Vol. 17, No. 10	Nov. 6, 1997

UD runners participate in marathonl

Neither rain, nor cold nor a 26.2-mile course deterred Robin Elliott, Occupational Health and Safety, Betsy Mackenzie, Agricultural Sciences Communication, and John Mackenzie, food and resource economics, from participating in the Marine Corps Marathon, held in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 26. The three had trained together for the big event. More than 18,000 runners, including Vice President Al Gore and his daughters, took to the roads and boulevards around Washington's famous monuments and buildings, crossing the Potomac, leaving from and returning to the landmark Iwo Jima flag-raising statue at Arlington National Cemetery. Everyone who finished the course received a medal.

For Elliott, this was fulfilling a personal goal. The most she had run in training was 20 miles, but she completed the marathon in over four hours without difficulty and felt great afterwards. She and the Mackenzies did not connect on race day because of the huge crowds.

The Mackenzies began running in the winter in 1994, and John ran in the 1994 Marine Corps Marathon as well as this year's race. "I wanted to get in shape after our second baby was born so we began running," she said. John had been a runner in graduate school as a way of releasing stress, and his motivation was to get fit and lose some weight.

Meeting and talking to other runners from all over the country was part of the fun, and another factor was the enthusiasm of the crowds who came to cheer the runners on. "There were bands, posters, people calling encouragement from the sidelines. One man on the sidelines, who was dressed in stars and stripes and had a boom box playing the Rocky song, followed us for awhile. The whole scene was awesome," Elliott said.

Elliott had her own private cheering section, composed of her husband, John, her sons, 9-year-old John and 6-year-old James, and a good friend. "They had been trudging all over trying to see me and succeeded on their fifth try at the 13th mile. They were so excited, and it gave me a great boost," Elliott said.

"It was fantastic when you'd round a corner and there were all these people cheering you on. It was a very upbeat event," Betsy Mackenzie said.

"Some people ran to raise money for charitable causes, such as the Leukemia Society. In sports magazines, ordinary runners are sometimes referred to as 'penguins' so there also was a penguin brigade of ordinary Joes who like to run," she added.

"The marathon is for novice runners with no big money prizes to attract world-famous runners, so for more than 40 percent of the participants, this was their first marathon. It's an encouraging setting, oriented for everyone. The idea is to do your best and have a good time. When you look ahead of you and behind you at the stream of people, it is inspiring," John Mackenzie said.