The 8th annual HFM Maritime Marathon was held yesterday under cool, overcast skies. The 26.2 mile run from Manitowoc to Port Sandy Bay, north of Two Rivers and back again, was won by Waukesha’s Jacob Jodat a time of 2.49.33. The top female finisher was Kathy Derks of Green Bay in a course record time of 2:50.04.
Jodat, a former track & cross country athlete at Waukesha North and later at Wisconsin Lutheran College, said this was his first marathon, and that he was just happy to finish the course. He complimented the course on having some beautiful views, and on how flat it is.
Derks, meanwhile, wanted to run in the Cellcom marathon in Green Bay last month but was denied the opportunity because of standing water on the course. We informed the former Hortonville High School and UW Stevens Point that she had broken the old record time, to which she responded that it “Feels amassing. I actually surprised myself. My goal was to run 2:55.” She attributed some of the credit to having the wind at her back in the last half of the course. It was just the 2nd marathon for Kathy.
Race Director Dave Nickels said the turnout was the best ever in terms of the number of marathon competitors. He told us that “My phone has’t been ringing which is always a good sign.” He said that they had 340 people run the marathon, and about 670 runners in total which he said “is good for us.”
Winners of the Half-Marathon were Brad Theyerl of Manitowoc and Sarah Brinkley of Fond du lac. Trophies presented to the winners featured the logo from the new Spirit of the Rivers Monument along Memorial Drive. The charity partner for this year’s marathon was Marco Services.
Brad Theyerl of Manitowoc and Sarah Brinkley of Fond du lac
