Tri State
Marathon is Taylor-made for West Virginia man
79-year-old went nearly 30 miles in 26.2-mile mountain run
By Kevin Spradlin
TriStateRunnur.com
CUMBERLAND, Md., April 18 – Donald Taylor never imagined he’d be the first finisher of Allegany County’s first ultramarathon.
79-year-old went nearly 30 miles in 26.2-mile mountain run
By Kevin Spradlin
TriStateRunnur.com
CUMBERLAND, Md., April 18 – Donald Taylor never imagined he’d be the first finisher of Allegany County’s first ultramarathon.
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Perhaps that’s because the 79-year-old man from Hedgesville, W.Va., had registered for the second annual Mountain Maryland Marathon in downtown Cumberland.
But somewhere between the 7:30 a.m. start and his second and final attempt at crossing the finish line a mere 7 hours, 56 minutes and 9 seconds later, Taylor had covered more than 29.7 miles – at least 3.5 miles longer than the standard 26.2-mile marathon distance.
Better signage, or a well-placed volunteer at the 1.55-mile mark – where the 5K for United Way runners were to turn left after a combined start, with the marathon and half marathon competitors were to continue straight – might have helped. It was not satisfactory for Taylor, however, to lean on that crutch.
After all, pre-race course directions, as well as a race-day briefing, included information on what to do at the far side of Wills Creek Bridge. This was to be marathon No. 123. It turned out to be a bit more than that.
“With the number of marathons I’ve done … I’ll come back,” said Taylor, an affable, even-keeled elder highlighted by an eclectic mix of white and dark gray head of hair and beard, a wiry pair of legs that, despite his veteran years, belied his many marathon finishes.
But somewhere between the 7:30 a.m. start and his second and final attempt at crossing the finish line a mere 7 hours, 56 minutes and 9 seconds later, Taylor had covered more than 29.7 miles – at least 3.5 miles longer than the standard 26.2-mile marathon distance.
Better signage, or a well-placed volunteer at the 1.55-mile mark – where the 5K for United Way runners were to turn left after a combined start, with the marathon and half marathon competitors were to continue straight – might have helped. It was not satisfactory for Taylor, however, to lean on that crutch.
After all, pre-race course directions, as well as a race-day briefing, included information on what to do at the far side of Wills Creek Bridge. This was to be marathon No. 123. It turned out to be a bit more than that.
“With the number of marathons I’ve done … I’ll come back,” said Taylor, an affable, even-keeled elder highlighted by an eclectic mix of white and dark gray head of hair and beard, a wiry pair of legs that, despite his veteran years, belied his many marathon finishes.
Taylor turned left when he should have gone straight at Wills Creek Bridge. He finished the 5K for United Way, then notified race officials of his mistake. He was given a ride to the bridge – approximately the 1.55-mile point – and headed, this time, straight. It was not, however, the last mistake he made that day.
About 1.3 miles later, Taylor was topped a sharp, 250-meter ascent to the start of the Great Allegheny Passage. An unidentified person - not a registered runner or volunteer with the marathon festival – directed Taylor to go left, or down the recreational trail.
Wrong again. Taylor was supposed to go right – for another 10.5 miles to a point beyond Trimble Road overlooking the historic town of Mount Savage.
On the course, Taylor faced harder conditions than others who passed water stations before him. As he traveled the 10.7-mile incline, with a net elevation of 1,150 feet, aid station volunteers began to wonder if they’d already seen the last runner. The event’s sweep cyclist, assigned to follow the last competitor in the field, was follow a runner in front of Taylor.
The Mountain Amateur Radio Club made contact with the race director, who – some 13 miles, knew only a small part of Taylor’s journey. Kevin Spradlin already had been told Taylor had come in with the 5K runners and been driven out to the point he’d made the wrong turn.
He didn’t know the second error had occurred, and was left to assume Taylor was far off pace of finishing under the allotted eight hours.
Spradlin directed Jack Ostermeyer, who served as race-day logistics specialist, to drive to make contact with Taylor and brief him that the aid stations would be closing down after the two runners ahead of him passed.
Taylor indicated he had no problem with that and continued on.
Ostermeyer then offered Taylor two options. He could accept a ride back to the finish line area, or he could ride with Ostermeyer to the 22-mile point – jumping ahead about nine miles – so he could cross the finish line of his own accord.
Taylor declined both, thanked Ostermeyer and continued on. Nearly three hours later, Taylor passed the 22-mile mark on his own and, two miles later, was met by a friend who had purchased a new bicycle at Cumberland Trail Connection. She had begun to be concerned about Taylor’s welfare.
When she made contact with him on the trail, however, he was just as quiet, low-key and forward-moving as ever before. It helped that local volunteer Wes Haines and his wife had seen Taylor at the Cash Valley Road trailhead. The couple decided Taylor deserved his own cheering section, and leap-frogged the West Virginia man the rest of the way down the course, their last stop being about 1.5 miles from the finish line – a point Taylor now knew well: Wills Creek Bridge.
Taylor met the Haineses and moved forward about 15 feet, then returned for more water, before turning around again and beginning the final section of his journey.
At the finish line, only a handful of people remained, including County United Way Executive Director Mary Beth Pirolozzi, her office manager Michele Walker and about half a dozen race officials and volunteers. The banners had long been taken down, the orange cones had been packed away.
Taylor talked Cumberland Holiday Inn officials into a second night at the hotel at the marathoner’s rate. He left town Monday morning after a well-deserved rest.
About 1.3 miles later, Taylor was topped a sharp, 250-meter ascent to the start of the Great Allegheny Passage. An unidentified person - not a registered runner or volunteer with the marathon festival – directed Taylor to go left, or down the recreational trail.
Wrong again. Taylor was supposed to go right – for another 10.5 miles to a point beyond Trimble Road overlooking the historic town of Mount Savage.
On the course, Taylor faced harder conditions than others who passed water stations before him. As he traveled the 10.7-mile incline, with a net elevation of 1,150 feet, aid station volunteers began to wonder if they’d already seen the last runner. The event’s sweep cyclist, assigned to follow the last competitor in the field, was follow a runner in front of Taylor.
The Mountain Amateur Radio Club made contact with the race director, who – some 13 miles, knew only a small part of Taylor’s journey. Kevin Spradlin already had been told Taylor had come in with the 5K runners and been driven out to the point he’d made the wrong turn.
He didn’t know the second error had occurred, and was left to assume Taylor was far off pace of finishing under the allotted eight hours.
Spradlin directed Jack Ostermeyer, who served as race-day logistics specialist, to drive to make contact with Taylor and brief him that the aid stations would be closing down after the two runners ahead of him passed.
Taylor indicated he had no problem with that and continued on.
Ostermeyer then offered Taylor two options. He could accept a ride back to the finish line area, or he could ride with Ostermeyer to the 22-mile point – jumping ahead about nine miles – so he could cross the finish line of his own accord.
Taylor declined both, thanked Ostermeyer and continued on. Nearly three hours later, Taylor passed the 22-mile mark on his own and, two miles later, was met by a friend who had purchased a new bicycle at Cumberland Trail Connection. She had begun to be concerned about Taylor’s welfare.
When she made contact with him on the trail, however, he was just as quiet, low-key and forward-moving as ever before. It helped that local volunteer Wes Haines and his wife had seen Taylor at the Cash Valley Road trailhead. The couple decided Taylor deserved his own cheering section, and leap-frogged the West Virginia man the rest of the way down the course, their last stop being about 1.5 miles from the finish line – a point Taylor now knew well: Wills Creek Bridge.
Taylor met the Haineses and moved forward about 15 feet, then returned for more water, before turning around again and beginning the final section of his journey.
At the finish line, only a handful of people remained, including County United Way Executive Director Mary Beth Pirolozzi, her office manager Michele Walker and about half a dozen race officials and volunteers. The banners had long been taken down, the orange cones had been packed away.
Taylor talked Cumberland Holiday Inn officials into a second night at the hotel at the marathoner’s rate. He left town Monday morning after a well-deserved rest.
Mountain Maryland Marathon Festival