Olympic Glory
Two Surprise Olympic Marathon Medals Give U.S. Distance Running A Boost
For any runner, the best moment at this year’s Olympics had to be when Deena Kastor began sobbing with joy 100 meters from the finish line of the women’s marathon. Kastor’s bronze medal was nothing short of remarkable. It’s just the second women’s marathon medal in Olympic history for an American, following Joan Benoit-Samuelson’s gold at the 1984 Olympic Games.
Kastor (now of Mammoth Lakes, California, but formerly of Alamosa, Colorado) perfectly executed a marathon race plan that was tailored specifically for the brutally hot, sunny conditions. Beginning conservatively as the race began at 6 p.m. in Marathon, Kastor gradually increased her pace as her opponents dropped. Kastor (shown above) crossed the finish line in 2:27:20. “I’m thrilled. It was almost a perfect race for me,” Kastor said. “When I entered the stadium, I didn’t know if I was in fourth place or third. When I heard the announcer say third, I burst into tears. I couldn’t control myself.”
Mizuki Noguchi of Japan won the gold in 2:26:20, with Catherine Ndereba of Kenya second at 2:26:32. American Jen Rhines of Ardmore, Pennsylvania was 34th and Boulder’s Colleen de Reuck (pictured in the upper right corner) was 39th in 2:46:30.
Kastor’s bronze medal was surprising, but Meb Keflezighi’s silver medal in the men’s marathon was even more of a shock. San Diego’s Keflezighi refused to fade as the world’s fastest men succumbed to the hills and the heat. He became the first American man since Boulder’s Frank Shorter in 1976 to win an Olympic medal, crossing the finish in 2:11:29 to place second behind Stefano Baldini of Italy (2:10:55). Vanderlei Lima of Brazil was third in 2:12:11. Alan Culpepper of Lafayette (shown at the right) finished 12th in 2:15:26. The third American finisher was Dan Browne of Beaverton, Oregon in 2:27:17.
Culpepper was pleased with his race, “My goal was to run 2:15 on this course, and I did it. The first 5K was very hot. Within three minutes we were all sweating profusely. The heat was a huge factor. I drank 10 ounces of Gatorade every 5K.”