What the AT&T Austin Marathon lacked in world-class times, it more than made up for in world-class drama. The 17th running of Austin’s marathon had the second slowest winning time since the race’s inception in 1992, but featured a thrilling three-man duel on Sunday morning which wasn’t decided until the final few hundred meters down Congress Avenue.
And get this: The winner was American. That's pretty rare these days in any marathon. An American hadn’t won here in 14 years and it looked like that might never happen again.
But Jacob Frey, a 26-year-old, second year law student from Villanova University in Philadelphia, emerged from a three-man group which had been chasing the leader Wesley Ochoro (and race favorite) for nearly 15 miles. Frey, Mikhail Sayenko from Seattle and Joseph Mutinda caught an obviously spent Ochoro on 41st Ave (23 ½ miles). From there, the three surged back and forth on each other until Frey opened a narrow gap going up the three-hill torture chamber of San Jacinto at 25 ½ miles and pulled ever so slightly away on the turn on 11th Avenue to lead the entire 6000-marathoner procession down Congress Avenue to the finish between 7th and 8th streets.
That Frey’s winning time of 2:20:38 was his slowest marathon hardly mattered. What mattered was that AT&T Austin became the first marathon he has ever won out of the six he has run.
"This race wasn’t about time. It was all about winning," said Frey who ran 2:17:37 in Austin two years ago—the last year the north-to-south, point-to-point course was used. "I knew it wasn’t going to be a fast race so I could have cared less about time. I just wanted to win it very badly."
So did Sayenko. The former University of Washington runner, just 23, was only running his third marathon and figured if he could stick with Frey as long as possible, he’d get pulled to a good time. He didn’t get a great time either—2:20:42—but was absolutely thrilled to finish second.
"Finishing second, is just like a win to me," said Sayenko, who finished 29th in the Olympic Trials Marathon in November. "Our bib numbers were one and two and that’s how we finished. Sure, I would have liked to win but this was the best marathon of my life."
Joseph Mutinda of Kenya finished just behind Sayenko for third in 2:20:43 with Ruben Gomez of Mexico fourth in 2:23:57. Early front runner Wesley Ochoro gamely held on for fifth in 2:24:06.
Ochoro had set the early pace for more than 13 miles on a perfect day for marathoning. Temperatures were in the mid-40s, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the breezes were barely noticeable for much of the race. Fireworks in the early-morning darkness and a booming cannon set the field of 13,000 (including half marathoners) off on the long climb south on Congress Avenue.
Three-time winner Andrzej Kryscin led the marathoners for the first 10-K (reached in 32:40), but soon after, on Lake Austin Boulevard, the pack gobbled him up. A couple of miles later, on the long, agonizing climb up the Exposition hills, around 10 miles (split of 53:27), Ochoro began to assert himself.
Ochoro was running only his second marathon. His first came just five weeks ago at the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona where he ran 2:19. But in between Arizona and AT&T, Ochoro finished fifth in the 3M Half in 1:03 and, as it turned out, was running on borrowed time (and dead legs).
But still Ochoro hammered away on the tough, early hills and opened up a two-minute gap on a chase pack that couldn’t even be seen at halfway (reached in 1:09:45). Five miles later, he went from running 5:20 miles to 5:30 to 5:37 to a virtual jog. His 22nd mile provide decisive as he bonked with a 5:57 mile.
The pack, headed by Frey and Sayenko, smelled blood and when Ochoro followed with a 6:08 mile between 23 and 24, it was apparent that he was fried. On 41st, on the north side of the Hancock Golf Course, the threesome pounced on the spent Kenyan and though they struggled up the San Jac hills two miles later, like everyone else, Frey proved he had a little more left to take the win on Congress in front of the Paramount.
After crossing the line and being tossed an American flag, Frey, who grew up in Virginia and ran for William and Mary, jogged slowly back toward the Capitol, waving his arms to the huge, boisterous crowd that lined both sides of Congress. But Frey’s jubilance was short-lived. A few steps into his victory jog, Frey’s stomach recoiled from the hard, desperate strain of the last hour and he deposited its contents on the street—fittingly—right on the finish line.
"The key for me today was patience," said Frey who finished 22nd in the Olympic Trials in New York in 2:18. "I didn’t think the guy who was leading could hold it all by himself out there. I knew it was going to be a tactical race because we weren’t moving fast. All I cared about was getting to the line first."
That sentiment was echoed by women’s winner Lucy Hassell of Bristol, England. Hassell with modest bests of 2:38:09 in the Toronto Marathon two years ago and a half of 1:15 wasn’t considered one of the pre-race favorites in the marathon.
But she also showed great patience and restraint by running a negative split on the hilly out-and-back course. "I thought this was a fantastic race," said the 29-year-old after winning by more than seven minutes in a glittering time of 2:36:26. "I had heard it was a bit hilly, but I loved that. There was never a dull moment out there. The support and the music really helped. Especially on those last hills {San Jac}. I heard a band just when I was struggling near the finish and it gave me a lift."
Evidently. Finishing behind Hassell was Becki Michael, a 24-year-old from Akron, in 2:43:42 with Nicole Stevenson, a 34-year-old from Toronto third in 2:44:46. Kelly Handel was the first Austin woman in 2:54:25 (eighth place) but missed getting the Olympic Trials qualifying mark of 2:47.
In the accompanying half marathon, Austin’s Desiree Ficker was an easy winner in the women’s division with a time of 1:18:17. Ficker, who finished second last year in the marathon, was using the half as part of her preparation for the Olympic Trials Marathon in April. Bridget Montgomery was second in 1:23:17 and Jessica Durrant was third in 1:23:44. Amy Marsh of Austin, like Ficker, a professional triathlete, had a great race with a huge PR of 1:24:40 to nab fourth.
The men’s half was won by Brian Sell of Rochester Hills, Michigan in 1:04:11. Sell, who finished third in the Olympic Trials Marathon in November, led a Brooks-Hanson sweep of the first six places with Todd Snyder getting second in 1:04:58 and Mike Morgan third in 1:05:10. First Austinite was Gilbert Tuhabonye in 10th in 1:12:20. Gilbert's cousin Bernard Manirakiza was among the leaders for the first six miles, but dropped out at eight miles due to lingering Achilles problems.
Sell, who won the Miami Half Marathon three weeks ago, was disappointed with his time and effort. "I just didn’t attack like I wanted to do today," said the 29-year-old who is a past winner of the 3M Half. "I knew it wouldn’t be a fast time, but it is still a little slow. The weather in Michigan has been pretty tough for us and because of it, maybe I was too conservative. But it’s always great to run here and actually see the sun for a change."
Austinites see the sun all the time—just not on Saturday—and dominated the age-group standings. Among the women, locals were led by Anna Seals, who just celebrated her 24th birthday, with a massive 20-minute PR of 3:12:43 to capture second in the 20-24s. Cindy Schlandt, 40, won the 40-45 in 3:38:18 with Marlene Hicks of Georgetown third in 3:18:54. Mary Faria, 50, won the 50-54 in 3:45:49 with Charlene Janiak second in 4:01:23. Isabel Hoverman, 62, won her age group in 4:23:56 as did Tery La Rosa, 65, in 4:53:40. Vonda Adams, 73, earned an age-group win in 5:22:03.
Austin’s men also fared well in the age group divisions. Dawit Sayfu of Gilbert’s Gazelles finished second in the highly competitive 20-24 in 2:40:54. Joshua Keena, 33, who won the ARA 30-K six weeks ago, placed third in a major PR of 2:32:37 to finish third in his age group. (Keena, a major in the Army, would have won the military division had he entered.) Michael Woo, 45, pushed all the way to a 2:50:44 to finish second in the 45-49.
And 62-year-old Gregg Evans, made a great comeback from prostate surgery just eight months earlier, to gut out an age-group win in 3:29:48.
The 17th AT&T Austin Marathon capped a sensational season of distance racing as the marathon was the finale of the RunTex Distance Challenge. What started in the warmth of early fall with IBM and the Run for the Water 10-Miler came full circle as the 13,000 runners were rewarded with picture perfect conditions for AT&T.
The AT&T course certainly isn’t easy. But a marathon—any marathon—never is.
