40.0°

Taxi driver Maria Miller expected to share Douglas Island's roads with "maybe 40" runners as she approached Savikko Park in her canary yellow van during Saturday's 17th annual Frank Maier Marathon. She didn't expect the stream of 170 contestants, a race record, that lit up the roadside with colorful shoes, shorts and identification bibs.

"That's a lot of motivated people," Miller cracked.

"I can feel my mom's endorphins pumping through my cell phone," added a young female passenger who held, at arm's length, an excited voice crackling from the finish line.

The faces crossing the final strip of pavement reflected the mixed emotions that come after 26 miles of running. Surprise, exhaustion and glee mixed into grimaces as the competitors reined in wobbly legs and handed over their identification tags. The weather stayed surprisingly dry throughout the morning, but sweat-dampened fingers still managed to smudge a few of the paper tags.

Douglas' own Geoff Roes was the first to cross the finish line in the full marathon in 2:49.59. Roes regularly competes in ultra marathons that stretch between 50 and 100 miles, but made the competition his first official marathon.

"I've always wanted to do a marathon, but I wasn't willing to go out of my way to do it," Roes said. "This one started about 100 yards from my house, so I woke up at 6:40 this morning and was running by 7."

Roes trailed a handful or runners midway through the race, but his strong kick on the return path made up as much as four minutes in four miles by one organizer's estimate. He eventually finished more than four minutes ahead of second-place Lucas Cramer from Salem, Oregon.

The race was really a convenient training run for Roes, who will head to Anchorage this weekend to enter the Resurrection Pass 100-Miler for additional training. He is currently preparing to compete in Utah's Wasatch Front 100-mile Endurance Run.

Steve Bremner, 53, of Manitou Springs, Colo., posted a time of 2:57.59 to finish third overall and win the race's masters division.

"This is a [personal record] kind of course. The rolling hills work with you," he said. "I was undulating up the hills and coasting down them. My best time ever is 2:36, but I'm 53 now so I think I did pretty good."

Bekkie Wright, of East Hartford, Conn., was the first female competitor across the line with a time of 3:40.55. Anchorage's Amanda Compton was the next female across in 3:44.30.

Saturday's race was the first full marathon for many competitors, but 73-year-old Dan Shuff was one of the grizzled veterans who was able to talk with a steady breath at the finish line. The San Antonio native has built his endurance in 196 marathons since he ran his first in late 1992.

"It was a great course - not a lot of turns and plenty of scenery," this day's oldest competitor said. "I took a wrong turn for a couple of miles in my last race, so I was pretty happy to make it straight through."

Several out-of-state runners had flown into Juneau to mark Alaska off their list of 50 states to compete in. Shuff has already hit them all - twice. His 11 races thus far in 2008 have marked his third lap around the country.

Exhausted runners gathered just before noon to receive awards, share stories and enjoy grilled garden burgers and salmon. Many of the competitors' children or grandchildren, some sporting bare feet and wool winter hats, burned their own reserves of energy on the Sandy Beach playground.

Race Director Bob Marshall spent much of the prior week preparing for the event, which is sponsored by Juneau's not-for-profit Southeast Road Runners Club. As many as 70 volunteers helped at different stages of the course throughout the day, with most returnees taking up the same posts they held in previous years.

"This race brings a very tangible benefit to the community by promoting health and even bringing in some money," Marshall said. "It's a big commitment for [the Road Runners] and I to run it, though. We're actively looking for somebody to volunteer to help us out in the long run."

Frank Maier Marathon, Douglas Island Half Marathon

Race results

Aug. 2, 2008

Full marathon

Name Sex Age Time Hometown

1 Geoff Roes M 32 2:49:59 Douglas

2 Lucas Cramer M 28 2:53:53 Salem, Ore.

3 Steve Bremner M 53 2:57:59 Manitoba Springs, Colo.

4 Kyle Hebert M 41 2:58:27 Douglas

5 Greg Frank M 22 3:05:40 Juneau

6 Keith Levy M 51 3:06:50 Juneau

7 Jason Fellman M 35 3:19:51 Juneau

8 Dale Mcmurren M 49 3:31:38 Wrangell

9 Jose Aponte M 57 3:34:57 Oceanside, Calif.

10 Bekkie Wright F 45 3:40:55 East Hartford, Conn.

11 Joseph E Poliquin M 56 3:40:55 East Hartford, Conn.

12 John Kern M 54 3:43:51 Juneau

13 Amanda Compton F 28 3:44:30 Anchorage

14 Alexis Nees F 41 3:45:15 Saline, Mich.

15 Cheryl Fellman F 35 3:45:17 Juneau

16 Ann Bell F 57 3:46:52 Spokane, Wash.

17 Shannon Bell F 23 3:46:52 Juneau

18 David Bell M 57 3:46:52 Spokane, Wash.

19 Robin Barbieri Bell F 25 3:46:53 Spokane, Wash.

20 Heidi Lingle F 33 3:47:43 Auke Bay

21 Christopher Francis M 39 3:48:17 Juneau

22 Mark Glen Stodghill M 60 3:57:29 Duluth, Minn.

23 Mary Schumann F 54 4:09:59 Oshkosh, Wis.

24 Kathleen J Wendel F 53 4:10:08 Ames, Iowa

25 Jonathan F Wendel M 53 4:10:08 Ames, Iowa

26 Kaj Loken-Kim M 27 4:12:07 Juneau

27 Emily Toy F 59 4:12:31 Oakland, Calif.

28 William Dwyer M 26 4:13:56 Juneau

29 Edson Sanches M 58 4:14:49 New York, N.Y.

30 Chris Nelson M 59 4:15:53 Juneau

31 Matthew Nestander M 24 4:22:32 Omaha, Neb.

32 Dan Shuff M 73 4:23:34 San Antonio

33 Darryl Hand M 48 4:28:39 San Antonio

34 Michele M Jordan F 54 4:28:54 Oakland, Calif.

35 Billie Longley F 21 4:29:26 Oakland, Calif.

36 Marcus Ebenhoe M 25 4:45:26 Juneau

37 Bc Kindred F 46 4:49:33 Eagle River

38 Richard Vogt M 63 4:55:06 Elmwood, Neb.

39 Adrian Carnie M 37 5:03:46 Ann Arbor, Mich.

40 Gordon Duvaul M 64 5:20:00 Roseburg, Ore.

41 John Windle M 63 5:24:39 San Francisco

42 Rick Parisi M 38 5:27:14 Leeds, Ala.

43 Robert Greene M 39 5:42:04 Palo Alto, Calif.

44 Laurence Macon M 63 5:48:08 San Antonio

45 Mike Brooks M 62 5:48:09 Danville, Maine

46 Bjoerg Edberg F 25 5:55:44 Juneau

47 Elaine Zembrycki F 61 6:00:38 San Diego

48 Robert Bucci M 54 6:00:38 Bronx, N.Y.

Full wheelchair

1 Holly Koester F 48 3:27:17 Cleveland, Ohio

Half marathon

1 Ben Gage M 36 1:24:15 Juneau

2 Kristopher Barnes M 18 1:28:42 Manlius, N.Y.

3 Katie Krehlik F 18 1:29:00 Juneau

4 Rick Thibodeau M 50 1:32:26 Juneau

5 Blake Rider M 24 1:33:17 Douglas

6 Brian Laurent M 30 1:34:01 Juneau

7 Molly Krehlik F 23 1:34:27 Juneau

8 Jim Ustasiewski M 44 1:35:02 Juneau

9 Michael Nelson M 30 1:35:23 Juneau

10 Elizabeth Dubovsky F 25 1:35:53 Juneau

11 Andy Grossman M 59 1:36:21 Juneau

12 Benjamin Zibers M 20 1:37:16 Juneau, MO, USA

13 Ann Hershberger F 20 1:37:17 Seward, Neb.

14 Greg Patz M 57 1:38:31 Juneau

15 Kerry Lear M 43 1:38:55 Juneau

16 Franz Mueter M 43 1:39:22 Juneau

17 Bradley Jennings M 21 1:39:31 Arnett, Okla.

18 Corey Gulley M 17 1:39:36 Juneau

19 Daniel McQuate M 27 1:39:41 Houma, La.

20 Ron Flint M 49 1:39:48 Juneau

21 Janet Clarke F 41 1:40:04 Whitehorse

22 Jim Calvin M 48 1:40:14 Douglas

23 Dennis McDonnell M 40 1:40:19 Anchorage

24 Dan Robinson M 41 1:40:31 Juneau

25 Zane Clark M 47 1:40:45 Juneau

26 Raymond Howard M 44 1:40:50 Juneau

27 Andy Roat M 46 1:40:51 Des Moines, Iowa

28 Page Press M 50 1:41:25 Santa Fe, N.M.

29 Mike McKrill M 63 1:41:45 Juneau

30 Dan Fagnant M 28 1:42:13 Juneau

31 Dawn Walsh F 47 1:42:26 Juneau

32 Scott May M 44 1:42:59 Juneau

33 Janeann Twelker F 55 1:43:57 Juneau

34 Jonathon Cassiano M 27 1:45:08 Huntsville, Ala.

35 Charlie Moline M 22 1:45:25 Auke Bay

36 Brady Deal M 34 1:46:04 Juneau

37 Ricardo Worl M 46 1:46:30 Juneau

38 Vicky Orozco F 36 1:47:18 Juneau

39 Jim Marcotte M 55 1:47:29 Juneau

40 James Beedle M 55 1:47:58 Juneau

41 Clint Farr M 35 1:48:35 Juneau

42 Jon Stearns M 31 1:48:53 Douglas

43 Gregory Brown Jr M 25 1:49:06 Juneau

44 Grace Danborn F 28 1:49:12

45 Carrie Macaulay F 37 1:49:29 Juneau

46 Ted McGuire M 32 1:50:22 Juneau

47 Andy Bertagnoli M 33 1:50:24 Chicaco

48 Carol J Johnson F 42 1:50:48 Juneau

49 Heather Johnson-Smith F 38 1:50:49 Juneau

50 Megan Bush F 21 1:50:54 Juneau

51 Reed Stoops M 59 1:51:06 Juneau

52 Daniel Pond M 19 1:51:21 Somers, N.Y.

53 Sharon Fisher F 48 1:51:54 Juneau

54 Dan Bruce M 54 1:52:07 Juneau

55 Sarah Kennedy F 27 1:52:24 Highland Park, N.J.

56 Phillip Mitchell M 55 1:52:26 Juneau

57 Britt Dolbeck F 34 1:52:28 Juneau

58 Jamie Bursell F 45 1:52:48 Juneau

59 Amy Carroll F 41 1:53:05 Juneau

60 Scott Allee M 37 1:53:26 Juneau

61 Gordon Kruse M 52 1:54:01 Juneau

62 Fred Baxter M 64 1:54:30 Auke Bay

63 Glenn Haight M 39 1:55:03 Juneau

64 Kevin Linebarger M 34 1:56:09 Anchorage

65 Mary Schlosser F 27 1:56:18

66 Clayton Hawkes M 56 1:56:44 Juneau

67 Charlie Ford M 55 1:56:46 Juneau

68 Colleen Deal F 32 1:56:51 Juneau

69 Bruce Wanstall M 56 1:57:17 Juneau

70 Daniel Monteith M 45 1:57:44 Juneau

71 Paul Shapiro M 37 1:58:36 Juneau

72 Daniel Landen M 41 2:01:23 Douglas

73 Johanna Crossett F 38 2:01:24

74 Don Bremner M 57 2:01:51 Juneau

75 Chris Magnusson M 31 2:02:34 White Rock, B.C.

76 Sylvia Kreel F 42 2:02:45 Juneau

77 Monica Gross F 47 2:02:57 Juneau

78 Megan Ahleman F 29 2:03:09 Juneau

79 Cody Hanson M 22 2:03:38 Juneau

80 Mahmut Karayel M 53 2:03:47 Oakland, Calif.

81 Janet Valentour F 47 2:04:34 Juneau

82 Kelly Parise F 37 2:04:49 Juneau

83 Donna Marsh F 42 2:05:45 Petersburg

84 Rebekka Hannula F 45 2:06:11 Colorado Springs

85 Tracy Rivera M 41 2:06:52 Juneau

86 Susan Nachtigal F 51 2:06:56 Juneau

87 Sean Barry M 28 2:07:02 Highland Park, N.J.

88 Williams M 25 2:07:20 Juneau

89 Matthew Failor M 26 2:07:21 Juneau

90 Brian Bezenek M 40 2:09:16 Juneau

91 Angie Wrightson F 39 2:11:44 Juneau

92 Susan Joan Norvell F 48 2:12:21 Gustavus

93 Linda Mancuso F 44 2:13:57 Juneau

94 Madeline Levy F 24 2:16:19 Juneau

95 Ashley Sumsion F 18 2:16:37 Springville , Utah

96 Sandra M Woods F 50 2:18:21 Juneau

97 Erin Polich F 23 2:20:58 Chicaco

98 Elsbeth Ruder F 30 2:23:42 Juneau

99 Robert Haight M 40 2:25:33 Juneau

100 Jeremy Schlosser M 35 2:25:44 Juneau

101 Nissa Haines F 31 2:29:14 Juneau

102 Cameron Young F 40 2:31:03 Douglas

103 Robin Gilcrist F 46 2:31:03 Juneau

104 Johna Rossetti F 36 2:32:04 Juneau

105 Jacqueline England F 20 2:32:29 Centerville, Utah

106 Patrick ODonnell M 38 2:34:15 Juneau

107 Jessica Hadfield F 24 2:36:53 Juneau

108 Nikola Juris F 22 2:36:53 Juneau

109 Kimberly Vaughan F 38 2:38:47 Juneau

110 Elizabeth ODonnell F 39 2:43:08 Juneau

111 Carol Mahara F 23 2:44:16 Lafayette, Ind.

112 Tom Powers M 57 2:45:01 Pocahontas, Iowa

113 Kim Rivera F 48 2:45:02 Juneau

114 Victoria Haight F 41 3:03:25 Juneau

115 Nicoline Dawson F 42 3:03:33 Juneau

116 Bea Findley F 69 3:18:13 Juneau

117 Tracy Sisterman F 45 3:19:37 Juneau

118 Kathlina Roat F 14 3:39:13 Des Moines, Iowa

119 Kathy Roat F 49 3:39:25 Des Moines, Iowa

• USATF Certification Code AK03003FW