbreaks periodically as she reached the finish line in a time of 2:49:56.

As the runners and walkers gathered at the starting line at dawn, the skies were clear, and the temperature was 60 degrees. By noon the thermometer had risen to 80 degrees and peaked at 86 degrees by the time the 8-hour walkers finished at 3:00 p.m. In spite of the warm temperatures many of our friends and acquaintances had great times and received awards as shown in the partial results listed at the end of this article.

In the wheelchair division, Jerry Martin, 53, of Spokane (wearing bib #1) was the winner with a time of 2:09:49. In the same division, David Whedbee, 34, of Seattle cranked his racing wheelchair with his right arm to a 2:54:25 finish. Quite a feat! David placed fifth out of eight in this division.

My race went well for awhile. I felt twinges in my left foot and right hamstrings in the first mile so I took two Advil. The foot settled down but not the hamstring that I had strained two weeks earlier at the Shore to Shore Marathon at Chelan. I was at a 9 minute pace at 10 miles and finished the first half in 2 hours. Minor cramps from then on required some massaging and stretching, but the hamstring was of great concern. I drank a lot of water and Powerade and felt fine at 20 miles. My time was 3:10 there, and I had the potential for a 4:10 finish. However, at the 24 mile mark, the hamstring pulled and both legs cramped at once. After I massaged and stretched, it was obvious that my run was over and a limping walk was all that I could manage.

At 25 miles, I passed a prostrate runner being attended by medics for heat exhaustion. By then many runners were walking, so I wasn’t alone in my struggle to get to the finish line. My mile splits while walking were at 19-20 minute intervals, so things could have been worse. The finish line that I crossed in 4:36:57 was most welcome. Later, at the Awards Ceremony, I learned that I was the first 70-74M of six to finish. I lucked out!! I was also in 3,285th position of 7,333 runners and walkers who finished.

The moral to the story is not to run marathons injured. I’m glad that the walk was only two miles. The last time I ignored my own advice, I walked 22 miles to a 5:15 finish.

Prior to the marathon, on September 28 and 29, Lenore and I attended the Portland Marathon Race Directors’ Workshop for the second year in a row. This conference provided a great opportunity for meeting other directors, for learning from the experienced and successful ones, and for sharing ideas with others involved in promoting both large and small running events in North America. We highly recommend this workshop as a “must attend” for all race directors who want their races to become the “best ever.”

Congratulations to event director Les Smith, his staff, the event committee, and the thousands of volunteers who make the Portland Marathon the best organized, large marathon in the country.

Written by Bob Dolphin

2001 PORTLAND MARATHON
Partial Results
              
2:43:10 James Matsusaka, 34, Seattle, 4th 30-34M, (9th Overall) 
2:57:52 Eric Hansen, 34, Yakima, 14th 30-34M, (54) 
2:59:13 Chuck Cammack, 55, Albany, OR, 1st 55-59M (66) 
3:16:03 Michael Wakabayashi, 53, Spokane, 11th 50-54M, (252) 
3:16:31 Glenn Tachiyama, 44, Seattle, 46th 40-44M, (262) 
3:16:31 Laura Baird, 32, Seattle, 5th 30-34F, (263) 
3:18:34 Richard Mahood, 46, Richland, 23rd 45-49M, (306) 
3:18:45 Pete Hansen, 45, Ferndale, 25th 45-49M, (312) 
3:19:43 Bart Yasso, 45, Emmaus, PA, 31st 45-49M, (335) 
3:22:59 John Keston, 76, McMinnville, OR, 1st 75-79M 
3:24:17 Herb Allen, 59, Bainbridge Island, 8th 55-59M, (423) 
3:26:13 George Wiebe, 65, Vancouver, WA, 1st 65-69M, (468) 
3:27:39 Mel Preedy, 68, Ravensdale, 2nd 65-69M, (518) 
3:32:08 Wally Kastner, 56, Carmel, CA, 14th 55-59M, (656) 
3:35:05 Davey Jones, 55, Seattle, 17th 55-59M, (778) 
3:40:23 Greg Judge, 53, Des Moines, WA, 51st 50-54M, (911) 
3:41:00 Michael Dutton, 31, Bellingham, 158th 30-34M, (926) 
3:45:18 Richard Bona, 63, Yakima, 5th 60-64M, (1072) 
3:46:48 Gunhild Swanson, 57, Spokane, 2nd 55-59F, (1115) 
3:47:47 Terry Cliett, 42, Selah, 149th 40-44M, (1142) 
3:52:47 Jim Boyd, 59, Seattle, 26th 55-59M, (1355) 
3:53:23 Ron Fowler, 54, 71st 50-54M, (1389) 
3:55:47 Jim Kunz, 52, Seattle, 81st 50-54M (1506) 
4:00:43 Bonnie Lochner, 25, Seattle, 101st 25-29F, (1761) 
4:08:10 Jon Mahoney, 49, Vernon, BC, 191st 45-49M, (2074) 
4:10:42 Mark Konodi, 45, Seattle, 202nd 45-49M (2158) 
4:11:17 Melinda Moore, 47, Tacoma, 42nd 45-49F, (2184) 
4:11:57 Ed Hansen, 55, Stayton, OR, 51st 55-59M, (2208) 
4:17:44 Diane Wilcox, 49, Yarrow Point, 51st 45-49F, (2464) 
4:22:34 Russ Akers, 68, Walla Walla, 9th 65-69M, (2681) 
4:25:06 Jack Swanson, 67, Spokane, 10th 65-69M, (2772) 
4:31:07 Paul Fouch, 67, Klamath Falls, OR, 11th 65-69M, (3049) 
4:36:57 Bob Dolphin, 71, Renton, 1st 70-74M, (3285) 
4:45:29 Frank Searfus, 51, Coos Bay, OR, 199th 50-54M, (3601) 
4:49:10 Malcolm Bohlman, 67, Walla Walla, 12th 65-9M, (3724) 
4:51:52 Jon Nevitt, 62, Burlington, 34th 60-64M, (3807) 
5:08:03 Fenny Roberts, 49, Salem, OR, 141st 45-49F, (4268) 
5:08:03 Jim Scheer, 59, Vancouver, WA, 108th 55-59M, (4269) 
5:19:37 Diana Anderson, 61, Enumclaw, 9th 60-64F, (4550) 
5:58:25 Jimmy Smith, 61, Bremerton, 52nd 60-64M, (5351) 
7:07:38 Bryan Rich, 14, Yakima, 17th 19 & under, (6776)