Running News Daily

Lincoln Marathon and Half Marathon was a success

Thousands of people, some from across the world, flocked to Lincoln on Sunday for the 44th annual Lincoln Marathon and Half Marathon.

The race went on in-person this year after it went virtual due to COVID in 2019, making this event extra special.

"Today is outstanding," Ryan Regnier, the Marathon Director said. "I just think the community, the runners, the city, we just needed this event."

The Lincoln Marathon and Half Marathon was one of only a handful of other races that are happening this year despite the pandemic. Because of that, this event grabbed international attention.

Dominic Korir, who won 1st place in the Half Marathon, and Iveen Chepkemoi, the female 1st place Half Marathon winner, made the trip to Lincoln all the way from Kenya. Alex Ekesa, the male winner of the Marathon, also traveled all the way from Kenya, while Lincoln native Amy Dulng was the first female to cross the finish line in the Marathon.

"Feels good to win it, I grew up here, so it's exciting to be able to win it today," Dulng said.

But not everyone there was running because it's their passion. For Chris Maxwell of South Dakota, this race meant much more.

"Two years ago I was laying in Madonna Rehab Hospital completely paralyzed, having my wife and mom have to blink for me," Maxwell said. "I had a friend come down and they were going to run this race and they encouraged me and I encouraged them and about three months ago I said, what the heck, lets do a victory lap."

Maxwell was diagnosed with Gullain-Barre Syndrome several years ago, fighting for his life. But now, a miracle, Maxwell ran the Half Marathon Sunday with the biggest smile on his face.

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Runners of Lincoln Marathon won´t be able to finish inside memorial stadium this year

The Lincoln Marathon’s finish line will look quite a bit different from how it has in recent years.

But this change isn’t entirely pandemic-related.

Runners will cross the finish line on the track at Ed Weir Stadium, which was the race’s original finish line. Since 2010, the finish line has been on the 50-yard line inside Memorial Stadium.

The change was made because of the Husker spring game, which is set to take place the day before the race.

The Lincoln Marathon, which also includes a half-marathon, is scheduled for May 2.

Turf renovations were going to require the same change during last year’s race. But the event transitioned to a virtual format because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln worked with the Lincoln Track Club to help determine the new finish line, said Ryan Regnier, president of the Track Club.

“They have been supportive in helping us find an alternative, recognizing the importance of the marathon to the Lincoln community,” he said. “There is some nostalgia associated with finishing on the track since it served as the original finish line for the race.”

The rest of the 2021 course will be the same as previous years and will be certified as a Boston Marathon qualifier.

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by Kelsey Stewart

The 2021 Lincoln marathon being planned as in-person event with virtual option

Registration for the 44th annual Lincoln Marathon and Half Marathon opens Friday for runners who paid for last year’s cancelled event. The race is scheduled for Sunday, May 2, and it is being planned as an in-person event, with a virtual option.

The Lincoln Track Club announced that paid registrants from the 2020 Lincoln Marathon/Half Marathon will receive a discount on entry fees and will be notified of early registration, opening at noon on Jan. 15 – Jan. 31 at 6:00 p.m. General registration will open on Feb. 1.

LTC said there will be a cap on registrations this year to accommodate COVID-19 related health and safety requirements. Runners will be required to wear a mask before and after the race. There will be an extended start chute for social distancing purposes and limited water stops. A virtual option has been added for those who want to challenge themselves but aren’t comfortable competing in person due to health considerations.

Race organizers said they are monitoring the changing COVID-19 situation and will release more details on the event in the coming weeks and months.

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The Lincoln marathon to offer race virtually

Lincoln Marathon organizers and runners are working to figure out a way to still run the marathon after it was cancelled earlier this week.

On May 3rd 7,000 runners were going to compete in the Lincoln Marathon.

Since the race has been cancelled that's not the case but some runners are still hitting the trails.

Matt Anderson has been gearing up for his fifth half marathon.

"Honestly I wasn't shocked," said Anderson. "I don't think anybody is by all the cancellations that have been going on at this point. We understand and hopefully there will be plenty of opportunities to do it in the future."

While it still needs some fine tuning the Lincoln Marathon organizers decided that racers can run the marathon virtually.

"It won't be the same because you won't all be running at the same time and the same conditions," said Ann Ringlein the manager of Lincoln Running Company. "You can see how many people ran in your age group, so we're trying to make it as close to a race situation and simulation as we can."

The virtual marathon means that runners can make their own path, it just has to be a half or full marathon distance.

"Could run to Bennett Nebraska from here," said Anderson. "You could do a loop around the lake. Heck I could run to South Street and back like 20 times and that would count."

Even though the marathon is cancelled Anderson says there is still a goal to accomplish.

"At the end of the day," said Anderson. "It's still about getting out and running and that's what we have to do."

Lincoln Marathon Officials are still working through the details of the virtual run.

They will update all competitors as soon as they have the logistics figured out.

The runners are expected to get their completion certificate, medal and t-shirt.

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by Nicole Griffith

Registration opens for The Lincoln Marathon

Runners can officially add the Lincoln Marathon to their race calendars starting this weekend.

Registration for the event, which includes a full and a half marathon, opens Saturday.

Early birds can nab a discount on registration fees by signing up in person for the race. Fleet Feet stores in Lincoln and Omaha and the Lincoln Running Company will host sign-up events. 

Runners who register at the stores from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday will get a $5 discount and a free beanie. The events at Fleet Feet stores will include fun runs that start at 7 a.m.; the Lincoln Running Company fun run also starts at 7 a.m.

The Lincoln Marathon, in its 43rd year, is May 3. 

The race is capped at 12,000 runners, said race director Nancy Sutton. Last year's race, which had the same cap, drew about 10,000 runners. 

In previous years, the race was capped at 13,500 runners and sold out, sometimes within a day. 

Sutton attributes the dip in numbers to runners having more race options from which to choose. But organizers are happy with the numbers they're getting. 

The cost to run the full marathon is $90. The cost of running the half marathon is $70.

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by Sarah Hoffman

Hillary Too was on pace to set a course record at the 42nd Lincoln Marathon but then the wind and heat took charge

Hillary Too won the 42nd Lincoln Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 21 minutes and 6 seconds.

The win was Too’s first at the Lincoln Marathon.

He was on pace to set the course record at the halfway point, but the sun started to shine and temperatures rose, making it a little difficult during the second half of the race.

“I was feeling good after the first half,” said Too of Mosoriot, Kenya. “On the second, it was just getting hot. I could feel that, it was just getting warmer.”

Too said another large factor in the first half was having good pace setters who are running the half-marathon.

Once those runners are done, the race changes.

“It was only me pushing the pace,” Too said. “That is a lot different and harder. The second half, the wind was there, too. I was going into the wind. That’s why I was struggling a bit.”

Too’s “struggling” time was the fastest since 2015, when Edward Tabut ran his second straight 2:17:07 Lincoln Marathon.

Too’s personal best in a marathon is 2:17:02, which he ran in Moline, Illinois, in September 2016.

Misiker Demessie, 32, won the women’s marathon, a week after taking runner-up in the Silo District Marathon in Waco, Texas.

She said the Silo District Marathon was just a tune-up for this week’s winning time of 2:50:14. She was in second place for almost the entire race, but took over the lead in the last two miles and won her first Lincoln Marathon.

Lincoln native Hayley Sutter led for most of the race before falling back in the final five miles. Sutter finished in third place while Kaci Lickteig, of Omaha, took second.

Demessie rested the entire week before running Sunday. She said she ran intervals every day, but didn’t go out for any runs of more than a mile.

It was all about keeping her body in form but not overworking it she said, and the plan worked.

“My body was a little heavy,” Demessie said. “It’s very hard to go back to back. This week was all easy training. Just some 100s (meters) and some intervals to keep form.”

Demessie pointed to the half-marathoners as an important part of her race, as well.

“It’s nice because of the pace," she said. "The half marathon is a little push to me and the half-marathon ends and it’s just me then. Then my pace comes down a little."

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by Ellis Clopton

Colorado Runner Geofrey Terer is back to defend his 2018 victory at Lincoln Marathon

The 42-year-old Geofrey Terer is back to defend his 2018 victory. Terer won last year's full marathon in 2 hours, 29 minutes, 37 seconds.

Running last year his first-ever Lincoln Marathon, the 41-year old from Colorado Springs, Colorado, took the lead from Lincoln’s Eric Noel — the 2016 winner — between miles 16 and 17 and cruised to the finish line in 2 hours, 29 minutes, 37 seconds.

Terer’s time bested Michael Zeigle’s record of 2:32:41 in the 40-44 age bracket set in 1992. His winning time was just over four minutes slower than 2017 winner David Tuwei.

“I just increased the pace a little bit around Mile 17, and he (Noel) wasn’t able to maintain it,” Terer said. “There was quite a lot of cheering along the way with the race, and that was very, very nice.”

With temperatures creeping into the 70s and virtually no breeze on the course, staying hydrated proved to be key for the 13,500 runners competing in either the half- or full marathon.

“It was a little warm, and when it’s warm like this you lose a lot of water,” Terer said. “Around Mile 25 I got tired and hit the wall. Cooler weather is OK.”

Though it was Terer’s first Lincoln Marathon, it wasn’t his first race in Nebraska. He ran the Nebraska State Fair Marathon in 2015 and 2016. He decided on a whim to register for Lincoln.

Terer has won previous marathons, including the 2016 and 2017 Missoula, Montana, event.

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Gina Whitmore donated a kidney to her father and now is ready to tackle Lincoln Half Five months later

There was no doubt in Gina Whitmore's mind. She would be a match for her father who needed a kidney. "If it was my place to do this, we would know," the Lincoln, Nebraska  woman said. Blood work and scans came back in the father-daughter duo's favor. Whitmore, 37, was a match and in December, she donated her left kidney to her father Wilton Schlecht. On Sunday, dad, fully recovered from the transplant, will be the one giving something to his daughter — a finisher's medal after she completes the Lincoln Half Marathon.  "That is something special," said Schlecht, who has a progressive kidney disease.  Whitmore will be among more than 12,300 runners tackling the 41st annual Lincoln Marathon and Half Marathon. She and her father are both doing well after surgery. Schlecht, 71, has lived with kidney disease for about 30 years. Within the last five years, Schlecht's kidneys started to deteriorate.  Whitmore started running marathons about 10 years ago. This will be her eighth time running the Lincoln course. Now her dad has a new kidney and his daughter is running Lincoln Half marathon for him.   (05/02/2018) Views: 2,136 ⚡AMP
by Kelsey Stewart