DeWitt, Holcomb top masters

Sunday, December 10, 2006

By SKIP VAUGHN

For The Times skipv@htimes.com

Saunders top female finisher from county

Madison runner George DeWitt liked the weather in Saturday's 30th annual Rocket City Marathon. And his finish time reflected that.

DeWitt, 48, was the top local male finisher in the 26.2-mile race which started and ended downtown. His 2:38:34 time also won the male master division, worth $750.

"The weather was excellent," he said of the cool temperatures with little wind. "And what really helped was I had a number of other runners that were with me during the race running with me. And that helped me a lot."

DeWitt caught up with Scott Colford, his friend from Logansport, Ind., at about mile 22 and the pair ran together the next three miles. "Those are like the most difficult miles to the end. I was just trying to keep up with him. And he helped me pass the other runners," said DeWitt, who finished seventh overall.

It was the fastest of his three Rocket City Marathons and the second fastest of his seven marathons overall. He ran 2:37:20 in the 1978 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.

"It's the fastest (marathon) I've run in 20 years," said DeWitt, an engineer with Adtran.

Barbara Holcomb, a 1980 Grissom High graduate, won the female overall masters division and was the third overall female in 3:03:07. The 44-year-old housewife and mother of three teenagers resides in Cullman.

"I've done four Rocket City Marathons and this is my fastest time on this marathon," Holcomb said. The fastest of her 18 marathons was the 2:59 she ran in Minnesota four years ago.

"I am so thankful that I am still able to run and I am so thankful to God," she said. "I must thank the race directors, the police department and all the volunteers who came out on this cold day to support all the runners."

Her 16-year-old son William was running his first marathon; and Holcomb went back to meet him at 23 miles and they ran the last three miles together.

Then she went back with her father, 82-year-old Robert Hoisington, and they found her sister, Margaret Morris, 53, of Frederick, Md. All three ran the last mile together.

"He's our inspiration for running," Holcomb said of her father.

Top local finishers: Barbara Saunders, 47, of Harvest, was the top local female finisher in 3:12:07.

"When I turned 40 I broke three hours, but those days are long gone," said Saunders, a systems analyst for Torch Technologies. "Nowadays I just go out and run. I just came out to do a long run and the weather was good. I've run (the Rocket City Marathon) about a dozen times and I'd say this has been the best weather we've had because we didn't have the wind.

"Of all the marathons I've run, this was the best and I felt the best," she said. "Not having any goals, I wasn't nervous like I have been in the past. That's probably just the weather."

Edward Blankenship, 41, of Madison, was recognized as top local male master in 3:23:44. Jennie Rountree, 46, of Madison, was the top local female master in 3:48:41.