Palm Beaches Marathon: Thousands of runners from around the world flock to West Palm Beach

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15-12-2024

WEST PALM BEACH — Flagler Drive morphed into a sea of neon biker shorts, running shoes and workout headbands at dawn Sunday.
Hundreds of people stood shoulder-to-shoulder in pouring rain and blustering wind outside the city's Great Lawn, eagerly waiting to run the Garden of Life Palm Beaches Marathon and Half Marathon at 6 a.m.
This year, the two-day event — with 5K and 10K races Saturday — drew its biggest turnout since its founding in 2004, with around 4,600 runners from 28 countries and 41 states. The race took runners from a starting line between Evernia and Datura streets along Flagler Drive, up to Manatee Lagoon, down to Walton Boulevard and back twice before finishing at the same line where they started.
'This has been the best year we've ever had,' said Ken Kennerly, the race's owner. 'The weather was a little dicey this morning, but it's a beautiful day. What I really enjoy the most about this is how happy and complimentary everybody is. The word of mouth is spreading.'
Next year's races will have a different title sponsor because Garden of Life's three-year contract is ending.
Before the race began, some runners waved to friends on the sidelines and stretched their calves. Others huddled under tents to avoid the rain, joining the crowd with seconds to spare before the race started. Techno music blared on speakers and neon pink spotlights lit the dark sky.
As runners took their marks, the rain lightened to a drizzle and eventually stopped for the rest of the race.
Nathaniel Carter of Miami and Angela Carron of Milan, Michigan, finished first in the men's and women's divisions, respectively.
Carter, 39, finished in 2 hours, 49 minutes and 58 seconds. It was around two minutes faster than second-place Michael Watts of Islip, New York. Carron, 46, finished in 3 hours, 3 minutes and 24 seconds, ahead of second-place Beth Reed of Lake Mary by around 10 minutes.
Both qualified for April's Boston Marathon with their finishing times. It was Carter's first win.
'It hasn't hit me yet,' said Carter, an infantry officer in the U.S. Army. 'I didn't expect to win.'
After crossing the finish line, Carter immediately hugged his wife, Ann. Carter took the lead in his 21st mile, when he said it started feeling more difficult. He said his training — a 19-week running program — helped him endure it. Carter said he runs to 'do something good,' adding that he was glad the weekend's races benefited Special Olympics Florida.
Today was Carron's 144th marathon and not her first win. She ran through the finish line with a wide smile on her face and called it the best day of her life.
'I knew I was going to try to win,' said Carron, an operations director for a race management company. 'Every time, it depends on how you feel when you wake up … Everything went my way today. I'm happy.'
Running releases stress for Carron. She is a busy mom of four and calls herself a 'high-anxiety person.'
'This is my relief,' said Carron, who started running in high school. Now, she runs about 80 miles a week. Training in harsh Michigan winters makes her stronger, she said.
Bethany Hitchman of Vancouver, Canada, stopped on a bench to tighten her shoelaces before running Sunday. She felt a little nervous about the wind, but was excited to run her first marathon.
'I like to have something that's a challenge to work towards and motivation to stay healthy, fit and competitive,' said 27-year-old Hitchman, who trained for nearly five months. 'This feels like the culmination of a lot of hard work.'
Charlen Wade of West Palm Beach also runs to challenge herself.
'Running is my way of showing that I'm grateful to be able to do these things and not just waste the opportunity to be able to walk or go running,' said Wade, 33. 'It's a thank-you to myself.'
Owen Hill of Boynton Beach ran his first half-marathon with his dad on Sunday. They plan to run the full marathon next year and like to run for father-son bonding time.
'We're not here to set any records,' said 18-year-old Hill, a freshman at Florida State University. 'We're just trying to finish the race, and do it together.'
Cat Haayen took her fluffy tan-and-white dog Lola along to run the half-marathon with her.
'We've been running forever, so it's just a part of our life,' said Haayen, 48, of West Palm Beach. 'It's like brushing my teeth.'
Maggie Moyer of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, traveled to West Palm Beach to cheer on her nephew, who ran the marathon. She made neon-green signs and cheered on every runner that passed by her. Moyer is a marathon runner herself, but is taking a break because of a back injury.
'I just love encouraging people … I feel like I'm a cheerleader,' said Moyer, a 51-year-old nurse. 'If you're worried about the state of America, come to a race. Everybody wants you to do well.'
Alejandra Tabarez rung a cowbell to cheer on runners a block away from Moyer. She was there to support her husband, who beat cancer in 2022.
'My husband says that he doesn't like to run, but he's been running for a while now,' said Tabarez, 44, of Wellington. 'He is cancer-free and celebrating that here.'
Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at [e-mail]. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beaches Marathon: Runners from Miami, Michigan take top spots