Running: Detroit Marathon Race Report, and more!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 - 07:29 PM

Ahhh....guess who is considered the fastest distance runner of all-time, and guess who is the fastest My Next Race.com ambassador?

Hey all!

great story here...not a fast race, but a great story.

I went to the Detroit marathon today. I decided to jump into the half-marathon and get a good long hard run. I planned on going around 1:10 pace...I knew someone running the full and going through that pace, so I figured I’d tuck in with the marathoners.(Saw and heard ya Drew,just waiting for the pack to catch up!)

Well that plan changed after 1K. The full and half started on opposite side of a street and we merged at 1K. So I didn’t know who was in the full, just saw that a few 2:16-2:18 Kenyans and then a few 2:20 guys. So I got out in front with another guy as we merged...the marathoners went out a bit slow. So I looked back and they started to catch us by 1K. (this is where the race plan changed) As they approached, two Kenyans tucked behind me and then a gentleman in a bright fluorescent Adidas singlet pulled up beside me. Well I had to do a double take, and the guy beside me in the half said, "Is this for real?" i was leading the race with Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie!!!!! I had to do a double take to make sure it was him because 2 weeks ago he ran a world record for the marathon...(2:04)

At first he edged by me and the Kenyans with him so I was tucked in fourth...but we stayed at a steady pace. I though there’s no point tucking in, I’m going to go run beside him, its not everyday day I run with someone like Haile Gebrselassie...(probably never!) Hard 10K at least, then see…So we ran at the front with three Kenyans behind us and the rest of the field behind. Stride for stride...it was awesome...he slowed at the bridge, and I actually lead into the wind and over the bridge. His speed made up on the down portion. I figured I’d run as long as possible with Geb and hope for the best...lol. Also I was hoping some people from Windsor may have a camera or that I’ll get a pic with him from the pros that snap your picture during the race. I figured at about the bridge he was pacing the Kenyans cause he kept telling them to keep up...so we ran together shoulder to shoulder for the first 7.5 miles...we went through 10K in 32:30.(not bad)

Then he pushed the pace hard...I guess the guys wanted a sub 2:16...so needless to say I GOT DROPPED!(lol) I was on my own after that and knowing I hadn’t done enough mileage to be on 1:08 pace, I just relaxed and steadied myself to be relaxed and smooth for the rest. The goal before the race was a solid long run, no PB's today.... I probably lost a bit with the adrenaline and all...so I cruised home in a 1:09.50...very relaxed and strong...I won the race by over three minutes..no results up yet but i waited for three minutes for second place and never saw him.

Temperature was perfect, though it was very windy on some parts...


I later found out Geb dropped out at mile 10...I think he under-estimated how hard I was working him early, and got a little too cocky trying to push the pace early. I on the other hand managed to finish the race...three miles farther than what he was capable of...HAHAHA!!!!!

Mario


Windsor Star Story

Imagine heading to the local golf course and Tiger Woods shows up out of nowhere and joins you for nine holes. That's basically what happened to University of Windsor student Mario Iozzo Sunday at the Detroit Free Press/ Flagstar Marathon.
By keeping pace with world record holder and distance superstar Haile Gebrselassie, Iozzo won the men's half marathon in 1:09.48.

A few minutes later, it became a double dip of success for the university when former Lancer Andrea LaMantia took the women's half marathon in 1:26.10. Iozzo, a York grad here for a year of teacher's college, was clipping along the streets of downtown Detroit with another runner "when this little guy all dressed in fluorescent green" pulls up alongside them. They instantly recognized him as Gebrselassie, the man who broke the marathon world record two weeks earlier in Berlin with a time of 2:04.26.

Gebrselassie was in Detroit for a promotional appearance and only ran the course to help pace several Kenyans in the field. Iozzo decided to see how long he could stay with them.


'ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY'

"If I ended up passing out in front of Casino Windsor, I didn't care," the 31-year-old said. "This was a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Iozzo and Gebrselassie ran together in silence for almost eight miles. "There I was, running shoulder to shoulder with him. His sweat was on me and we were bumping arms and I'm thinking this is unbelievable. As a runner, it's always more efficient to follow and stay in the pack but it was a sacrifice I was ready to make. I was ready to crawl home if I had to." Iozzo was wearing a Newmarket Huskies uniform and his old running club has already asked to include it in their Hall of Fame.

Nothing quite that exciting happened to LaMantia, who was actually unaware of her placement in a sometimes chaotic field that has marathoners, half-marathoners and relay teams all sharing elbow space. "I had no idea (I was leading) until a police officer told me about 600 metres before the finish," the 25-year-old said. "I had a time in mind but I didn't know what that would get me."


FORMER LANCER

LaMantia ran cross-country for the Lancers prior to graduating last spring from teacher's college. A Windsor native, she was actually practice teaching in Australia when she registered for Detroit's half marathon. She ran the half marathon three years ago and wanted to share the experience with her sister, Jenna, who wound up third among women 19 and under. "I tried to talk her into it before," Andrea said. "It's a great race. I really like the border crossing where you're coming home and you see a lot of people you know."