Race Information: Portland Marathon

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