Speed Reeder

Sitting in a car for more than two hours is torture enough. Long car rides tend to make many people irritable and anxious to reach their destination.

But if you think driving or riding in the confines of an automobile for a few hours is bad, try running for a few hours. Not walking or jogging. Running at speed until your insides feel like they are about to cave in.

Suddenly that two-hour car ride doesn't seem so bad, does it?

Of the 3,000-plus runners in the full marathon open class of Sunday's 34th annual Las Vegas Marathon, Rob Reeder and 1998 champion Joanna Gront-Chmiel emerged victorious in the men's and women's divisions, earning $3,000 apiece in prize money.

Their stories are as different as their backgrounds.

Reeder, a 25-year-old from Los Altos, Calif., was running in only his second marathon. He recorded a personal-record time of 2 hours, 17 minutes, 16 seconds.

"It's a funny mix of being completely exhausted and devoid of energy and completely joyful that I won," Reeder said. "I won't be able to walk for the rest of the day, but I'll be plenty happy."

A former member of Stanford's track team, Reeder was used to running much shorter distances, competing in the 5- and 10-kilometer runs. He received his undergraduate degree in 1997 and went on to compete for the Cardinal while he studied to get his master's.

Reeder says he was having a lousy track season last summer so he decided to try something different.

"It's a really big difference, a really weird change," Reeder said. "In marathon running, you never want to be at your red line because you know there is so much ahead of you.

"In the 5K you always want to be at your red line pushing yourself until you feel you can't go on. This is pretty tough."

Reeder started the race running with Eddy Hellebuyck, who like Reeder was trying to qualify for the Olympic Trials, which will be held at this year's Pittsburgh Marathon.

The two shared the lead early with four-time defending champion Zoltan Holba of Hungary. Reeder said that Holba slowed just before the 13th mile, leaving him and Hellyebuck to duel. But Hellebuyck came up limp and pulled out of the race during the 18th mile.

"I was actually pretty surprised he fell off the race before the half," Reeder said of Holba. "I actually thought he was going to catch us."

Holba, of Hungary, ended up 198th with a time of 3:02:09. Although he speaks very limited English, after the race Holba pointed to his right heel that was bandaged and managed to say that a blood blister caused by his shoe slowed him.

With Holba behind and Hellebuyck out, it was wide open for Reeder. But without Hellebuyck encouraging him, Reeder had to buck up mentally.

"He was a great help in that race, really encouraging," Reeder said. "We were just cruising through with 4:50s on my watch.

"It felt terrific. But at that point I was just hoping that I could get to the finish when Eddy dropped out. My main worry is that I was going to cramp up and stop because before this, the longest run I did for training was 24 miles."

Reeder slowed the last seven or eight miles to prevent cramping. His time qualified for the Olympic Trials.

"I'm going to give it my best shot," he said. "I'm not going to go there thinking I'll be 15th or 20th. I'm going to go there trying to be up front."

Gront-Chmiel is used to being up front in Las Vegas. After her 1998 victory, she finished second last year to Elena Vinitskaia.

On Sunday, the native of Lodz, Poland, was tops again with a time of 2:36:01. Her husband, Jacek Chmiel, finished one second behind her.

"The first 10 kilometers, I ran with Agnas Jakab," Gront-Chmiel said through an interpreter. "Then on the last hill, she stayed back.

"This is a very good course and usually it's very good weather here. I am happy that I won today."

Compared to Reeder, Gront-Chmiel is a veteran marathon runner. She gave up track five years ago to take up road racing.

Jakab finished second at 2:40:55 and Tom Jeffrey came in second behind Reeder at 2:20:07. Each will receive $2,000.

Las Vegan Hugo Enrique Rendon finished first in the half-marathon in the 18-25 group and seventh overall with a time of 1:06:48. T.J. Lgntz of Cincinnati was the first male in the half-marathon open division at 1:03:38 while Melody Fairchild of Boulder, Colo., was the first woman with a time of 1:11:38.

More than 8,000 athletes participated in Sunday's events, which included the full marathon, half-marathon, five-person relay and wheelchair race.

archive