Niagara Falls International Marathon Races – Slowly I Turn
by Bob Kopac
Because our Danish friends Holger and Anne Grete Jacobsen were running the Niagara Falls International Marathon, my spouse Lynne and I decided to run also. They registered for the marathon, and Lynne the half, but I was the smartest: I chose the 5K. We would receive the same medals, with the distance stamped on the back, but who looks there? My Canadian friend Andrea then registered for the 10K. At the Runners Expo, I switched to the 10K because she was really cute.
Kathrine Switzer spoke at the Expo about being the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1967 with an official number and, as a result, losing her AAU membership. She said, “When I was banned, I used to come up to Canada to run because the Canadians invited me to all their races. I felt like one of the Vietnam draft dodgers. I used to come up over the border and run races. The Canadians were wonderful! They would give me a bib number that would say ‘Unofficial woman!’ And then they would give me a trophy and say ‘This is your unofficial first-place trophy!’”
Another speaker was Canadian John Stanton, who advocates 10:1 training; that is, run 10 minutes and walk 1 minute. John said, “You can take 4:15 marathoners and say to them, ‘If you do walk breaks, we can get 15 minutes off your marathon time.’ Not only will you be faster, you will recover more quickly.” [See John’s web site.]
All races finish at the Horseshoe Falls. On race morning, Lynne caught her bus to the half-marathon starting point. The marathoners, after being bussed to Buffalo, NY, ran over the Peace Bridge back into Canada.
While walking with Andrea and her friends Adam and Colleen to the 10K start/finish line, I suggested the “Pirates of the Caribbean” rule: “He who falls behind gets left behind.” We ran together until the first water stop, where Andrea and I bypassed getting water, thus invoking the rule. Through 8 kilometers Andrea and I ran together. Then, on a downhill, she accelerated and left me behind. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” rule! Aaarrrr! Hang the rules. They’re more like guidelines anyway.
Six seconds separated the first 3 half marathoners: Pius Kipsang Korir (Kenya) in 1:05:29, Mark Carroll (Ireland) in 1:05:31 and Giitah Macharia (Canada) in 1:05:35. Nadezda Trilinskaya (Russia) was the first female in 1:17:13, followed by Canadians Pauline Githuka in 1:19:05 and Paula Wiltse in 1:19:12.
Lynne had endured a headwind off the river. She described the course as flat and scenic, but wondered why many “McMansions” along the course had turrets. Adam replied, “Where else would you put archers?”
The first marathoner, Thomas Omwenga (Kenya), finished in a headwind-affected time of 2:33:12, followed by Michel Lavoie (Canada) in 2:36:09 and Brandon Newbould (USA) in 2:37:04. The first 3 female marathoners were Canadian: 52-year-old Louise Voghel (3:02:36), Colleen Berry (3:02:57) and Michelle Schuler (3:10:44).
My first 10K in 12 years was enjoyable, except for one incident. I told Andrea, Colleen and Adam that I would say at the halfway turnaround point, “Niagara Falls! Slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch…” They had no idea what I was talking about. I figured it was a generational thing, so I turned to a nearby older runner who happened to be from Niagara Falls. She said she didn’t know what I meant either. I was inconsolable! What good is telling a joke during the race if no one understands it? [See “Slowly I Turned: a Piece of America’s Pop Culture”]
October 28, 2007 Niagara Falls International Marathon Results
Men
- 2:33:12 Thomas Omwenga, Kenya
- 2:36:06 Michel Lavoie, Laval, Canada
- 2:37:04 Brandon Newbould, Dover, NH, USA
Women
- 3:02:36 Louise Voghel, St-Armand, Quebec, Canada
- 3:02:57 Colleen Berry, Renfrew, Canada
- 3:10:44 Michelle Schuler, Ottawa, Canada
Half Marathon:
Men
- 1:05:29 Pius Kipsang Korir, Kenya
- 1:05:31 Mark Carroll, Providence, Canada
- 1:05:35 Giitah Macharia, Toronto, Canada
Women
- 1:17:13 Nadezda Trilinskaya, Russia
- 1:19:05 Pauline Githuka, Milton, Canada
- 1:19:12 Paula Wiltse, Kingston, Canada
10K
Men
- 32:59 Stephane Hetherington, Etobicoke, Canada
- 36:04 Julian Patchett, Ajax, Canada
- 42:09 Sean Patterson, Mississauga, Canada
Women
- 41:20 Joelle Mann, Amherst, Canada
- 46:38 Frances Hardwick, Ottawa, Canada
- 47:08 Sarah White, Toronto, Canada
5K
Men
- 17:04 Richard Ayotte, Niagara Falls, Canada
- 18:14 Bill MacDonald, Fenwick, Canada
- 18:31 Bill Young, Toronto, Canada
Women
- 20:47 Joanne Mittelholtz, Kitchener, Canada
- 20:53 Corinne McAuley, Mississauga, Canada
- 21:08 Angie Foster, Toronto, Canada