Army Lieutenant Wins Marine Corps Marathon
- By Duncan Larkin
- Published Oct. 31, 2011
- Updated Oct. 31, 2011 at 10:16 AM UTC
He initially took up running to lose weight.
Chad Ware celebrates at the finish of the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday. Photo: Washington Post
Even though he wasn’t one of their own, most Marine marathoners are proud of 27-year-old Chad Ware. The Army Lieutenant won the 36th edition of the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday, clocking 2:19:46 for the 26.2 miles.
The race was hardly easy for the Wheeling, Illinois native. He later admitted to fighting through stomach problems that forced him to slow his pace.
It was the race’s fastest time in 14 years.
Serial racer Mike Wardian was second. Patrick Fernandez, 24 of Alexandria, finished third in 2:26:37.
“I didn’t know he was going to run that fast,” Wardian said of Ware. “But he proved me wrong.”
Ware had hoped to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials next January in Houston, but the late-race hill near Arlington Cemetery slowed him down. “Maybe if that wasn’t there I would have been able to qualify for the trials,” he said.
Turkey’s Tezata Dengersa, 30 years old, won the women’s race in 2:45:28. Emily Shertzer of Jonestown, Pa. took second in 2:45:55. Third place went to Getachew Shiferaw of Ethiopia.
“It was little bit cold but for me, that’s good,” said Dengersa afterwards.
For More: Washington Post
FILED UNDER: News TAGS: Arlington Cemetery / Army / Chad Ware / Emily Shertzer / Getachew Shiferraw / Lieutenant / Marine Corps Marathon / Marines / Mike Wardian / Tezata Dengersa
Duncan Larkin
Duncan Larkin is the news editor at Competitor.com and a freelance journalist who’s been covering the sport of running for over five years. He’s run 2:32 in the marathon and won the Himalayan 100-Mile Stage Race in 2007. His first running book, RUN SIMPLE, was released last July.