Holding on until the end

My favorite running story this weekend was not that American Tyson Gay beat Usain Bolt. Sorry, Tyson. Much congrats on the major victory, but another story trumped that great match-up.

This weekend was the Beach to Beacon 10k in Maine. While the winning times were fabulous, it was another story that caught my attention,

Piers was actually the defending champ in the competition to be top womanfrom Maine at Saturday's Beach to Beacon 10K. She was lagging a bit behind her training partner Barry with less than a half-mile remaining after they'd run much of the 10k together. "I turned around and I yelled, 'Come on, Sheri!'" Barry reports. "I heard her yell back, 'I'm coming.'" They cross the finish line hand-in-hand, though Barry was awarded the Maine victory. "That's what we try to do, run together," Piers explains. "It's so much more enjoyable. In years past, our fitness levels have been off, so we haven't been able to do that. But we run together every single day."

This was the picture of Sheri and Kristin finishing together in 34:34. It is incredible - they finished together, holding hands, at a 5:34 pace. And the smiles say it all. Pure friendship - the place they finished in didn't matter anymore. They were competing for the top Maine finisher (which grants extra prize money), and they didn't care. It was about sharing a moment together, and celebrating what they do together - run and be friends. I thought this was quite beautiful, and a testament that even in the spirit of competition, friendship prevails.

I have 2 marathons coming up. 1 is the Rochester Marathon (9/12), in which I am shooting to break 3:35 (and possibly 3:33). I am excited about my homecoming marathon - my parents and all of my grandparents will be there. It is my chance to finish in a competitive spot, and is certainly the flattest marathon I've ever run. I have high expectations, and I'm hoping that all of this summer training will pay off.

But I also get to run MCM on Halloween. My time will not matter then. I get to share this experience with a friend - and I've never been able to do that in the marathon. We've ran over 100 miles together this summer in training, and we'll share 26.2 more on Halloween. We've only linked up for the clap line (this tradition our camp kids do), but I am very much looking forward to holding on until the end on Halloween...