Jeremy's Excellent Adventure and Our Dane runs the Half

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WALT DISNEY MARATHON EVOLVES AGAIN
The twelfth anniversary of the Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon is the unofficial opening of the 2005 marathon season. What is the rule, year in and year out, besides the sold out fields for both events, is that for twelve years the WDW marathon weekend has also been the national meeting for the Running Network, LLC.

With 32 publications across North and Central America, and 831,000 circulation, the Running Network has reached some critical mass. The chance for the publishers and editors to interact and share ideas (with some running the half and full marathon) is the best of both worlds. The grassroots nature of the WDW marathon has run parallel with the changes in the sport and growth of grassroots running publications that are a part of the network.

In its twelfth year, WDW is about to evolve once again starting in 2006. Saturday, January 6, will be devoted to the half marathon with a limit of 13,000 and it will be run on a new course. Then, the marathon will be on Sunday, January 7. It will have a cap of 13,000. Why would Disney go to a two day format? The half marathon is the hottest distance in running at this time. With all of the Team in Training groups that are making such an impact in our sport, the half marathon is an event that requires less training and again, gives potential runners a goal that is much more achievable.

This should be well received--and in if copying is the sincerest form of flattery, watch this idea to catch on in the next few years by other events.

WDW also comes at a time of the season where many of the sport's luminaries come to watch the event, and recover from the past year. This year Deena Kastor, Meb Keflezeghi and Dan Browne were all at the WDW event. It is also nice that, with much of the country covered in snow, Orlando is a crisp 70 degrees.

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RACE DAY: AN EARLY START FOR RUNNERS---INCLUDING SEVERAL RUNNING NETWORK PUBLISHERS/EDITORS

Race day comes early in Orlando. When I peeked out my door at the Catalina Resort at 5 a.m. most of the buses had already left for the race start (they start departing for the start at 3 a.m.). It was over 50 degrees. I was able to cajole my bus driver into getting me to the last off ramp for Epcot, and I began my walk of several miles to the media center at the finish line by Epcot Center.

The fireworks signal the start of the race, but for about fifteen minutes, it was only me and six guys in grass skirts playing the song, "Who Let the Dog's Out". From the top of an overpass, we watched the leaders go by the mile mark. I heard a voice with a slight Danish accent call out, "Hi, Larry!" It was Christian Friis, Editor of our partner publication, Athletics HI. Friis, a coach at Hawaii Pacific University, hit the first mile in 5.11 with Adriano Bastos of Brasil following in 5.20. Friis was an NCAA District meet winner in his college days is quite gregarious and his stories about college sport life would make a good sitcom.

At two miles, Bastos took the lead in the marathon, hitting two mile in 10.42 and never looking back. Bastos would finish in first in the marathon in 2.19.16.

While there was no drama in the mens marathon, there were the stories of 24,000 marathoners and half marathoners. Trailing Bastos, who won WDW in 2003, in his first marathon, was another Running Networker, Jeremy Borling, who is an Assistant Editor for Chicago Athlete Magazine and the Web site Editor for American Track & Field, Athletes Only and California Track & Running News. Borling was in ninth place at the time, running in the conservative manner that had been suggested for his inaugural marathon.

Borling who trains with Chicago's Reebok/Universal Sole racing team was an All-American for Division III in track & cross country had recently had run two half marathons in hot weather. One in Puerto Rico in 1.10 and in December he won the Reggae Half Marathon in Jamaica in 1.11. He had been given a lot of advice---go out slow, hit the half in 1.18 and see what you can do--probably too much advice.

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THE HALF MARATHON
The battle, on the men's side for the half marathon, was between Micheal McGrane and Christian Friis. McGrane of Brookline, MA, took the lead in the by mile six, and led, unopposed through the race, hitting the finish line in 1.13.08. Nolan Taylor of Franklin, PA, took second in 1.15.3 and Christian Friis, from Honolulu, HI, held on for third in 1.17.24. In fourth place was Mike Ridenour of Fort Wayne, IN, in 1.17.38. Cris Pates of Bethlehem, PA took fifth in the open in 1.18.01.

In last year's half marathon, the story was the men from Brooks Hanson Distance Project. This year it was the women from the Brooks Hanson Distance Project. Their coach had told us on Friday that this was just going to be a nice long run, with a bit of pick up after eight miles. Well, Sabrina Monro, the newest member of the Distance Project, followed the plan and won in 1.19.24. Leigh Daniel ran 1.20.4 for second, Melissa White ran 1.20.52 for third and Jackie Rzepecki was fourth in 1.21.14. Bea Marie Altieri was the first local, from Clermont, FL, who took fifth in 1.21.28.

Watch for the Brooks Hanson women to compete well in February and March, after a good week of warm weather training in Florida. Now, they head back to Rochester, MI---can you say cold?

On the Master's side, George Altieri was first in 1.18.12. He is from Clermont, FL. On the women's masters side, Deb Heiser from Gainesville, FL ran 1.30.03 and won the division.

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BACK TO THE MARATHON
As I criss-crossed the first five miles of the course, I was able to see the elite and the citizen runners. WDW is a destination marathon, in fact, they invented the destination marathon. Years before other marathons followed suit, WDW gave up on prize money and focused instead on the citizen runner. The average time for their marathon finishes are about five hours and forty minutes.

The race starts in the dark, and at first, there is the trickle of fast marathoners and half marathoners. A few packs of ten, then the three hour group, the four hour group, and then, just masses of people. The masses of people started at fifteen minutes and I did not see a clear round until I came to the entrance of Epcot Center, where the walkers were across the road.

I spent most of my two hour walk to the start wishing "good luck" to a sea of marathoners, half marathoners, all starting the new year in the best way possible--challenging themselves to achieve something good.

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JEREMY'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
And now, back to the marathon for the Trials of Miles. There is a place in every marathon, no matter who you are--elite, citizen, fast club runner--where your spirit commands your body, and the communication begins to break down. At the cellular level, mitochondria are creamed, as your leg muscles run out of glycogen, and you find a place where pain and focus are one in the same. Your arms are pumping, but the stride is going. First, it is probably the quads, then maybe your hamstrings, and then, you know that you are going to hurt no matter what and there is still four miles to go.

Borling experienced his first Trials of Miles. He did run conservatively, hitting ten miles in 57 minutes and the half marathon in 1.15. "I had planned on six minutes, but those 5.45s felt so good," Borling reflected afterward.

By Mile 22, he was in a place he had never been before. For two miles, he persevered, putting one foot in front of the other, and hoping for the finish line. Somewhere around Mile 24, with the quads on fire, hamstrings shot and each step more excruciating, he got back on pace, and was able to focus on the finish.

What he did not know was that there was a battle going around him, between the top marathoners and the elements. Kenyan Peter Tanui had been in second, and when he went after Bastos, a training partner of Olympic bronze medalist Vanderlei de Lima. Tanui cramped and did not finish.

Borling persevered, and as he came down the final straightaway in good form, he finished third, in 2.32.07---pretty good for a first time marathon. Although he was beat up, afterward, but smiled and said, "I will probably take two weeks pretty easy, and then see how it goes." He has a fast one in him. And that is the romance of the marathon--a good first race is a temptress---and the marathon is race that requires patience, endurance and focus.

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A SURPRISING WOMEN'S WINNER
"I grew up in Orlando, and always wanted to run the Walt Disney Marathon," said Amy Shertzer, a graduate of the Air Force Academy who served in the Air Force. "I was just running the race, and at half way, was told I was third. Then I passed the second place runner at 16 miles and then passed the leader at 19 miles." She cruised on in to win the race in 2.58.08. Shertzer, ironically, had just moved to Colorado, as her husband is an instructor at the Air Force Academy. In second was Dorian Meyer of Rumson, NJ, who ran 2.59.36. Third place went to Kim Donaldson of Durham, NC, who ran 3.01.01. In fourth place, it was Carol Guzinski of Garnerville, NY, and fifth fifth place was Sally Speck of Kennett Square, PA.

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A MEMORY AND SOME FINAL THOUGHTS
The marathon and half marathon are challenges that most people can achieve. In this day and age, where 9/11 is part of the white noise of our bad dreams, and we often read about acts of unbelievable cruelty and most recently we've been reminded of the tremendous forces of nature like the Tsuami seen on every television set---one of the few things that human beings can control is their hour of activity each day.

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In my first marathon, I did not listen to my coach. I went out slow, and then ran pace on a hilly course way too adventuresome for my ability. At 22 miles, my coach, in his New Balance running shoes, and plaid Bermuda shorts ran by and finished twenty minutes ahead of me. I learned to listen to the man who helped me take off 42 minutes and qualify for Boston six times. Patience is part of the marathon game.

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Race Director Jon Hughes is one of those guys that you would love to just sit down and ask questions as he has dealt with all of the innovations and challenges that a race through amusement parks could muster. He will recover, like all of the marathoners, to run or direct this race another day.

WDW is a great way to open what should be an amazing year for our sport in 2005. Marathon participation will be up as will half marathons; footwear sales should do well; and the value of footwear companies is increasing.

Watch for more coverage from the Running Network, LLC with photos and stories by our various members over the next few days. And congratulations to the other Running Network partners who ran in Sunday's race.

Lastly, welcome to 2005---it's going to be a great year!