A crowd gathered as Lance Armstrong chugged toward the finish line of Sunday’s Steamboat Stinger trail marathon at the base of Howelsen Hill.
A crowd gathered as Armstrong chugged toward the finish line of Sunday’s Steamboat Stinger trail marathon at the base of Howelsen Hill, cheering the world-renowned champion as he crossed the finish line, winning the inaugural 26.2-mile race.
He took a few more steps, then hunched over, eyes wide and bright yellow Livestrong tank top sagging with sweat.
“Wow,” he said, hands on his knees.
His first-place finish and time — 3 hours, 18 minutes and 10 seconds — might have made it seem a bit easy, but Armstrong’s exhaustion mirrored that of his competitors, and his opinion matched the consensus. The course was beautiful and the race was fun, but wow, the Steamboat Stinger was tough.
Finishers of the Stinger marathon painted a picture of a grueling run that left athletes — sports celebrities and plain ol’ locals alike — in awe. Sweating, heaving, exhausted awe.
For more: Armstrong and field conquer tough Steamboat Stinger | Steamboat Today