05/28/2006
Record-Eagle/Tyler
Sipe
Lansing's Nathan Usher lead early during Saturday morning's 24th Annual
Bayshore Marathon.
Familiar feats
Plaxton
wins 6th title; Usher takes 2nd in a row
BY DENNIS CHASE
dchase@record-eagle.com
Special to
the Record-Eagle/Anderson Aerial Photography
Runners competing in the Bayshore Marathon race along Grand Traverse Bay on
Saturday.
See related stories:
·
Manning moves
to win Half Marathon; Harris wins women's
·
Traverse City's
Grant wins 1st Bayshore 10K title
TRAVERSE CITY — Sarah Plaxton said it
"was good to be back."
The Highland resident, who missed
last year's Bayshore Marathon with a knee injury, returned Saturday and won her
sixth women's title.
Plaxton was timed in 2 hours, 53
minutes and 13 seconds — almost nine minutes ahead of runner-up Angela Brunan.
"I love this race," said
Plaxton, whose parents live in Traverse City.
Nearly 3,300 runners registered for
Bayshore's three races, including 1,500 in the marathon.
Plaxton appropriately wore bib No. 1.
Lansing's Nathan Usher wore bib No. 2 — and that turned out to be appropriate,
too. Usher won the men's marathon for the second year in a row.
The Michigan State graduate finished
in 2:24.09 — about a minute slower than a year ago.
Plaxton's time was also slower than
when she won in 2004.
"I'm happy with it because I'm
not in as good a shape as I was (in 2004)," Plaxton said.
Plaxton had few problems Saturday.
"I had a little knee cramping at
17 (miles)," she said. "I was wondering how that would go, but it
worked itself out. I couldn't have asked for a better day."
It was her third marathon in the last
three months — and her best time.
"In my last marathon (in
Kentucky) I hit the wall with eight miles to go," she said. "Today, I
was really happy when I got past 18.
"Some marathons are tough, some
are nice. Today was a good one."
Usher, meanwhile, was on pace early
to reach his goal — a time under 2:22 that would qualify him for the Olympic
Trials. But his 5:16 pace through the first 14 miles caught up with him.
"My legs are toast," he
said moments after crossing the finish line. "I went out way too fast. It
was too hot for that (pace). I hit the half at just over 69 minutes.
"At 14 miles I knew I was in big
trouble. I tried to slow down, but it was too little, too late. After that I
was just trying to finish and run fast enough so Andy Hass wouldn't catch
me."
Hass finished second in 2:28.39.
Usher ran the Fifth Third River Bank
25K earlier in the month, crossing the finish line in 1:19.19.
"That converts to about a 2:19
so I figured I could hit it," Usher said. "If I would have gone out
at the right pace I would have been OK."
Usher said he came into this race in
"better shape" than a year ago when he ran 2:23:06.
"Looking at my training log,
I've been running faster and longer — consistently," he said
Traverse City's Eric Houghton,
running his first marathon in more than two years after suffering an injury,
placed fourth in 2:35:07.
"I just wanted to get through
this one healthy," he said. "To get through it on a warm day like
this, and run under a six minute pace, I'm happy.
"My mileage in training was a
little low for this, but I didn't want to overdo it and get injured. I just did
what I could."
Houghton ran his PR in a marathon
here three years ago — 2:28.52.
A wheeler, Bill Hattan, completed the
marathon in 2:49:47.
"This was the first year
Bayshore allowed wheelers," Hattan said. "It was really, really cool.
We're going to get others here next year. It's a great race, a great course for
wheeling."
The Portland resident, who lost his
legs in a horrific accident, took up racing last April. He finished his first
marathon in Detroit last October.
Hattan had one mishap on the course
Saturday and he joked about it afterwards. It occurred at mile 22 when he asked
volunteers to splash him with water.
"They try to get you as good as
they can, but it (water) got me in the eye," he said.
With his eyesight temporarily
blurred, Hattan lost control of his wheeler and inadvertently wiped out the
water station.
"I took water for
everybody," he said.
Hattan then hit the wall at 24 miles.
"I didn't think I was going to
make it," he said. "But the cheering of the crowd (along the course)
really inspired me to keep going."
Hattan was injured nearly four years
ago. A highway safety professional, Hattan was setting up a warning system for
motorists at I-94 and Joy Road in Mount Clemens when he and a co-worker were
struck on the shoulder of the road by a motorist clipping along at 80 miles per
hour.
"It killed my co-worker
instantly," Hattan said. "I was thrown 67 feet."
Hattan was in a coma for 45 days.
He's since had 63 operations. His legs were amputated in February of 2004.
"My wife was my inspiration
through this whole thing," he said. "People ask me, 'What got you
through it?' It's faith, family and friends."
Hattan built his own wheeler for
racing.
"I want to inspire other people
to get out and exercise," he said. "You may lose your legs, but you
don't lose your heart."
