SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Nov. 17, 2013) – The first half of an epic attempt ended well for 39-year-old Michael Wardian, who won the 2013 Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon in 2 hours, 31 minutes and 19 seconds. After crossing the finish line, Wardian headed straight to the airport, bound for a second marathon attempt at Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas on Sunday evening.
“I felt really comfortable out there so I hope that bodes well for lacing up again tonight,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about, just trying to get out there and see if you can do a little more than you think you can and hopefully inspiring people to push themselves.”
Wardian ran in second place for the majority of the distance, finally outpacing Moses Leuvano at mile 17.
“I was a minute behind and I started cutting it down. I was running pretty consistent and I was hoping he would just come back and it worked out.” Leuvan0 would finish in 2:34:44.
In the women’s marathon, Jena Kincaid, a 25-year-old teacher from Austin, Texas, took the title in 3:07:41. Jennifer Chaudoir finished second in 3:09:44.
Kincaid ran with a pack of four until mile 20 when she took the lead.
“If I didn’t keep passing people, I was going to fall way back so I kept pushing. I won a smaller marathon last month and it’s surreal today. It’s a different experience winning at such a big race.”
Kincaid will compete at the Boston Marathon in 2014.
After running in a group of four in the half marathon, Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series veteran Patrick Rizzo took a sizable lead at mile 7, pushing through a series of hills to build a gap. Behind him was Abraham Rutto, a Kenyan living and training in Georgetown, Texas. Rutto slowly began closing in, passing Rizzo at the 9-mile mark and maintaining his lead to the finish line.
“I tried to stay with Rizzo but he kept pushing,” he said. “I knew if I kept pushing like him in the beginning that I wouldn’t last. I ultimately saw a good time to make a move.”
Rutto, 30, won in 1:07:16, with Rizzo a minute behind in 1:08:10. Samuel Kosgei, 29, of Houston, placed third in 1:09:03.
Dani Fischer, 25, of Wausau, Wis., ran neck and neck with veteran Dorota Gruca for the first half of the women’s half marathon.
“We were pushing off each other. But I ran the course earlier this week and knew what to expect. Once we got to the zoo, I took off on the hills. My strategy is to relax up the hills and lean forward on the downhill.”
Fischer took her 3rd Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series win in 1:18:58.
Gruca, 42, finished in 1:19:26, with Lauren Smith, 22, of Lake Jackson, Texas, rounding out the top three in 1:22:05.
The 6th Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon & ½ Marathon debuted a new course and welcomed 26,000 entrants. San Antonio City Manager Sheryl Sculley completed her 6th race here, and finished in 2:14:15. Country star Joe Nichols performed for an enthusiastic crowd outside the Alamodome at the post-race concert.
The event was also the championship race of the 2013 Half Marathon Grand Prix, an age-group competition with athletes from 18 to 80+ involving all 30 Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathons and the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon. Points toward the Half Marathon Grand Prix rankings are earned and tracked throughout the calendar year based finish time and place.
Leaders in each age-group division after Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah were flown to San Antonio to compete in the season finale for $1,000 prize package. Grand Prix results are listed following the race results below.
6th Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon & ½ Marathon
San Antonio, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013
Men’s Marathon
1. 1. Michael Wardian, 39, Arlington, VA, 2:31:19
2. 2. Moses Luevano, 21, Boerne, TX. 2:34:44
3. 3. Jeremy Daum, 27, San Antonio, TX 2:39:37
Women’s Marathon
1. 1. Jena Kincaid, 25, Austin, TX, 3:07:41
2. 2. Jennifer Chaudoir, 39, Green Bay, WI, 3:09:44
3. 3. Isabel Velez, 25, Mexico, 3:12:12
Men’s Half Marathon
1. 1. Abraham Rutto, 30, Georgetown, TX, 1:07:16
2. 2. Patrick Rizzo, 30, Boulder, CO 1:08:10
3. 3. Samuel Kosgei, 29, Houston,TX, 1:09:03
Women’s Half Marathon
1. 1. Dani Fischer, 26, Wasau, WI, 1:18:58
2. 2. Dorota Gruca, 42, Las Cruces, NM, 1:19:26
3. 3. Lauren Smith, 22, Lake Jackson, TX, 1:22:05
Half Marathon Grand Prix Winners
Name, Total Points, Best Grand Prix Time
Ages 18-24
Ryan Cosens, 30, 1:05:23
Susanna Sullivan, 22, 1:16:18
Ages 25-29
Glen Randall, 38, 1:06:09
Dani Fischer, 40, 1:18:14
Ages 30-34
Patrick Rizzo, 43, 1:05:06
Christine Ramsey, 24, 1:16:35
Ages 35-39
Paul Jones, 46, 1:13:45
Heather Tanner, 23, 1:17:34
Ages 40-44
Philipe Rolly, 44, 1:09:00
Dorota Gruca, 61, 1:15:25
Ages 45-49
Steve Cyr, 67, 1:15:51
Maggie Kanak, 20, 1:27:22
Find full results at http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/san-antonio
(c) 2013 RunningUSA, all rights reserved, used with permission
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