back to Dougs Column The DNF's don't go unnoticed
By Doug Kurtis
Free Press Columnist
11/11/2006
Usually ten percent of every marathon field of participants are either no shows of do not complete the race. While winners of the race garner most of the glory and recognition, that doesn’t diminish the efforts and personal goals of the rest of runners and walkers.
Two runners who gave their best to complete the Detroit Free Press Flagstar Bank Marathon were Allen Doty and Victor Haddad. Doty’s daughter, US Air Force Captain Angela Doty wrote to tell of her experience watching them.
“Last summer my father suffered a massive stroke which left him with many physical and emotional scars to overcome. His biggest motivation for running the marathon this year was to replace his children’s image of his being on a ventilator with that of him crossing the finish line at Ford Field after completing his fourth Detroit Free Press Marathon. He had been training since the spring, running as many as 20 miles on his own. His training was interrupted twice, once by a knee injury and again two weeks before the marathon by a one week hospitalization for a “mini-stroke” and regulation of his blood thinners.”
“At the twelve mile mark my dad suffered a recurrence of the knee pain that had been plaguing him all summer. He had to slow his pace for the remainder of the race and he eventually fell behind. At the 19 mile mark I joined my dad as we walked and jogged swiftly so we wouldn’t fall too far behind.”
Marathon volunteer Steve Marciniak had the tough duty of getting the last runners passed the designated cut off points on time or asking them to get on the sag wagon bus. He walked and jogged with Doty and Haddard, a 75 year old gentleman from Massachusetts, who were on the edge of making the designated cut offs at the 21 and 23 mile marks.
“With the race closing behind us, I knew the gentlemen would need a miracle to get to the finish before 1:45pm, said Marciniac. We ran for another half mile, and the police advised me that traffic was opening, and it would be best if I got the runners off the course. For Victor’s sake, my heart did not want his race to end this way. I made phone calls to the field to see if by some chance the finish time had been extended. Regretfully, the finish cutoff was holding at 1:45 and I needed to ask them to ride the bus back at mile 24. I saw their faces, and as the son of a father that had bypass surgery two years ago, I can appreciate the pride watching a man accomplish so much, and getting a second chance in life.”
The posted cutoff times were probably a bit generous and gave runners every benefit of doubt that they could still make it on time. Keeping police, volunteers as well as roads closed beyond six and a half hours is difficult. Yes, recognition goes to those that complete the race but those that struggle and fail don't go unnoticed.
Note: Last week I wrote in my column that Free Press marathon runners were showing up at the start line to pick up their numbers without reading their instruction booklet. I must apologize, since it was possible that they could interpret the instructions to be able to do so.
Doug Kurtis the former Race Director for the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank International Marathon is the world record holder for most career sub 2:20 marathons (76) and most marathon victories (39). Doug is a five time Olympic Trial Qualifier 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996. He was voted into the RRCA Hall of Fame in 1998 and Michigan Runner of the Year - 1985 and 1990. Doug coached two 2000 Olympic Trial Marathon Qualifiers.
Personal Bests:
26.2m - 2:13:34, 25km - 1:17:58, 13.1m - 1:04:51, 20km- 1:02:37,
10m - 48:33, 15km - 46:01, 10km - 29:44, 8km - 23:25
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