This morning 15, 000 runners made their way through the streets of Miami. The race was led by Kenian Jynocel Basweti and at mile 20 it sure looked like he was going to take home the win. That is until he mistakingly took a wrong turn as he followed a truck that had been flagged off the course by police. By the time he realized and back tracked the wind had been knocked out of his sails and he lost to 34 year old Benazzouz Slimani, a Marroccon who now lives in Italy. Slimani had also taken that wrong turn but realized soon enough he was off the course and was able to recover. He finished in 2:16:49.

I have to say though that it is hard for me to imagine to be the leader in a marathon, with the win in sight only to get veered off course. It must be devastating beyond anything we as runners can imagine. A person who does not know what it takes to train and run a marathon probably has little idea how crippling such a mistake can be. It reminds me of the 2004 Olympic marathon in Athens when the race leader Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima of Brazil was pushed by Irish protester Cornelius Horan. The incident cost him the gold medal and he finished third. 

On the women’s side the race was led by 30 year old Zeddy Chepkoech of Kenya until she was passed at mile 26 by our own Michele Suskek, a 26 year old from Westminster, Colorado. She won in 2:43:31.

Congratulations to the winners and the entire rest of the pack.

Today’s Running Tip: Consider yourself a winner!

No matter how long it takes you to run across the marathon finish line, or in what place you finish at, you are always a winner!!!