Marine Corps Base Quantico --
Flanked by United States Marines along a spectacular finish line, Groundpounder retired Col. Al Richmond completed his 41st consecutive Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday. Richmond, a longtime resident of Arlington, Virginia, home of the 41st MCM, ran “The People’s Marathon” wearing bib #41 in 6:39:47.
“Glad I could do it again, and my daughter ran with me again,” said Richmond after crossing the MCM finish line. “We may have been a little slow with the heat, and it did affect us in the end, but I always feel good running it.”
Richmond and Will Brown of Raleigh, North Carolina, have been known as the event’s beloved Groundpounders (anyone who has run all the MCMs). However, Brown was not able to complete this year’s course.
With temperatures climbing into the mid-70s by noon, runners were asked throughout the event to hydrate and slow their pace.
Returning MCM champion, U.S. Army Spc. Samuel Kosgei, age 32, from Junction City, Kansas, showed his Army pride winning his second MCM with an overall time of 2:23:53. Kosgei won the 2014 MCM, finishing in 2:22:12. He is the sixth MCM finisher to be a two-time champion.
Finishing in close second and third place were Desta Beriso Morkama, 31, from Arlington, Virginia, and Oscar Caron Santos, 33, of Mexico. Morkama finished with a time of 2:24:29, while Santos finished in 2:25:03.
Women marathoners were led by Perry Shoemaker, 45, of Vienna, Virginia, who finished in 2:51:48.
U.S. Army Capt. Meghan Curran, 30, of Denver, Colorado, captured second place this year finishing in 2:53:19. She completed the 39th MCM in 2:51:48, which is the exact finish time as Shoemaker's win. Arlington, Virginia, runner Nicole Irving, 24, took third place completing the MCM in 2:53:32.
The new MCM10K presented by Aetna yielded 5,068 finishers with its top male finishers completing the course within a 37-second window. Geophery Mills, 28 of Nokesville, Virginia, finished the MCM10K in 38:01, while second and third place was won by Jared Dashevsky, 21, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, (38:26) and Exavier Watson, 37, of Germantown, Maryland, just 12 seconds behind at 38:38.
Allison Parks, 20, of Annapolis, Maryland, captured the overall MCM10K title for the women finishing the 6.2-mile event in 41:59. Marey Scully, 29, of Hastings, Minnesota, took second place (42:25) and Diana Castro, 41, of Clarksburg, Maryland, completed the course in 43:01, taking third.
Adam Gorlitsky of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, enjoyed rousing cheers as he completed a portion of the MCM course wearing a new exoskeleton technology called ReWalk, designed for individuals with spinal cord injuries.
The robotic-leg system is enabling Gorlitsky to stand and walk again after being paralyzed for 10 years. Gorlitsky walked the final 6.2 miles of the MCM with a pace under a mile an hour and with remarkable success he finished in 5:59:53.
Patricia "Trish" Chee of Mericopa, Arizona, was presented the Penguin Award as the final MCM finisher of the day. Chee receive the stuffed penguin in honor of Marine Corps Maj. Megan McClung who was killed while serving in Iraq in 2006. McClung's mother and brother presented "Paul the Penguin" to Chee who said she dedicated her run to her father, who passed away running a half marathon, and for her grandfather a World War II Navajo Code Talker. After receiving the Penguin, Chee said, "Running the MCM was something I did for them."
By the event's end 19,724 unofficial finishers were presented impressive finisher medals by U.S. Marines.
The MCM finisher medals, emblazoned with the Eagle, Globe and Anchor include a specially designed hinge enabling the medal to open, making an impressive presentation. The MCM finisher medals were kept a surprise until each runner received his or her medal at the base of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, the iconic finish of the MCM.
For more information about MCM results, visit www.marinemarathon.com. All results remain unofficial.