Heart
of America Marathon
Labor Day 
Columbia, Missouri
Perfect weather upper 50's, no higher than 61.
Cloudy, humidity didn't seem too bad. About two hours into the race a gentle rain fell for about five minutes, very refreshing, yet not enough to make for squishing feet. Tim Hendricks wins his third Heart of America Marathon, his time about the same as previously. He laid back, as usual, making his move after the Stadium Blvd. hill at 24 miles. Jim McFadden, winner of the Quincy Marathon on August 19 in 2:52+
(90 degrees), led for the first 24 miles, except for about a four mile stretch between twelve and sixteen when Mike Chaffee had the lead. Hendricks was two to four minutes behind until closing the gap after 21 miles. Lou Fritz was
second again, running his usual race, similar to Hendricks, hanging back in eighth place through fifteen miles then gradually moving up. He was some five minutes faster than McFadden over the last two miles. A personal best for Don Granberg, on this course, by eleven minutes. Ben Londeree ran fourth for the first twelve, but faded to sixteenth,
still better than last year by twenty minutes. Art Fleming improved by 34 minutes, the last half over seven minutes faster than the first. Dick Hessler and John Wilson, in
their first marathon, ran very intelligently, passing some seventeen runners, their last half almost twelve minutes faster than the first. Joe Duncan improved his best ry
fourteen minutes. Steve Beck was in his first marathon (he says his last). Dave Leuthold improved by an hour, Leonard Busen found our course tougher than the others he's been on and Rob Spier, walking all the way, got a nice tune-up for
the 100 mile walk, coming up soon. So went the CTC contingent. The age 40 trophy went to Alex Ratelle for the fifth straight year.
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