Runners give us reason to endure rough race

I first noticed Sarah Oliphant on a stretch of road that reached uphill just a little too long around mile 11 or 12 of Thursday's Deseret News Marathon.

She is the very definition of baby-faced.

I, myself, was struggling with the hill, so I did not talk to her until much later in the race. I still don't know much about her, including why she loves to run or why at just 13 years old she decided to take on what is one of the toughest marathon courses around.

I just know that watching her gut out the last eight miles of the marathon was as rewarding as finishing myself.

"My dad gave me the idea," said the native of Sunnyvale, Calif. "My brother, Eugene, ran it last year."

Her brother and mother met her on the course with various liquids and supplies.

Eugene, 23, even made her stop and then doctored her sore toes at mile 22.

He said he chose the Deseret News Marathon last year because it was on a Saturday and on the way to a family reunion. Sarah might have questioned his affection for her at about mile 20, but Eugene met her several times during the race to offer her supplies and encouragement. His younger sister earned the respect of veteran runners as she ran through the aches and pains of long-distance running and never lost her sense of humor.

"Now that it's over, I'm great," she said, flashing her braces complete with blue rubber bands that matched her blue running outfit. "It's over."

As for a second marathon, she's not sure.

"Maybe," she said as she began searching for post-race food. "We'll see. Not today."

And then, one more smile as another runner stopped to congratulate her.

Watching someone like Sarah tackle her first marathon made it easier for me to get through my third. I wish it was overconfidence, but I struggled the last six miles simply because I didn't do enough long runs in June or July. It is a tough course, but it is one of the most beautiful as well. (Although, I will say we need water every mile for the last six miles instead of every other.)

The start time is brutal, I'm sure in an attempt to beat the heat — which, when you run as slowly as I do, is not possible. I caught the first bus at 3:15 a.m. from Rice-Eccles Stadium and then spent two hours trying to stay warm in a tent that was standing room only by 4:30 a.m.