Results from some of the Pine Belt Pacers  (See all results)
 
Half Marathon - Total Finishers 689
17.  Keith Barrett  1:36:44 (second age group)
50.  Bill Gasparrini  1:46:55
64.  Nestor Raul Anzola  1:49:21
88.  Amber Keene  1:52:02
150. Jerry Defatta  1:56:57
213. Benjamin Hugues  2:02:37
309. Gary Thornton  2:10:01
398. Melvin Smith  2:19:09 
 
Marathon - Number of finishers 458
10.  Leonard Vergunst 2:48:07 (First Masters Overall)
272. Dawn Smith  4:38:40
273. Jim Coll  4:38:41
307. Scott Martin  4:51:23
420. Jamie Walker  5:41:26

Report by Dawn Smith
The marathon was fun, until it started hurting really bad. I ran the first half, up until the halfers split at mile 11, with my co-worker Jerry. I went on for about 7 miles until Jim came back to meet me. He spent about 30 minutes on one mile waiting for me. So from there, about mile 18, he and I "goofed" off. Jerry and his wife met up with us a few times from mile 20-26...we took pictures, hung out, whined (or I did), and near the end, wondered why we decided to do it.

I had a good half considering the course, but the second half was much slower due to the fun times. It was a very difficult course, but I thought a good race especially for their first time doing it. This was my second slowest marathon, and the only time I'll ever cross the finish line with Jim. Once I'm recovered, it's back to business and getting ready for New Orleans.
_________________
Run! For your life.
Dawn

Pic1:  Before the race at the hotel: Raul, Jerry, Jim & Dawn
Pic2: Dawn, Jim, Jerry & his best half!  :)
Pic3: The finish line
Pic4: Half marathon winners, Caleb Hammons & Angel Overstreet
Pic5: Jim George, Leonard and Kristin Vergunst waiting for the awards ceremony
Pic6: Jim and Dawn finish the race!  Both of them ran a fun marathon (wait for their pics!)
Pic7: Overall winner, Alene Reta from Ethiopia 2:25:01
Pic8: Overall female, Janet Cherobon from Kenya 2:48.37
Pic9: First and Third overall
Pic10: Janet Cherobon broke the MS record by almost 16 minutes!
Pic11: Pine Belt Pacer Leonard Vergunst was the top Masters in the marathon with a time of 2:44:??
Pic12: Two beautiful ladies smiles for the camera
Pic13: Scott finished fresh!! - he is ready for his next challenge, the Mardi Gras marathon!
Pic14: Pine Belt Pacer Jamie Walker 200 yards from the finish line
Pic15: A pic after the race (everyone was already sore!) 
© Pijume Diwesi

Blues 16 - Jim with blues guitarist Virgil Brawley of the Jackson-area band Juvenators.
Blues 17 -- Pacers Nestor Raul Anzola, Dawn Smith, Jerry DeFatta, and Jim Coll, after a tough day of running on a difficult course.
Blues 18 - Much to his relief, Jim closes in on the finish.
Blues 19 - The start -- the only time Jim Coll was slightly ahead of Keith Barrett.
Blues 20 - Pacer Jamie Walker, still smiling at Mile 26 of her first marathon.
© Jim Coll

The MS Blues Marathon in Jackson, MS was my first full marathon, and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done!  I ran the half ING Georgia Marathon in Atlanta in March, the half San Francisco Marathon in July, and the half St. Jude Marathon in Memphis in December (the first one I was able to run without walking!), but I had no idea how much preparation I SHOULD HAVE had for this difficult course (by far the hardest course I’ve encountered).  It was extremely hilly and windy, and honestly, after about mile 16, I wasn’t sure how I could finish it.  I threw out all hopes of finishing on pace and just prayed to finish alive!  I knew that even if I finished later than I had planned (I’m a big planner, so I don’t like being thrown off-course—pardon the pun), at least I would finish, which is more than most people can say!   

I am proud to have completed the MS Blues Marathon and am thankful for my boyfriend helping me stay motivated!  If it hadn’t been for him, there probably would’ve been more days that I decided to be lazy and eat rather than going for a run!  It’s now Tuesday (3 days after the race), and my feet and legs are close to being back to normal.  On that note, I will say that my feet were WRECKED after the race.  Scott and I both screamed when we saw my right foot! 

On Saturday evening and Sunday at the Pacers meeting, I said I’d never do another full-marathon.  Now that I’m feeling better, I’m probably crazy, but I’m considering running the Mardi Gras Marathon in February.  Run for your life…or as my race shirt said, “Will run for beer!”  Hey, whatever…just get out there! © Jamie Walker

21 Scott and me after the MS Blues Marathon in Jackson, MS
22 and struggling on mile 18!Thank goodness this part was flat!
23 Scott, about to finish the MS Blues Marathon
24 Scott after finishing the MS Blues Marathon
25 Nestor's pic for the Pine Belt Pacers
26 Jim Coll found me on the last mile
27 Running up the last hill (with my dad next to me!)
28 Thank goodness it's over!
29 I look like a beast, but I figure anyone would after 26.2 miles!
30 How am I going to stand back up!
© Jamie Walker