Jan Struhar crushed the 30-34 division and cracked the Top 10 overall at the Illinois Marathon, clocking 2:40:31. Meanwhile, Champaign’s own Jaime Marcos dominated the field with a repeat victory in 2:22:23.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Jan Struhar runs at the front of a mini-pack with Champaign's Josh Hinds and Springfield's Jeremie Bokata after passing the four mile mark on the Illinois Marathon course. Hinds finished first in the men's 35-39 division, 26th overall at 2:48:47. Bokata went on to finish 63rd overall 18th in men's 20-24 division, crossing the finish at 3:02:18.
CHAMPAIGN - Jan Struhar made sure his trip to Champaign was worth it. Racing under overcast skies and cool mid-50s temperatures, the DWRunning athlete took control of his race early and held strong to the finish, claiming first place in the Men's 30-34 age division at Saturday’s Illinois Marathon. Struhar’s time of 2:40:31 not only locked up the divisional win among 83 runners, but also earned him 10th place overall in the men’s division and 10th place across the entire marathon field. Struhar’s splits showed early consistency, passing the 10K mark at 37:42 and reaching the halfway point (13.1 miles) at 1:19:47. Down the stretch, he fended off Samuel Fiedorek, who clocked 2:41:03 to finish 11th, and Haran Dunderdale, who came through in 2:42:03 for 12th. Struhar’s effort capped a strong day for Chicago’s DWRunning team, coached by longtime veteran Dave Walters, who’s been developing marathoners for decades.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Shedding Bokata somewhere after the 13th mile, Struhar runs solo uphill on Logan Street in Champaign near the 14-1/2 mile mark with Hinds (not pictured) still nearby.
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