EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) -- The 6th Annual Eugene Marathon is now in the record books. More than 8,000 runners crossed the starting line early Sunday morning. The half-marathoners and those going the full 26.2 miles started just outside Hayward Field and finished inside on the track, which was one of the big draws for the runners.The lead changed many times during the race, with the eventual winner making his move in the last five miles. Corvallis resident and former Michigan Wolverine runner Mike Wisniewski, 33, won the men’s division with a time of 2:20:41. It was only his fourth marathon and his second win.
“I just wanted to run even and maybe try to run the second half a little bit faster,” Wisniewski said. “My legs were hurting so bad but then the crowd was cheering. It just really lifted me up.”
Allison Howard, a 32-year-old mom from San Francisco, won the women's division in 2:53:07.
A former Notre Dame athlete, Howard is no stranger to Eugene. She says she couldn't have picked a better place for her first career victory than Hayward field. “I ran here when I was 13, so this is like a dream come true to be back and win a race, finishing on Hayward. It's awesome!" Howard said; she only wanted to finish in the top five, but winning the marathon, “Blows my expectations away!”
