Before the 44th annual Marine Corps Marathon, WTOP’s John Domen featured six runners and their stories. Here’s how they finished.
Marine Corps Marathon 2019 runners: How did they do?
1/6
Jorge Garcia keeps a picture of his mother under the bill of his hat as motivation.
(Courtesy Jorge Garcia)
Runner: Jorge Garcia
Time: 03:36:11
Garcia joined the Marines after a traumatic childhood where he lost his mother, and went in and out of foster care. “I guess you could say sometimes I’m running from my problems, but it gives me that opportunity to spend time with my mom and my thoughts — and my solitude. It gives me time to reflect on my past,” he told WTOP. Read his full profile.
2/6
Marathons — and the day after — are getting pretty tough for Eric Bernard. But he runs for T.J. Barbieri.
(WTOP/John Domen)
Runner: Eric Bernard
Time: 06:30:41
Bernard ran the Marine Corps Marathon to honor T.J. Barbieri, a volunteer firefighter and soldier who was killed in action at the age of 23. “It’s all about remembering T.J. Barbieri,” Bernard told WTOP. Read his full profile.
3/6
Phil Pinti poses with his wife Jennifer.
(Courtesy Phil Pinti)
Runner: Phil Pinti
Time: 05:00:47
Pinti used running as a way to cope after losing his wife, Jennifer, to cancer in 2016. “Any time I get myself prepared for this race I just know that she’s looking down and she realizes what it means to me,” said Pinti. Read his full profile.
4/6
This marathon was Gaddy’s 21st.
(Courtesy Todd Gaddy)
Runner: Todd Gaddy
Time: 05:27:40
Gaddy ran the Marine Corps Marathon despite his multiple sclerosis diagnosis. “MS affects my pace but I can run farther than it,” he told WTOP in his profile.
5/6
When you run a lot of marathons, you get a lot of medals. Renee Brooks, of Silver Spring, has run 22 Marine Corps Marathons in a row.
(Courtesy Renee Brooks)
Runner: Renee Brooks
Time: 5:32:47
This year’s Marine Corps Marathon was Brooks’ 23rd in a row. “It’s my destiny,” Brooks told WTOP in her profile.
6/6
Sid Busch, a retired chief petty officer from South Carolina, has run more than 200 marathons honoring service members who have been killed in action.
(WTOP/John Domen)
Runner: Sid Busch
Time: Unavailable
Sid Busch said he hurt his knee as he was heading to the event. So, he couldn’t run this year, and he was really disappointed. He said he plans to run it next year instead, if his body lets him, of course.
Busch has run more than 200 marathons honoring service members who were killed in action. “I have running shoes twice as old as these kids,” Busch told WTOP. Read his full profile.
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