Broken records, personal bests and whole lot of blisters wrapped up this weekend’s INTACT Edmonton Marathon as more than 4,000 racers hit Edmonton streets.
For some racers, like Karine Betts from Edmonton, this race was a stepping stone in getting to the ultimate race, the Boston Marathon.
“I am shocked,” said Betts. “I just wanted to come in under 3:30:00.”
Betts was the first woman to complete the grueling 42.2-kilometre race with a personal best time of 3:09:05.
Since the Edmonton Marathon is a Boston Marathon qualifying event, Betts was hoping to finish with a time that would help her qualify for 2010, needing to finish this race under 3:40:00.
Betts not only shattered the qualifying time, but also beat her time from last year’s race by almost an hour.
“I always hate the first hour of the run, I always wonder why I do it,” said Betts.
Setting a new men’s marathon record at his first Edmonton Marathon, Kenyan-born Calgarian runner Hilary Cheruiyot crossed the finish line at an impressive 2:23:37.
“It is a tough course out there,” said Tom Keogh, event director.
Racers must navigate their way throughout city streets and through the ups and down of the river valley. “The first and second (place) of the men have shattered the course record on both the half-marathon and the full marathon,” said Keogh.
The previous course record was held by Dallas Raudebaugh in 2005.
