October 25, 2009 - Washington D.C. - Approximately 21,000 runners completed the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon this morning. John Mentzer, 33, won the men's race with a time of 2:21:47, according to the official race results. Mentzer is a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy, and he was several minutes off the course record of 2:14:01 set in 1987. Air Force Captain Jacob Johnson, 32, finished second in 2:25:02, and Salvador Miranda, 38, crossed the finish line in third place with a time of 2:25:24.
In the women's race, Muliye Gurmu, 25, of Ethiopia finished first with a time of 2:49:48. Second place went to Jaymee Marty, 42, in 2:50:15 and Kyla Barbour, 31, came in third in 2:50:47.
A number of Dallas-area runners completed the Marine Corps Marathon, including Richardson City Council member Amir Omar. Omar has run the Marathon before, but this time he's doing it to raise money for the Methodist Richardson Medical Center, according to the Richardson Echo. Amir Omar finished the Marine Corps Marathon with a chip time of 4:29:09, which equates to a 10:15 pace.
Many celebrities and politicians have run the Marine Corps Marathon in previous years, including Oprah Winfrey, Mike Huckabee, Clarence Thomas, Al Gore and Andy Baldwin from the 'Bachelor.'
The Marine Corps Marathon is the fifth largest marathon in the country. Most major marathons offer tens of thousands of dollars in prize money, but the Marine Corps Marathon is a notable exception. Dubbed the 'people's marathon,' the Marine Corps Marathon is the largest marathon in the United States that does not offer prize money to the winners. The course runs through the heart of Washington D.C., past many of the city's historic landmarks, and finishes at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Virginia.
Other running news:
Kenyan runners rock the Frankfurt Marathon
Alanis Morissette runs the Bizz Johnson Marathon
Detroit Marathon deaths spark discussions of appropriate training
Edward Norton talks marathon training on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'
Cook, Kangogo win the 2009 Dallas Race for the Cure
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