BELLINGHAM - Marathon runner Uli Steidl proved it's not the shoes that make the runner on Sunday, Sept. 24 during the fifth annual Bellingham Bay Marathon.
Steidl turned in a course record time of 2 hours, 31 minutes, 33 seconds on the 26.2-mile trek from Lummi Nation School to the Depot Market Square on Railroad Avenue and accomplished the feat in a green pair of worn down Asics, complete with a gaping hole under his right big toe. Collin Fehr finished second in 2:38.19, and MJ Engle took third in 2:45.07.
Canadian runner Margreet Dietz was the top women's finisher and the eighth runner overall in 3:09.40.
"Well, I have new shoes but, they aren't too good when they're wet," Steidl said. "I got these (shoes) at a marathon in 2005, and they probably have 1,000 miles on them. I wanted to get a new version of them, but I think they stopped making the model."
Finishing 6:45 ahead of Fehr, Steidl probably could've won the marathon running barefoot.
"It feels good to win," Steidl said. "The first 8 to 10 miles was a lot of tail wind, but there were some stretches that were pretty gnarly. I kept switching over with a few guys every other mile or so, but later in the race it was my time to take off, and I kept a good pace."
The howling wind Sunday morning played a major role in the race, as several runners struggled with tough head winds.
"(The wind) made times a lot slower, and it plays a little bit of a role when it comes to tactics," Steidl said. "You can run with a bit of a faster group, so you can draft off them."
Steidl is the assistant coach of the Seattle University cross country and track and field teams. He began competing in marathons in 1992 and has fared well in several prestigious races, such as a 12th-place finish in the 2007 Boston Marathon. Steidl also has won the Seattle Marathon eight times.
With a resume like that, Steidl said it's the competition that keeps him running in endurance races.
"The money is part of it," said Steidl, who claimed the $500 winner's purse plus another $200 for breaking a course record set in 2010 by Oliver Bear Don't Walk (2:37:29). "It's not necessarily winning the money, but the money brings in better competition. As long as I'm reasonably healthy, I'll be running."
Health certainly wasn't an issue for Steidl Sunday, as he averaged a 5:47-mile pace.
"I didn't go out too hard," he said. "I could have sped up if I had someone pushing me at the end. I was telling myself that I really wanted to get the course record, and I knew even if I slowed down I could have gotten it."
Not all runners were able to get through the race or Sunday's wind without hiccups like Steidl did. Kirkland's Brian Patenaude, who crossed the finish line shoes in hand, struggled against gusty conditions most of the race.
"I totally fell off my routine," Patenaude said. "I was vomiting and dizzy. I totally wasn't prepared for the wind. I feel dumb for not looking into it, and I had to take my shoes off at mile 23. I was trying to PR, but I didn't."
Like Patenaude, Dietz was eyeing her personal best. Though she just missed that mark, Dietz beat second-place female finisher Kelly O'Conner by 17 minutes. O'Conner finished in 3:26.40, and Kelly Bird took third in 3:30.10
"It feels awesome - I'm stoked, "Dietz said. "My partner ran this race last year, so I was able to scout it out and know a little bit about the course. I just focused on each step and kept a positive attitude. You can't have a negative attitude in a race like this."
Race Director David Penrose said there were roughly 3,100 runners who participated in the marathon, half marathon and 5-kilometer races, combined - which also broke the event record.
"Two years ago we had a 33-percent growth, and this year we had a 37-percent growth. "Anything you want to do has to have a good foundation. We have a great community here - the people, the businesses - we have a great community culture. A lot of (the increase in numbers) has to do with the distance. There are a lot of great team races in Bellingham, like Ski to Sea and the Bellingham Traverse, but this race is a singular effort. You have to go through a lot and challenge yourself."
Former Western Washington University cross country runner Jordan Welling won the men's half marathon with a event record time of 1:11:32, while women's winner Kristen Carter missed the record by just one second.
Jason Gulley won the men's 5K in 17:13, breaking a record he set along with John Collins in 2009 by one second. Women's 5K winner Marti Reimer also set a new record of 19:36.
Reach Andrew Lang at andrew.lang@bellinghamherald.com or call 360-756-2862.
TOP FINISHERS
MEN'S MARATHON
1. Uli Steidl 2:31.33
2. Collin Fehr 2:38.19
3. MJ Engle 2:45.07
4. Todd Howard 2:49.20
5. Chad Portwood 2:52.22
6. Charles Claassen 3:02.47
7. Mark Burke 3:07.23
8. Bryan Robertson 3:14.16
9. Greg Welwood 3:17.48
10. Juan Arteaga Torr 3:17.48
WOMEN'S MARATHON
1. Margreet Dietz 3:09.40
2. Kelly O'Conner 3:26.40
3. Kelly Bird 3:30.10
4. Kimberly Anderson 3:30.09
5. Andrea Ryker 3:30.22
6. Doug Judge 3:31.23
7. Tessa Thralls 3:32.24
8. Diane Winra, 3:32.31
9. Amy Meyers 3:32.25
10. Mia Douglas 3:32.51
MEN'S HALF MARATHON
1. Jordan Welling 1:11.32
2. Joshua Ricardi 1:13.31
3. R.B. Wick 1:15.24
4. Jeriah Griswold 1:15.47
5. Kyle Roozen 1:18.07
WOMEN'S HALF MARATHON
1. Kristen Carter 1:23.28
2. Lindsey Hintz 1:24.22
3. Kate Bradshaw 1:27.39
4. Paige Longdon 1:28.39
5. Adrienne Nova 1:30.38
MEN'S 5K RACE
1. Jason Gulley 17:13
2. Nate Low 17:26
3. David Whitney 17:41
WOMEN'S 5K RACE
1. Marti Reimer 19:36
2. Colleen Sunderland 20:50
3. Julie Benner 21:21
