Staff Writer
On Sunday, Nov. 23, Caribou resident, Easton School District teacher and former UM-Presque Isle standout cross country runner Evan Graves ran in Philadelphia’s annual marathon for the first time. This 26.2-mile “Kick Asphalt” course marked Graves’ seventh marathon, whose long distance training culminated in a third place finish at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a monument made famous by Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky.”
A “faster course,” Graves noted he was able to beat his own personal record by more than minutes. But he had to fight hard for that time, making crucial decisions even before the race began.
With the temperature at a mere 23 degrees, Graves needed to make sure he was adequately clothed, but not bulked down by needless fabric. Upon starting the race, Graves noticed the first few mile markers were off, which affected him mentally. The distance evened out, however, after mile four, and Graves “ran the first half well,” completing the first 13 miles in 1:11:50. It was during the final half of the race that he became aware of how close to the front he really was.
He said one of the top 10 dropped out and with six miles left to go, Graves found himself only six opponents away from first place.
“I was able to pick off the remaining few [and] passed into third place” with two miles left, he said.
After that, it was just a matter of holding his place. Though the finish line remained open for nearly seven hours, Graves ran a 5:31 mile, completing the historically marked course in 2:24:39. Graves was awarded with a plaque and $1,000 for his third-place finish.
Other Aroostook County participants were Carl Soderburg and Jeff Irving, both of Caribou, who finished with times of 3:32:35 and 3:39:06, respectively. For more information on this event, visit www.philadelphiamarathon.com.
