The marathon attracts over 2,000 runners every year. | Facebook
The marathon attracts over 2,000 runners every year. | Facebook
The Eau Claire Marathon run, an annual event in the Wisconsin town of Eau Claire that yearly attracts over 2,000 long-distance runners, was held on Sept. 26 after a year hiatus.
Two Eau Claire residents won the full marathon events.
In 2020 the event was postponed in May and then cancelled on Sept. 27 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, although participants were allowed to run their own individual course and record the results online.
“The Eau Claire Marathon weekend is back in person and I am here for it,” a runner who identified herself as Elise said in a tweet.
The event included a marathon run (26.2 miles), a half marathon and a five kilometer event.
According to a WEAU 13 News report, race day weather was nearly perfect, cool conditions with little wind.
The race winds through Eau Claire, a town of 68,000 in the west-central part of Wisconsin. The course included the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Campus, and finished in the downtown shopping and business section. Thousands of spectators witnessed the event, the report said.
A report in the Leader-Telegram said Adam Condit, an Eau Claire resident, won the men’s event of the full marathon with a time of 2:38.16. The women’s winner Rachel Ragona, also of Eau Claire, finished in 2:48.31.
“All the cheering and staying downtown has been very helpful, so I love the new course,” Condit said in the News 13 report. “You can’t dream this stuff up sometimes. I’ve run a lot of races, and they don’t all start at 41 degrees and no wind, so I was very fortunate with a good day today.”
Condit also won the event in 2019.
Ragona, who won for the first time, said she had stuck to her own plan of performance and maintained an even speed throughout the race, called achieving a “split.”
“I just ran my own race,” she said. “I stuck with those sensible splits.”
Ragona said she experienced one rough spot.
“I had a little bit of a sticky patch around mile 16, stomach wasn’t doing too well,” Ragona said. “But, I managed to get through it and a strong finish.”
For more information go to www.eauclairemarathon.com.
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