Heart of America Marathon
Labor Day heart2.gif (4940 bytes) Columbia, Missouri

2005 Report

PATRICK HANSON, BECKY LOWRANCE and WILLIAM TAN ARE WINNERS IN THE 46th ANNUAL HEART OF AMERICA MARATHON September 5, 2005

2005's HOA will be remembered as the time Dr. WILLIAM TAN, from a small town in Singapore, conquered the hills of the HOA course in a wheelchair in a scintillating time of 2:41:12, beating all the runners, save one, that one being PATRICK HANSON, in his first HOA, who came across with a time of 2:39:33. 48-year-old BECKY LOWRANCE, Branson, MO, in her second HOA, led the female contingent, running some four minutes faster than a year ago when she had cooler weather and no sun.

William Tan is a medical doctor and a PHD. He is paralyzed from the waist down because of a bout with polio at age 2. He had asked me a couple of months ago if he could enter HOA as a wheelchair participant. I told him "no" because of the difficulty of the course. He did not accept that "no" and gave me a partial list of his credentials, viz.,: 10 marathons on 7 continents in 70 days in a Guinness World record attempt; pushing his wheel- chair the whole length of New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore to Thailand, Boston to New York to Washington DC; a BIG push up Genting Highlands (Malaysia) which is 2200 meters above sea level; the first person to do the Antarctica Marathon in a wheelchair (Feb. 26, 2005); the Fin Del Mundo Marathon, March 6, 2005 in Ushuaia, Argentina the most southern tip of South America, wheeling on rocky, gravel, unpaved grounds for 18 km of the route in a National Park. With those credentials and his "can do" atti- tude the "no" was changed to a "yes." HOA was Dr. Tan's third marathon in three days--he did the Pocatello, Idaho Marathon on Saturday, the New Mexico Marathon on Sunday, then HOA on Monday. He was going after the Guinness record of 8:30 for three wheelchair marathons in three days. His cumulative time after HOA was 7:13:45, so he should get that record. Thanks to Fred Schmidt, Cammy Ronchetto and Sarah Ashman for accompanying him on bicycles, providing protection from the traffic, and to Linda LaFontaine for transporting him from Columbia Regional Airport to Campus Inn and back. She didn't really want him wheeling his way up and down Highway 63.

PATRICK HANSON and MATT DREIER, Tryathletic employees, were using HOA as training runs in preparation for Twin Cities next month. Their intent was to do 20 miles or so, but they both were running so well they came on into the finish giving Tryathletics two of the top five finishes. Both Hanson and Dreier did the second half a minute or so faster than the first. WILL HARLAN, with a 2:36 in Chicago last fall, was the pre-race favorite until Hanson signed up at 5:30 am race-day. Hanson was the youngest winner since Tony Rodiez in 1976.

BECKY LOWRANCE finished second last year, at age 47, but a year later she improves by 4:21 to not only set an age 48 record, but a record for all females age 40 or over. Becky's time was also a Missouri State resident's single age record. Her official time is 3:20:17, rounding up her Chronomix time. YUKIKO NISHIDE got the age 43 HOA record and the third best ever for 40+ with Low- rance having the best two. DIANA BIBEAU got the age 45 record. The only record set by a male was the age 70 mark of 4:23:27 turned in by LINCOLN BRUCE KATTER. Lou Joline still has the 70+ record of 4:10:30 set last year.

SHANNA TRENDLEY not only finished third female, but she also won the Dave Schulte Award for Improved Performance by finishing 45:27 faster than her time of 2004, a 17.49% improvement.

ANNE MARIE JACKSON is the granddaughter of Murrel Jackson, a charter member of CTC, who ran HOA in 1968 and '69. Murrel and Ruby Jackson, for many years, were in charge of the Pierpont Aid Station. SCOTT BROWN is a grandson-in-law of the Jacksons. Following HOA he reported for duty in Iraq.

THE WEATHER: Typical Labor Day: Clear skies, sunshine, low 60s at the start, reaching 80 by 11:00, moderate winds, with fairly low humidity.

VOLUNTEERS: Again, great support from a host of volunteers. Special kudos to Josh Johnson and his crew of Hickman HS cross- country runners (and friends) who took care of all the Aid Stations. The timers: Lisa Wells, Linda LaFontaine, Whitney & Marge Hicks, David Lang, Richard & Kristen Harris, Don Waltman, Richard & Leona Nistendirk. The Finish: Ben Londeree, Dick Hessler, Karen Gordon, Nancy Lohmar (at Campus Inn check-in) Chelsea Gordon, Jennifer Thoma, Peggy Horner, Tom Allen, Krista White Leslie Schneider, Jana Heitmeyer, Jim Crosby. Finish Line Aid Station: Dick & Anne Hessler, Amy Gundy. Iceman: Brian Evans. Course Monitors: Bill Sappington, Kevin Conn, Bob Humphreys, Oscar Chavez & family, Linda LaFontaine, Lisa Stevens, Dave Gibbons, Drew Irvin, Jim Linville, Randy Gay, Richard Boggs. Medical support: Dr. Jill Murphey, Mike Bryant, Norm Stebbins, Tom Lafontaine. Newell Kitchen was responsible for the cold water tank at the finish and thanks to the Columbia Fire Depart- ment for filling the tank. Thanks to JOE MACHENS FORD for the loan of a pick-up truck, a service they have provided now for 30 years. To CULLIGAN for 15 bottles of water and to PEPSI-COLA for 2,000 cups.

The Website: Kurt Kennett. 2000 cups donated by Pepsi-Cola. Boone Co. Fire Protection District Personnel were on the course. WITHOUT THE VOLUNTEERS WE WOULD HAVE NO MARATHON. THANKS TO ALL!