This report comes to us from Andy Pollock, Race Director:
Trenkle wins 7th Sandhills Marathon
Kearney runner Jamie Trenkle, 36, won the seventh Sandhills Marathon, run on the Brownlee Marathon south of Valentine in Cherry County. Runner-up the previous two years to Kearney native Kaci Lickteig, Trenkle became the first male runner to win the Sandhills Marathon since 2009. His time was 3 hours, 1 minute and 59 seconds on a course known for being challenging. Miguel Ordorica, 41, of Omaha finished runner-up with a time of 3:10:25. Women’s champion Jayci Zakaras, 28, of Omaha, finished eighth overall with a time of 3:28:08. Zakaras decided to switch from the Half to the Full Marathon the night before the race.
Maureen Larsen, 41, defended her championship in the Half Marathon with a time of 1:27:01. The Gretna runner edged Omaha runner Jason Zakaras, 30, who finished in 1:28:10. Cherry County native Charity Miles, 24, finished third in the Half Marathon with a time of 1:30:01.
A total of 119 runners from 17 states and Nebraska ran this year’s Sandhills Marathon races.
Weather conditions throughout most of the race were nearly ideal for long-distance running, according to race co-director Scott Schwartz of Lincoln. “It was cool and overcast, and the winds were relatively tame,” Schwartz said. “In fact, a nice tailwind developed as the race went on.”
Started in 2007, the Sandhills Marathon has become a popular draw for runners across the country, according to race co-director Andy Pollock, also of Lincoln. “We opened registration at Midnight on New Year’s Eve, and the races both filled by mid-afternoon January 2. That’s not bad for a race promoted solely through word of mouth and a website,” Pollock said. Race organizers plan to keep the field small. “It’s a one-lane road that’s 40 miles south of Valentine. Logistics are tricky, but the main reason to keep the race small is to preserve the uniquely remote experience.”
Race Listing
Click here for more information about the 2013 Sandhills Marathon.
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