For more than 20,000 runners, volunteers and military personnel, the purported day of rest was anything but on Sunday.
Two first-time marathoners took home the men’s and women’s crowns in the 33rd annual Marine Corps Marathon run through Arlington, Va. and the District.
Andrew Dumm, 23, of Arlington, won the men’s competition with a time of 2:22:42. Cate Fenster, 37, of Wooster, Ohio, took the women’s title with a time of 2:48:53.
Andrew’s brother Brian, 25, of Fairfax, finished in 2:25:58, good for fifth place. Brian, a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, was also the first armed services member to finish. Kenneth Dumm, 57, an Air Force retiree and father of the two, rounded out the family affair, finishing with a time of 3:19:31.
“He’s definitely an inspiration with his career of service,” said Andrew, who ran cross-country and track for the University of Virginia.
“The marathon’s a tough race,” he continued. “I have a lot of respect for it. Anyone who does do it and completes it will exceed their expectations.”
He said though he had raced competitively, past experiences were “never anything like this before. A marathon is its own beast. Today’s the longest I’ve ever run.”
The brothers’ plan was run the first few miles together, and Andrew eventually pulled away.
“Hopefully we can be a little bit closer next year and I can keep up with him,” said Brian, who also ran in last year’s MCM.
Two local runners also finished in the top five of the women’s competition. Lindsay Wilkins, 30, of Arlington, took second with a time of 2:49:04, and Melissa Tanner, 27, of Bethesda, finished in third with a time of 2:51:43.
Race director Rick Nealis said the location of the finish line — up a hill to the Iwo Jima Memorial — helps to push struggling runners to the end of the grueling race.
“When they see the Marine Corps Memorial, they want to finish,” he said. “They’re like cattle going to the barn. They want to go home.”
“People know the first 20 miles of the marathon is fun — the last 10k really shows you what you’re made of,” he continued.
