By Jim Bloch
A total of 29,393 people started the 130th edition of the Boston Marathon on Patriots Day, April 20. A whopping 29,025 or 98.8 percent finished the 26.2-mile race that wended through eight cities and towns before winding up in central Boston.
It was a perfect day to run, clear and 45 degrees Fahrenheit at the start, with a light tailwind helping runners to a fast launch. Clouds closed in midway through the race. The wind picked up and became a head-breeze, occasionally sprinkling the runners with light rain. But the sun kept breaking its way through the cloud deck, brightening the way.
515 of the runners hailed from Michigan; 511 of them completed the race, 99.2 percent.
According to my unofficial count, five of the 515 Michigan runners call St. Clair County home: Samantha Bieth, 24, of Marine City; Therese Damman, 52, St. Clair; Christine Galnor, 47, Port Huron; Nathan McDonell, 47, St. Clair; and Neal Obermyer, 63, Fort Gratiot.
All 50 states were represented, plus Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Massachusetts led all states with 4,479 runners; Wyoming started the fewest runners at 12. Citizens of 131 countries ran the marathon.
John Korir, 29, of Kenya set a new course record or 2:01:52, winning for the second consecutive year and shattering Geoffrey Mutai’s 2:03:02 record, set in 2011. Sharon Lokedi of Kenya also repeated, running the second fastest women’s time ever; Lokedi, 32, set the record last year at 2:17:22.
Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the wheelchair division for the ninth time, clocking a 1:16:06. Eden Rainbow-Cooper, Great Britain, spun her way to her second first place finish in the women’s division, turning in a 1:30:15.
St. Clair County finishers
McDonell topped the five St. Clair County runners, finishing in 3:14:18, averaging 7:25 minute miles. He wore bib number 12089.
“Almost a prime number,” said McDonell, who teaches math at Warren Fitzgerald.
How big was the field? McDonell finished 9,998th out of 29,020 runners. He was 1,330th out 2,413 in the 45-49 age bracket.
Damman, who is married to 31st Circuit Court Judge Dan Damman, turned in a 3:26:03, averaging 7:52 per mile.
“The Boston Marathon never disappoints,” said Damman on Facebook. “Today was marathon #21 and I’m super excited to be leaving Boston with a new PR!”
Damman finished 148 out of 1,233 in her 50-54 age group.
Bieth ran 7:54 minute miles on her way to a 3:27:02. She finished 4,403 out of 12,578 women who ran the marathon.
Obermyer ran a 3:54:35, averaging 8:57 per mile. He finished 12,449 out of the 16,336 men who ran the race.
Galnor, who teaches in Marysville, ran 9:05 minute miles, completing the course in 3:57:45. She finished 21,139 out of 29,020 runners.
Michigander completes 57th consecutive Boston
Mark Bauman, 76, of Flushing, ran the marathon in 6:36:12. He finished 67th out of 68 runners in the 75-79 age group. He averaged 15:07 per mile.
All significant achievements.
But Bauman’s biggest accomplishment was his endurance. He extended his record for the longest consecutive finish streak in Boston Marathon history to 57. He completed his first when he was 20.
Runners of rare note
Sunie Williams, 60, the astronaut who spent 608 days on the International Space Station after her Boeing return rocket malfunctioned, ran a 5:52:49. She was the 764th finisher in her 60-64 age bracket, which had 782 competitors. She wore bib number 608.
Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill and Secretary of State Hillary, finished in a time of 3:40:52. Don’t search for her on the app of the Boston Athletic Association, which sponsors the race. She ran under a pseudonym.
Jeff DeRosa, 43, of the multi-instrumentalist of the Dropkick Murphys, ran as well.
“Very hard,” he told the Boston Globe. “But I did it. Beautiful day. Beautiful spirit in the city. I don’t know if I’ll ever do this again.”
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
