Westerling does it once again
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John Crews and Heidi Westerling were the winners in Sunday's Vermont City Marathon in Burlington. KYLE MARTEL / TIMES ARGUS |
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By Chuck Clarino Staff Writer - Published: May 25, 2009
BURLINGTON — The rain was heaven-sent and, mixed with cool temperatures, made for great racing conditions and fast times in the 21st running of the Key Bank Vermont City Marathon. The end result was that records fell, a familiar face recaptured her title and a bridesmaid remained one for yet another year.
Heidi Westerling made amends for a poor showing last year by racking up her third women's overall title and became the first woman to do so. In the process, the 28-year-old fifth-grade teacher from Walpole, N.H., shattered the course record with a time of 2:35:02. Westerling's run shaved three and a half minutes off the former women's mark of 2:38:32, set by Canadian Gordon Bakoulis in 1995.
Meanwhile, in a much tighter finish in the men's race, John Crews, a relative newcomer to marathoning, won his second marathon title by pulling away in the final mile and running 2:19:31. The 24-year-old graduate student at North Carolina State slipped away from Michael Wardian of Arlington, Va., just before they entered the bike path at Waterfront Park in the finish line area.
Crews' time is the fifth-fastest in the 21-year history of the race, falling in behind the record of 2:17:03 set by Michael Khobotov on a day similar to this in 2001. Brad Hawthorne's time of 2:18:03 in 1993, Tim Schuler's 2:18:58 in 1997 and Matt Pelletier's 2:19:00 in 2007 slotted in ahead of Crews.
Crews' victory relegated Wardian to runner-up status for the fourth consecutive year. Wardian finished second despite running a PR of 2:21:09. Pat Moulton, who was seeded first in the pre-race rankings, took third at 2:22:23.
Unlike the men's race, when four runners dueled in the mist, Westerling blasted away from her competition at the start. She felt good and started to click along, running with a group of men that included men's masters winner Jeff Niedeck for the first 10-plus miles.
Westerling found herself running 5:52 mile splits when she usually runs 6:10. She said she had one mile where she surged to a 5:38, running downhill on Pine Street.
"It felt good so I just kept going with it and I hoped I could keep it up," she said. "I was running with the guys but I separated from them when I came out of the neighborhoods. This was a PR by six minutes and with a course record, this was a good day for me.
"It was one of those things where I set a goal. I wanted to come back and run better, run faster and I've been gearing up for this since last year when I didn't do so well."
One tipoff that Westerling was on form was when she ran a 1:11 in a half marathon in New Bedford, Mass., in March. Even though she was the fastest woman on paper coming in, Westerling was not overconfident and kept her focus throughout.
"You never know, anyone can have a bang-out race," she said. "You just never know; I just go in with a positive attitude and it could be your day."
Crews also came in flying solo, even though late in the race there was a pack of four runners that had been pretty much together since mile 13. That included Crews, Wardian and twin brothers Pat and Casey Moulton. Pat Moulton had the fastest time coming in, while Casey had finished third once and Wardian has an extensive history of strong finishes here.
The slightly built Crews has had remarkable success at the 26.2-mile distance. He has won both marathons he has raced but this win is far more satisfying since he originally thought that he finished second in his first marathon in Raleigh, N.C., last fall. Crews was resigned to second place and already phoned his parents when the top finisher was disqualified because he was registered for the half-marathon, not the full 26.2 miles.
"I knew it would be the four of us; they kind of told me it would go like that," said Crews in a soft southern accent. "I knew Michael and we wanted to go sub-2:19 to get the (Olympic Trials) qualifying time ... I was hoping to have a good run and I did."
Early in the race, Crews and Wardian were running mile splits of 5:11 and 5:13 and clicking right along. The Moulton brothers bridged up later and the pace slowed a bit, which might have cost Crews and Wardian the Olympic Trials qualifying time
Wardian, 38, had focused intently on winning this go-round. He adjusted his training schedule and pared down his usually heavy schedule of races in order to be faster here and go for the elusive title. Yet when his hamstrings began to tighten up at mile 11, he had to make a decision.
"I figured that it was going to hurt whether I ran slow or ran fast so I might as well run fast," Wardian said. "It was a perfect race, despite losing again. But I feel like I've got a lock on second."
Wardian stuck with Crews and hoped that he would wear down. Even when he took off late, Wardian figured that he might reel him in.
"I knew that he was solid. He was running strong and I tried to run just as strong; he pulled me along and I ran a PR but I've just got to run faster next year," said Wardian.
"Poor Michael: a great guy," Crews said in reference to Wardian. "I've known him for what? Three or four hours now, but you can just tell when someone's a good person and he is."
It was drizzling rain at the start when the 8,000 runners crossed the start line at Battery Park. But less than 20 minutes into the race, it was hard rain falling.
Spirits were high among the throng of spectators, huddled under umbrellas or a variety of store awnings along Church Street. A band played Beatles' tunes from the steps of City Hall by the water station.
The crowd clanged cowbells and shouted out support as the runners slogged past, wet but generally smiling.
"The first time we turned on Church Street that was something else," said Crews, who felt uplifted. "I have never felt like that, honestly. It's not something I'll forget soon. It's just amazing; I got goose bumps."
Meanwhile, Neideck won the Masters men's crown in only his second marathon. The 44-year-old from Canaan, Conn., ran a 2:40. He ran with Westerling for a while, figuring it would improve his time.
"I got in with the top woman for a while because I knew it would be a good pace," he said. "But after a while, wow! She was off and I had to forget it."
Westerling was not the only woman to make history. Mary Lynn Currier, 45, of Canton, Conn., won the women's open title in 1997, won the masters crown in 2004 and added a second masters title this year during the running of her 100th marathon.
"I felt really strong and I ran consistently," said Currier, who has competed here five times. "I was really nervous coming in because I had a lot on my mind, but I love coming here. It's so beautiful, the mountains and the lake."
The first competitor to cross the finish line was wheeled participant Jeremy Shortsleeve of South Burlington, who cranked in a 1:48:12. He bested last year's winner, Patrick Standen, but was still nearly five minutes off Standen's record.
West Dummerston resident Justin Fyffe was the top Vermonter and he was the fifth fastest man at 2:27:35. Fyffe's time shattered the mark set by Rutland's Rob Lukaskiewicz in 2007. Shelburne's Alexandra Knappy was the top Vermont woman finisher at 3:02.
One of the great stories on a day where there are countless tales is that of 9-year-old Bill Carroll of Southwick, Mass., who was the youngest competitor to ever enter the VCM. Carroll was running with his dad but he left him in the dust in the last mile and beat him to the line and finished with a time of 4:20 and change.
chuck.clarino@rutlandherald.com
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