26.2 miles in their shoes
The 2009 Bank of America Chicago Marathon beckoned runners the world over to test their endurance on the city’s streets on Oct. 11. Nearly 35,000 participants showed up on the cold race morning, including some familiar faces from Marquette.
As part of the final leg of the Marquette Student Media Marathon Convergence Project, The Marquette Journal followed up with some of MU’s own runners to hear a firsthand account of 26.2 miles in their shoes.
Pre-race excitement
Joe Woelfel, a senior in the College of Communication, and Jeff Hatke, a senior in the College of Business Administration, trained for the race together. But once they arrived at the race scene, they approached the starting line of their first marathon differently.
Woelfel said Hatke seemed more intense at the start.
“Jeff got really into it,” Woelfel said. “I was just looking at the skyline. I couldn’t stop thinking about free beer at the end of the race.”
Callista Pappas, a sophomore in the College of Education and first-time marathon runner, said the pre-race intensity was overwhelming. With thousands of runners waiting to race, Pappas didn’t cross the starting line until 20 minutes after the first participants began to run.
Runners pulled off their warm-ups and threw them to the side of the street, Pappas said.
Participants screamed with excitement and chattered in foreign languages.
Igor Borba, a graduate student in the College of Arts & Sciences, said that after running the Chicago marathon last year, he felt prepared for the race to come.
“I knew more of what to expect and ran a better pace,” he said.
At the starting line
Woelfel said the first 10 miles bored him, but he knew he would hurt later. He enjoyed seeing Marquette supporters along the race course. Spectators and runners alike cheered him on when they noticed his Marquette shirt.
For Hatke, the first 10 miles teemed with energy and excitement. He said he felt caught up in the moment as he observed other runners and looked for his family.
Pappas said miles six through 15 felt tough. The cold air chilled her, but once the sun came out, she felt better. On the other hand, neither Woelfel nor Hatke felt cold. Both said they felt relieved the temperature was low, so they wouldn’t overheat.
Crossing the finish line
After 26.2 grueling miles, Pappas said she crossed the finish line singing T.I.’s “Whatever You Like” at the top of her lungs.
“It was beautiful,” Pappas said.
The race finish only left her wanting more. Pappas said she hopes to run another marathon this spring in Madison.
Woelfel said his last two miles felt best by far. He said he probably passed 200 people and finished thinking, “that was way easy.” Five hours later, after soreness crept into his muscles, he felt differently.
Woelfel said he doesn’t think he will run another marathon — he ran this one to test himself. When a friend told him he couldn’t understand the strenuousness of marathon running, he took the statement as a challenge. He hopes to train and explore the sport of triathlon in the years to come.
Hatke said he knew he hurt while he ran but didn’t stop. When he crossed the finish line, he felt as if he could hardly take a step without falling.
Hatke said he’s not sure right now if he will he will run another marathon in the future. As he crossed the finish line, the emcee announced that participants should sign up for next year’s marathon, a daunting thought after just finishing the race. For now, he feels satisfied just crossing “running a marathon” off of his life goals list.
“You’ve got to have something that makes you want to do this,” he said. “I wanted to check it off my lists of things to do.”
Now that Hatke has completed a marathon, his other life goals include driving an Indy car and going on a safari.
Borba said he set a personal record and looks forward to running his next race. He plans to run the Chicago Marathon again in the future, but since he is graduating in December and returning to his home in Brazil, he will shoot to run his next marathon in Rio de Janeiro.
He said he will run marathons as long as his body will allow. He remembered finding inspiration in seeing an 85-year-old marathoner at the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon last year.
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