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Strolling Jim Was A Walking Horse – The 2015 Race Report

First, this is a running race named after a walking horse.

The 2015 edition of the Strolling Jim 40 miler, a race that is actually 41.2 miles, was the 37th version. But then again if the distance isn’t accurate maybe this wasn’t the 37th. I guess we can believe it, I mean it’s not like the creator uses a fake name. If you haven’t run this one, you are missing out – missing out on an incredible experience and equally incredible pain. But its a good pain.

The early pack Photo Credit: Joshua Holmes

The early pack Photo Credit: Joshua Holmes

A Strolling Jim experience begins with camaraderie with ultra legends and ends with the same. The in between is where runners find out what they are made of. The course is brutal – and all road, this is as old school as races come.

DeWayne Satterfield, Dink Taylor and Brett Wilks Photo Credit: Yong Kim

DeWayne Satterfield, Dink Taylor and Brett Wilks Photo Credit: Yong Kim

My personal experience with this race includes multiple hours of running with ultra-personalities and hearing about their experiences in iconic races and other adventurous runs. I have been lucky to spend three plus hours each of the last two years running with Huntsville’s DeWayne Satterfield and Dink Taylor. Seeing that these guys have done great things in the ultra world for years, you can imagine the great yarns they can tell. As we ran the country roads in the early miles this year, Satterfield obviously had the Vol State 500K on his brain. When we would come to a viewpoint that held a long section of rolling terrain in front of us, DeWayne would spread his arms out to hold the scene and say with that perpetual smile of his, ‘this is exactly what Vol State is about.’ It’s great to see these guys get excited about these big events.

Around 15 or so miles into the race we passed a country church, I looked back. I did not turn into sand, but I did see the sign out front had the following verse/message on it: O Death, where is your sting (I Cor. 15:55). I pointed this out; DeWayne started singing O Brother Where Art Thou songs. Later on, in our own ways, we found out just where the sting was located.

In order to pass the time, because the early miles (1-26) are about passing the time until the racing or flailing begins, I asked Satterfield why Huntsville, AL has so many ultra runners. In fact, I asked a more pointed question – was there a person that got you guys into ultra running when everyone else was running 10k races? The answer was a gentleman named Phillip Parker. The cool thing about this sport is that every successful runner seems to have a person that they look up to and who taught them how to be the success they’ve become in the sport. Hearing this always reminds me to listen to those who have been doing this for a while to find out the good secrets and to talk to those who are new to our crazy group. Parker was that spark for Satterfield. To hear the admiration in his voice showed how special this man was. DeWayne has a Barkley Fun Run, a victory at Vol State, in fact victories for years and years at the ultra distances. DeWayne is a genuine, good human and for him to look up to another runner so admirably tells me a lot about Parker without needing to hear the stories. DeWayne told me of Parker running Vol State in the early years of the race, a tale that included Parker’s wife discovering on day two that she had an appointment back at home on the 4th day of the event. Parker did what any gentleman would do for his wife; he manned up and ran like a hundred and ten miles on day three to finish the race in time to make the appointment.

Parker would also answer the local’s question of ‘how far you going today?’ with ‘a couple dozen’. Classic.

Eventually, DeWayne and Brett Wilks took off from me. We were a couple dozen into the race. About a mile later, Dink passed me. Dink always passes me. Someday, maybe when I’m 50, I’ll get him back but it won’t be easy. Once the marathon is in the legs, Dink smells blood in those poor souls in front of him.

Last year at the marathon mark things got real for me. Luckily Joe Fejes (yes, that Joe Fejes) and I hooked up for the second half of the race, aka miles 28-41. Joe’s mental capacity to get through races is unparalleled; after all he is ‘6 Day Joe’. At mile 28 Joe told me exactly what we were going to do for the rest of the race. I did not question him. I just did what he said. Things worked out. This year there was no Joe – he’s in Hungary running for six days straight again. So it was me and my crew. Last year, my wife Sherrie handled the crew duties – that is when she made it to me. She got lost and couldn’t find me until I had made it about 25 miles into the race. I’m pretty easy when it comes to crewing, so I just adapted. This year though I had professional help.

Yong Kim at Lookout 50 Miler Photo credit: Jobie Williams

Yong Kim at Lookout 50 Miler Photo credit: Jobie Williams

When us Southerners say ‘Yong Kim’ it sounds like we are talking about an up and coming female rapper from Atlanta, but in reality Yong is a solid runner from Nolensville, TN. Yong had offered a few weeks back to crew me in this race. Yong has done some great races lately, especially the phenomenal effort he laid down at Savage Gulf marathon, where he was second overall with one of the fastest times ever on the difficult, technical course. Yong and I have also shared plenty of miles together and to say he is the most positive person I’ve run with will not shock anyone that knows him. So when he offered I took him up on it. Another good thing working in my favor was that Yong had witnessed first-hand some of my usual race stupidity. Like the time a few years ago when we ran Stump Jump together. It was the year that would become known by most of the entrants as the ‘Bee Year’. A hot day for sure and me not being one to consume a lot of fluids as I run, I thought the best choice for my water bottle would be one of those 6 oz Salomon soft flasks that fit in your palm. I was fine early, but once we hit Suck Creek Road the second time the light switch went off on me. I spent a few minutes trying to determine why the aid station worker was talking in Swahili. Eventually I came to my senses and realized that she was not the crazy one standing there.

Yong was solid all day, moving between crewing me full-time and a few others part-time. Next year I’m hoping that he jumps into the race as well.

As things deteriorated for me, Joshua Holmes was head hunting. Right as I entered ‘the walls’, Yong told me that Josh was very close and that I should work with him to the finish. We were in two totally different places at this point and Josh ended up running this critical section of the course strongly and got the sub 6 hour result for his effort. Very proud of him. Josh and I have shared some memorable miles, specifically at Badwater last year where I was on his crew. That week produced a lifetime of stories. Like the day after the race. We had stuck around for the finish festivities in Lone Pine and on the drive back to Los Angeles decided that we would celebrate the week with one last event – a soccer game between Manchester United and LA Galaxy. So we drove to Pasadena and looked for a parking spot around the Rose Bowl. Because we are cheap, we didn’t want to pay to park so we ended up in a residential area a few blocks from the stadium. None of us were completely sure if parking in this area was legal. After slow-rolling through the neighborhood like a bunch of combination creepers/terrorists, Josh pulled the big suburban full of runner and crew in front of a house and waffled with his decision to park there for a moment, then stated, “this is a rental, it’s not like anyone is going to know it’s my vehicle. I think we are OK here.” We all sat there a minute reassuring him it was fine. Then I remembered that we had not removed any of the five 3’x2’ race required signs from the vehicle. These signs had ‘Joshua Holmes’, ‘Run It Fast’, his race number – basically everything except his bank account on them. And that is why we are runners. Being a ninja or international spy requires more stealth and intelligence than we can produce. Just for the record we were a band consisting of one medical doctor, two attorneys, an accountant and a college student.

Jobie Williams and Joshua Holmes in the post Strolling Jim swing Photo Credit: Yong Kim

Jobie Williams and Joshua Holmes in the post Strolling Jim swing Photo Credit: Yong Kim

As I struggled through the 50K point that was marked on the road I looked at my watch to see how long it had taken. 4:18. Even though it was rough those last miles leading to the mark, my heat soaked brain was convincing me that a 4:18 50k is not terrible at all. Later that night as I thought about this I had to laugh. As I was feeling good about my 4:18, Scott Breeden had finished the race four minutes earlier. Everything is relative I suppose. Small victories, all that stuff. But Scott is a real talent and was doing this race on Barkley legs. I’d not be surprised if he doesn’t threaten the seemingly untouchable Strolling Jim course record in the coming years.

Jobie Williams "enjoying" the country roads of TN Photo Credit: Yong Kim

Jobie Williams “enjoying” the country roads of TN Photo Credit: Yong Kim

Those last ten miles were cruel and I made a joke of them. Mostly this race came down to me quitting on myself and that doesn’t sit well with me. I’ll have some unfinished business to motivate me next year. As I closed in on the finish and flippantly read Laz’s painted-on-the-road messages to the runners, like ‘only wimps walk here’ – walked, ‘big girls run this’ – walked, ‘only 5k to go, start your kick’ – walked, I was passed by a guy who ran right by me. And he kept running. Actually he had this Badwater shuffle going that was super effective. To stay close I would run a little harder and then settle into a walk. Basically it was the way a 9 year old runs a 5k. At this point I was crushing my ear drums with Rage Against the Machine tunes so that my walk was motivated. Yong had put ice into my water bottle so unbeknownst to me, I sounded like a jack hammer to everyone around me. Once we hit a mile and a half to go I decided I would run with this guy and see what his story is. I turned off my iPod as I caught up to him. His first words were, ‘I was wondering when you were going to catch me. I’ve been hearing your water bottle for a while now.’ Man, I bet that was annoying. Luckily he was a super nice guy and still talked to me. I told him that he must have been a Badwater runner at some point in his life because he had the Jerry West of Badwater shuffles going. He looked at me and said that he had won the first three. Tom Possert, I’m sorry for being a nuisance and an idiot.

Once I finished the race I got to see women’s winner Beth Meadows come in a few minutes later. (This is my way of letting the reader know that I beat all the women.) I had talked this race up to Beth who had just run Boston a couple weeks before. Beth is one of the super solid female runners from Nashville that performs very well in every race she enters. For winning Beth got this awesome trophy that is not dissimilar to the height of Clark Griswold’s Christmas tree. And Beth has Strolling Jim fever now. Something that you can’t get rid of – ask Dink who has done 29 Strolling Jims now.

Beth Meadows and Jobie Williams finish line smiles Photo Credit: Yong Kim

Beth Meadows and Jobie Williams finish line smiles Photo Credit: Yong Kim

Another year finished with the consumption of a big ole chicken leg under the tent in Wartrace. Many more stories were shared and fun had. But before that I sat down under the tent and Laz asked me if it was as easy as I expected. I answered that it was a rough day. He then made a reference to me doing the marathon. I guess I looked more like someone who had wrestled with a 6 hour marathon than a 6 hour 41 miler. I’m not sure what that says about me…

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David Wingard and Joshua Holmes after the 2014 Strolling Jim 40 Miler

Strolling Jim 40 Miler Race Report (2014)

The Strolling Jim 40 Miler was the very first ultra I ran back in 2010. At the time I didn’t know another human on the planet that had run beyond the traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles. I also didn’t know, in selecting The Jim, that I had selected one of the oldest and most historical ultras in the United States to attempt as my very first one.

This year was my 5th consecutive year running the SJ40. It’s held annually in the small town of Wartrace, Tennessee and consists of 41.2 miles on some of the most beautiful, scenic and rolling, green hills in the United States.

The race director’s for this year’s race were Steve Durbin (also RD for RUTS, Land Between the Lakes, Tunnel Hill 100) and Lazarus Lake (creator of the Strolling Jim 40, Barkley Marathon, and The Last Annual Vol State 500K).

The weather for this race is usually warm to very hot on the thermometer. This year, however, it was about 50 degrees at the start and only got up towards 80 degrees at the hottest part of the day. Most of the runners had already finished with temps in the mid 70’s.

I met many good friends before the start of the race including over 20 members of Run It Fast, posed for a few photos, used the facilities, and checked my two drop bags before the race quietly started at 7am.

I went in wanting to run well but also wanting to run smart knowing I had to run a 81 mile team race two days later at the Badwater: Salton Sea 81 Miler and do a double crossing at the Grand Canyon (R2R2R) two days after that. My plan was to go out at a strong pace and keep to it as long as all systems were in check.

Five miles into the race and then ten miles into the race I found myself in a large pack of very good runners consisting of Joe Fejes, DeWayne Satterfield, Dink Taylor, David Jones, Tom Possert, Jobie Williams and several others that was just a short distance behind the overall race leaders. 13-15 miles in to the race I was still in this pack and normally it would have been a sign that I had gone out too fast, but for the most part I had been running within myself and enjoyed the company and opportunity to catch up with several of the guys along the way.

Strolling Jim consists of rolling hills after rolling hill with four major climbs coming at mile 9, 19, 23, and 29.

Around mile 23 I was passed by the first female at the time, Natalie Pickett, just a few moments later I look behind me and realize I’m in the middle of a ‘chick’d sandwich’ as Aleisha Chaffin was on my tail. I was only in this spot briefly as the lower bun quickly passed and both pieces of bread left me in a carb free zone in their wake.

I struggled from miles 17 to 32. My stomach was a bit off, and I just felt a bit funny in general. I couldn’t really put my finger on what it was exactly. My ankles started to hurt in the new Hoka One One Conquests I had started the race wearing. My goal became to make it to mile 28 and switch into the Hoka Bondi Speeds.  This was unrelated to my stomach but did cure my ankles. A couple of miles after this I was able to use the restroom and things started to look and feel better while I was running in ‘The Walls.’

Most runners dread ‘The Walls’ at SJ40 that start at mile 29 and go on for several miles. I like the shade coverage the trees provide and the solace that those miles give as the field is usually extremely spread out at that point. I came alive around mile 33 and started to catch a handful of runners that had passed me 15-20 miles ago. My mile splits kept getting faster as I caught Possert and Michael Lepley around mile 38.

As fast as I was moving, it wasn’t fast enough to hold off Brooke McClanahan who passed me around mile 39 as the third female. She was moving extremely well and ended up finishing 4 minutes ahead of me.

When things were bad I had given up on a PR here or even breaking 6:30. My goal was to do what I could to hold onto a sub-7 hour finish that would get me my second consecutive red shirt. But as I felt better and better over those last miles my pace increased and I started to realize a 6:20 was possible, and if I pushed even harder and shaved more time over the last 3 miles I could potentially have a new PR.

I dug deep and finished in 6:12:35 with a new PR. I was pleased yet still curious what I could have done without that long rough stretch. Maybe if everything lines up perfectly next year a sub-6 might be possible.

Here is a look at my finishes over the past 5 years:

  • 2014: 6:12:35
  • 2013: 6:15:50
  • 2012: 7:34:43
  • 2011: 7:04:32
  • 2010: 7:38:00

One of the best parts of SJ40 is the post race feast. It always consists of bar-b-qued chicken, baked beans, and potato salad. It’s a place where war stories are told from years past and that took place over the previous 41.2 miles.

The Strolling Jim 40 Miler remains one of my favorite races. I hope to continue to go back year after year as long as it’s possible.

– joshua holmes

#runitfast

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Strolling Jim 40 Miler – 2012 Winners – Kathy Youngren – Blake Thompson – Dink Taylor

Blake Thompson Wins 34th Strolling Jim 40 Miler (Results)

Huntsville’s Blake Thompson won the 34th Strolling Jim 40 Miler on May 6, 2012 with a winning time of 5:17:29 for the 41.2 mile course.

Thompson’s time was the slowest winning time in race history according to Race Director Mike Melton.  This was due in large part to the high temperatures and humidity that took a toll on all of the runners throughout the grueling hills of Wartrace, Tennessee.

Second place went to Strolling Jim veteran Dink Taylor (5:29:01) who has run 24+ Jims.  Third place went to ‘Bruce’ Sung Ho Choi (5:33:21) of Jacksonville, Florida.

Top overall female went to Huntsville native Kathy Youngren with a time of 6:04:35.

Second place female was Beth McCurdy (6:33:01) with third place female going to Kim Nosenchuk-Brooks (6:46:57).

Top 34th Strolling Jim Finishers

  1. Blake Thompson – 5:17:29
  2. Dink Taylor – 5:29:01
  3. ‘Bruce’ Sung Ho Choi – 5:33:21
  4. David Jones – 5:36:22
  5. Tom Dolan – 5:48:59
  6. Andy Bruner – 5:56:33
  7. Kathy Youngren – 6:04:35 (F)
  8. Christopher Cadotte – 6:10:11
  9. Timothy Pitts – 6:11:19
  10. Dwayne Satterfield – 6:14:00
  11. Robert Youngren – 6:14:50
  12. Carl Laniak – 6:25:40
  13. Robby Callahan – 6:27:17
  14. Evan Dare – 6:31:34
  15. Beth McCurdy – 6:33:01 (F)
  16. Gary Dawkins – 6:35:39
  17. Hal McClure – 6:38:23
  18. Orlando Baez – 6:45:20
  19. Kim Nosenchuk-Brooks – 6:46:57 (F)
  20. George Menyhert – 6:46:58
  21. William Arnold – 6:51:34
  22. Dana MacCorquodale – 6:58:37

One of the scarier and heroic moments of the race happened during the last mile when Chris Estes, who was on a 6:30ish finishing pace, jumped over a guardrail to help save a fellow runner who had fallen over the guardrail (full story).

[photo via Dink: Kathy Youngren, Blake Thompson, Dink Taylor]

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Rocket City Marathon Medal – 2011

35th Annual Rocket City Marathon Medal (2011)

Here is the beautiful, colorful, yet simple finisher’s medal from the 35th Annual Rocket City Marathon that took place in Huntsville, Alabama on December 12, 2011.

The Rocket City Marathon is an extremely well run marathon that is put on by elite ultramarathoner Dink Taylor and his wife.

Timothy Agee ran it fast, finishing with a time of 3:18:44. Congrats to Tim on a new PR!!

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medal photo submitted by Timothy Agee. Follow him on Twitter @timagee]

Posted in Bling, Featured, Marathon, MedalsComments (0)

JFK 50 Mile

David Riddle Smokes JFK 50 Miler (Results)

Ohio native David Riddle smoked the JFK 50 Mile ultramarathon on Saturday in Maryland with a time of 5:40:45.  Virginia’s Michael Wardian finished nearly as fast in 2nd place in 5:43:24.

Cassie Scallon was the first female finisher in 6:31:22.

2011 JFK 50 Mile Results (Top 10)

  1. David Riddle – 5:40:45 (6:49 pace)
  2. Michael Wardian – 5:43:24
  3. Jeffry Buechler – 5:53:25
  4. Kalib Wilkinson – 6:05:05
  5. Michael Arnstein – 6:07:54
  6. Zach Bitter – 6:11:59
  7. Jon Lawler – 6:13:50
  8. Matthew Lavine – 6:15:22
  9. Jake Reed – 6:16:39
  10. Ethan Coffey – 6:21:55

Notable Friends of the Program

  • Dink Taylor – 6:59:56
  • Hideki Kino – 10:43:00

First and second place finishers gain automatic entry into the 2012 Western States 100.

View Full JFK 50 Results

Posted in Results, Running, Ultra MarathonComments (1)

Ryan Hall – Bottom of His 2011 Boston Marathon Shoe 2:04 Fear the Four

Live Blog: 2011 Boston Marathon (Results)

(REFRESH BROWSER FOR LIVE UPDATES)

2011 Boston Marathon Live Blog Coverage:

RESULTS: Geoffrey Mutai Sets Running World On Fire With 2:03:02 Boston Marathon Win (Male Results)

RESULTS: Kenyan Caroline Kilil Wins 2011 Boston Marathon (Female Results)

Follow Us On Twitter @RunItFast

Be sure to ‘LIKE’ us on Facebook: Run It Fast on Facebook (click HERE)

5:52pm – Southern running legend Dink Taylor ran a very fast 2:57:46 today.  He’s been running sub-3’s for thirty years now!

4:03pm – The Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-1 in today’s Patriots Day game.

3:57pm – Check out the message Ryan Hall wrote on the bottom of his shoe before today’s 2011 Boston Marathon, “2:04 For the Poor!?!?!” – what time did Ryan run? He was prophetic in running a 2:04:56

3:39pm Geoffrey Mutai on his record breaking Boston Marathon win, “I am fulfilling my dream.”

3:37pm – 71-year old Dallas Smith finished 2nd in the 70-74 age bracket with his finishing time of 3:23:05. Simply amazing!

3:35pm – Ryan Hall via Twitter, “I’m still in shock…what an amazing day. God exceeded my wildest expectations. Congrats to everyone who finished!”

3:25pm – Other notable finishers: Brad Box 3:34:08, Gary Krugger 2:54:18, Morgan Cummings 4:37:08, Joan Benoit Samuelson 2:51:29, Chuck Engle 2:46?

2:40pm – Congrats to Corinth’s Kenneth Williams (@MarathonKoach) finishing yet another Boston Marathon. He came across today in 4:08:02.

2:25pm – Congrats to Run It Fast’s Chris Estes (@run_beast) in finishing his first Boston Marathon in 4:04:49.

2:00pm – Ashland City’s Jeff Matlock has finished in 3:33:13. Congrats on another BQ!

1:30pm – The amazing Dallas Smith (@smithbend), 71-years young, finishes the Boston Marathon with a time fo 3:23:05

1:17pm – Gary Allen finished in 2:55. His 5th consecutive decade with a sub 3 hour finish.

1:05pm – Josh Hite finishes the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:04:41. Congrats!

1:00pm – Mutai’s fastest marathon ever of 2:03:02 won’t count as the official world record because the Boston course is not an official ‘world record’ course.

12:55pm – American Kara Goucher, “”My plan was to run with pack as long as possible. It was a big step. It was tough, but I was please to get a PR (2:24:52).”

12:53pm – Second place female finisher, American Desiree Davila, “The last six miles were USA! USA! I imagine the Olympics are like that. It was the most excitement I’ve ever had in a race.”

12:50pm – Josh Hite hit 30K awhile back at a 6:32 pace. Dallas Smith at 30K was on a 7:41 pace.

12:47pm – Kenneth Williams half marathon time – 2:01:51. Keep trucking, Ken!

12:46pm – Jeff Matlock 30K pace is at 7:47.

12:14pm – Will be updating with results as they become official. One of the most exciting Boston Marathons of all-time. Great day for Mutai, Killel, Davila and Hall.

12:05pm – Here comes Ryan Hall in 4th place with an amazing time, fastest USA time ever of 2:04:58. Amazing day for Hall. He had left his coach in the past year to train himself. Whatever he is doing appears to be working.

12:04pm – 1. Geoffrey Mutai 2:03:02, 2. Moses Mosop 2:03:05, 3. Gebre Gebremariam 2:04:54, 4. Ryan Hall 2:04:56

12:03pm – KENYA’s GEOFFREY MUTAI WINS IN 2:03:02.  The course record was 2:05:52.

12:03pm – Mutai has really pulled away and has a 25 foot lead or so.

12:02pm – Mutai is pushing the pace towards the finish line. Mosop is about 18 inches behind him.

12:00pm – ONE MILE TO GO FOR THE MEN. Will it be Mutai or Mosop in his marathon debut?

11:58am – Mutai and Mosop continue to battle head-t0-head for the men at the 1:58:00 mark. It looks like a course record will fall again.

11:55am – Kenya’s Caroline Kilel wins the 115th Boston Marathon with a time of 2:22:36. American Desiree Davila finished in a very strong second. Kenya’s Timbilili finishs back in third.

11:55am – Killel has a last kick left and looks as if she is going to win the 115th Boston Marathon for the women.

11:54am – HERE COMES DESIREE DAVILA. 300 Meters to go.

11:53am – Davila is back in third but not dead yet.  Here she goes and passes both women for the lead.  She is kicking to hold it.  One Kenyan has fallen off.  Killel has retaken the lead. It looks like it will be either Davila or Killel.

11:51am – Moses Mosop, currently in the lead, is running his marathon debut today.

11:50am – Mutai and Mosop are currently 1-2 for the men.

11:48am – (F) 1985 was the last time an American woman won the Boston Marathon.

11:47am – (F) Davila is still in the lead at the 2:16:00 mark at the Citgo sign.

11:45am – Hall is 57 seconds behind Mutai.

11:44am – (F) Davila skips water as Killel and Timbilili grab fluids. She takes the lead with the move.

11:43am – (F) Davila is in the lead of a pack of three that includes herself, Killel, and Timbilili.

11:42am – Mutai’s 20 mile time 1:34:05 (4:32)

11:40am – Geoffrey Mutai has taken the lead and left everyone behind.  He has about a 8 second lead currently.

11:39am – (F) Davila is still in the lead at 2:07:00. Killel might be holding back a bit to out sprint her at the end.

11:33am – Ryan Hall 30K time 1:28:23 (4:44)

11:32am – Davila and Killel keep taking the lead. Killel’s gazelle legs make it look effortless for her. Davila keeps battling back to push the pace though.

11:30am – A very exciting 115th Boston Marathon so far.

11:28am – The women are about 25 minutes away from the finish line.  The men 35 minutes.

11:27am – (F) American Desiree Davila is currently battling for the female lead.  Davila is from Arizona State.

11:25am – Ryan Hall has the lead once again (1:24:50).

11:23am – Hall has surged back to the lead back and is making a push to get the lead again.

11:20am – Here are some 25K splits for the men: Hall 1:13:25 (4:43), Mutai 1:13:16 (4:42), Yegon 1:13:28 (4:43), R.K. Cheruiyot 1:13:26 (4:43), Evans Cheruiyot 1:13:26 (4:43).

11:19am – Jeff Matlock 10K time of 45:39 (7:20 pace).

11:18am – 71 yr old Dallas Smith hit 10K at 47:33 (7:39 pace).

11:17am – The head of the male field is as follows Daba, Mutai, R.K Cheruiyot, and Kipchumba. They are 1 hour 17 minutes in. Approximately 48 minutes to go.

11:16am – Chris Estes hit the 10K mark at 45:13 (7:16 pace)

11:15am – (F) Smith has now been passed by 5 runners. She had a great race up until this point at 1:43:05.

11:13am – Daba and several guys took off with Daba to put Ryan Hall in their dust. Hall is back 10 runners back now and several seconds. Daba is really pushing the pace now.

11:11am – BREAKING: (F) Kim Smith is injured. She pulled up lame for a bit but is back running and trying to work through it. No way she can for the remainder.  It looked a good bit more severe than just a cramp.

11:09am – (F) Smith looks like she is starting to labor a bit as the field continues to close in on her.  It doesn’t look like she will be able to hold onto the lead for the next 44 minutes.

11:06am – Hall hit 20K at 58:42.

11:06am – (F) Smith’s lead is down to 36 seconds.

11:05am – (F) The pack is starting to narrow Kim Smith’s lead.  We will know soon if she burned too much energy over the first 25K.

11:04am – (F) American Kara Goucher is fading a bit. She is about 15 runners back in the women’s field. This is her first marathon since having a baby.

10:59am – Ryan Hall doing his best Hulk Hogan impersonation trying to amp up the girls of Wellesley College to get louder as the elite men run through.

10:58am – (F) Tsuchida wins her fifth straight female Push Rim wheelchair marathon.

10:50am – (F) Kim Smith hit the half way point in 1:10:52.

10:49am – Bekana Daba is now the nearest elite. Running just a couple of feet behind Hall.

10:46am – Kim Smith’s 20K time 1:07:11.

10:45am – Ryan Hall’s 8 mile pace is 4 minutes 43 seconds per mile. That’s ffffast!

10:44am – Josh Hite hit the 10K mark at 39:49 (6:24 pace)

10:43am – (F) Smith has increased her lead to 53 seconds.

10:40am – Hall has surged to the lead again. It looks as if he has about a 30 foot lead, 39 minutes into their race.

10:37am – Nearing the finish of the wheelchair race….Japan’s Masazumi Soejima wins the Push Rim wheelchair race in 1:18:50.  Huge win for him and Japan. God’s speed!

10:36am – R.K. Cheruiyot has a small lead for the men.

10:28am – Receiving 10K times for the elite men. Cheruiyot 29:06 (4:40 pace), Hall 29:07, Yegon 29:07, Tola 29:06, Mutai 29:08

10:27am – (F) Kim Smith is currently running at a 2:21 pace.

10:26am – Hall hit the 5K mark awhile back at 14:29.

10:25am – Last year’s winner, and course record holder, R.K. Cheruiyot is on Hall’s right shoulder.

10:24am – 15 runners currently in the male elite lead pack. About 15 runners in the group.

10:22am – (F) Kim Smith continues to dominate for the women. She has about a 35 second lead, 50 minutes into the race.

10:21am – Hall’s pace for mile 4 was 4:32.

10:20am – The field has now caught Hall.  The elite pack has about 25-30 runners in it.

10:19am – A new Boston Marathon course record could happen today. The temperatures are cool and there is a strong tailwind.  Perfect day to Run It Fast in Boston.

10:16am – Hall continues to lead but the field is close within range.  Hall clapping a few spectator’s hands along the way.

10:13am – The elite male pack is not letting Hall get beyond a 25 foot lead or so.

10:11am – Hall is continuing to push the pace.  Hall’s first mile 4 minutes and 36 seconds!!! FAST! Second mile 4:32.  The tailwind is kind to the runners today.

10:10am – (F) Kim Smith continues to pull away from the elite women. None of the other elites seems too concerned so far.

10:04am – Hall has taken the lead for the third year in a row. I’m not the only one questioning his approach this morning.

10:01am – Ryan Hall, perhaps having not learned from last year’s Boston Marathon, has taken the early lead.

10:00am EDT – 2011 Boston Marathon Elites and 1st Wave has STARTED!

9:59am – 1 minute until the elite men begin!

9:58am – Kim Smith came through the 5K mark at 16:41. She has about a 30 second lead.

9:56am – 71-yr old Dallas Smith will be the odd’s on favorite to win his age division today. Dallas is a regular contributor here on Run It Fast.

9:55am – Chris Estes is wanting to go sub 3 hours today. Will he do it? His best and BQ time is 3:11 from Tupelo last year.

9:52am – Less than 10 minutes until the elite men start.

9:44am – New Zealand’s Kim Smith has taken the early lead about 5K into the women’s race.  She has about a 150 yard lead. Is she going out too hard?

9:40am – According to BAA, 80 year-old Sister Madonna Buder is the oldest competitor registered in this year’s race!

9:35am – The elite women have started as well now. (Elite Women Field)

9:31am – The hand cyclists and visually impaired have begun.

9:30am – 49 degrees at the start line in Hopkinton currently.

9:25am – Click HERE to view all of the Elite Runners in today’s marathon field.

9:20am – Run It Fast contributors and readers we will be keeping up with throughout the live blog will include Chris Estes (pictured above), Dallas Smith, Jeff Matlock, Kenneth Williams, and Josh Hite among others.

9:10am EDT – 50 Minutes until the start of the 2011 Boston Marathon

2011 Boston Marathon Top Results as they happen.

Good luck to all participants running the 115th Boston Marathon!

Related 2011 Boston Marathon Stories

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2010 Rocket City Marathon Logo

Daniel Ellis Wins 2010 Rocket City Marathon

Alabama native Daniel Ellis won the 2010 Rocket City Marathon on Saturday.  The 27-year old ran the course in a time of 2:24:37.  Ellis barely edged out Kameron Ulmer who finished just 13 seconds behind with at time of 2:24:50.  Scott Wietecha claimed third crossing the line at 2:27:08.

Candace Jacobs, of Huntsville, Alabama, won her hometown marathon as she was the first woman to finish at 2:54:21.  Second place was 37-year old Gina Krabbendam in 3:02:25.  Lisa Tolley took third with a time of 3:02:54.

2010 Rocket City Finisher’s Medal

Place Overall No Name              Age City      State    Time
                ********** MALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
    1     1 Daniel Ellis               27 Birmingham   AL 2:24:37
    2     2 Kameron Ulmer              23 Boise        ID 2:24:50
    3     3 Scott Wietecha             29 Goodlettsvil TN 2:27:08
    4     4 David Riddle               29 Cincinnati   OH 2:28:14
    5     5 Michael Deren              23 Johnson City TN 2:29:40
               ********** FEMALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
    1    27 Candace Jacobs             30 Huntsville   AL 2:54:21
    2    42 Gina Krabbendam            37 Lookout Mtn  TN 3:02:25
    3    45 Lisa Tolley                43 Seneca       SC 3:02:54
    4    50 Kathy Wolski               44 Knoxville    TN 3:05:01
    5    56 Isabelle Ledroit           44 Montreal, Qc    3:06:54

Dink and Suzanne Taylor put on a great race.  The shirt, medal, and finisher’s hat were all top notice. The pasta dinner was solid and Sarah Reinertsen, the guest speaker, told her inspirational story of being the first above-the-knee amputee to finish an Ironman.

View Complete 33rd Annual Rocket City Marathon Results

Rocket City Marathon Website

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