Running a half marathon is certainly a solitary challenge.
But for many of the more than 400 who completed the 20th Vancouver Lake Half Marathon on Sunday, the 13.1-mile race proved to be a communal journey.
Examples of the shared experience ranged from the members of the East County Running Club arriving first at the finish line in a stream of red, to the tie-die clad eight who came to celebrate the memory of Katie Nolan. Even Kelly Jaske, who was much faster than any other woman, was driven by a sense of togetherness.
“On a day like today, you get out there with all of these people and it’s just so much fun,” Jaske said.
A total of 407 runners and walkers completed the race, which started and ended at Vancouver Lake Park.
Sunday certainly was fun for the East County Running Club, a group of friends who train together trails near Lacamas Lake and on the Union High School track. With Jesse McChesney leading the way, four of the team’s runners were among the top 10 finishers.
McChesney, a 22-year-old Vancouver resident who finished second in this race a year ago, achieved both of his goals for the day by winning the race and finishing in less than 70 minutes. His time was 1 hour, 9 minutes, 37 seconds.
Matt Urbanski, the organizing force behind the East County Running Club team, finished second in 1:10:10. The team, wearing red, stuck together through the first two thirds of the race, chugging out 5:20 miles. McChesney and Urbanski pushed ahead about nine miles into the race, and McChesney forged a comfortable lead over the final two miles.
“We’ve been training all winter in the rain and the dark after work,” Urbanski said. “I was really happy that everything worked the way we planned. More importantly, I’m proud of the guys. Jesse is running great.”
The East County Running Club team plans to enter the University of Washington indoor track meet in three weeks, kicking off a season it hopes will include a trip to the Chicago Marathon. On Sunday, the East County team’s Oscar Bowman finished fifth (1:11:49), and Eric Dolezal ninth (1:13:20).
Having January’s Vancouver Lake Half Marathon to train for helped to jump start the season, Urbanski said.
“It makes a huge difference,” Urbanski said. “We’ve been putting in huge mileage in the dark and in the rain knowing that we had this to look forward to (as a) test to see where we’re at coming out of the winter. So now we all feel good after this and are ready for the track season.”
Jaske, a 33-year-old who moved to Portland from Virginia a couple of years ago, was in top form. A week earlier, she finished eighth at the U.S. Track and Field Half Marathon Championship race in Houston. A year ago, Jaske was the second woman finisher in the half marathon national championship.
Instead of chasing record-setter Shalane Flanagan, as she had a week ago, Jaske spent Sunday morning trying to keep pace with friends Jeff Diephuis and Kevin Cave, who finished third and fourth, respectively.
“They were running so well, I didn’t want to stop,” Jaske said. “I just wanted to keep running after them.”
A different kind of connection pushed eight runners in tie-tied shirts to the finish line. They ran to honor the memory of Katie Nolan, a Portland woman who was one of three climbers who died on Mount Hood last month.
Three of the eight completed a half marathon for the first time, including Jason Nolan, Katie’s older brother.
“I felt like she was right there with me, pushing me to do my best,” he said. “It was a great experience.”
Jason Nolan said he had run alongside his sister in a summer 10-kilometer event in George, Wash., and he ran alongside Katie for part of a Portland Marathon. He’d never run as far as 13 miles, though, until Sunday.
He surprised himself by finishing in 1:54:53, and by feeling strong throughout.
“It helps so much, because I’m doing something that Katie loved to do, and so I kind of feel like I’m able to share the experience with her,” Nolan said. “Also, I’m hanging out with her friends. It’s good to be around her friends to share memories, and to get to know Katie a little bit better through her friends.”
