By Terry Mosher
Editor, Sports Paper
The same Belfair threesome that ran in the bomb-marred Boston Marathon last year are back in Boston again this year to run in it when it kicks off on Monday.
“I’m going back because I didn’t get to finish,” says Peggy VanBuskirk, who was stopped just under a mile from the finish line because of the two bomb explosions that went off near the finish line, killing three and wounded almost 300. “I think I would have finished in four hours and thirty two minutes, but the bombs went off at 4:09.”
VanBuskirk, 61, will run with daughter Stephanie Neil, 35, and North Mason track and field coach Miranda Thygesen, 37. They ran in it last year, and Neil and Thygesen both finished before the bombs exploded. This time they all expect to finish – together.
“They are just going to run with me and have fun, and make sure we really do finish, but they may have to carry me across, “VanBuskirk said, laughing.
Due to injuries and assorted other reasons, the Belfair trio have not trained much the past three months, as they did last year prior to the race. So the main reason for going back is to make sure VanBuskirk finishes the race.
One thing for sure, it should be a lot safer race. Security this year has been really beefed up.
“I figure it will be the safest place in the world with all the security increase,” says VanBuskirk of the 118th edition of the Boston Marathon that runs through 26.2 miles through eight communities to the finish line in downtown Boston.
There is an increase of 9,000 participants this year to 36,000, mostly due to returners who did not finish last year like VanBuskirk, who has number 25,131 for this year’s race.
Jim Felty, 56, who lives in Bremerton and is the head track and field coach at Klahowya, is entered in the race but will not compete. He crashed his bike five weeks ago and suffered a cracked rib, shutting down his training. So he decided to save his money and run it another year. He has run it five times already.
“My fitness was just not there,” said Felty. “And my time is committed to the kids (at Klahowya). It was the right thing to do.”
Felty is an elite trainer of runners – done through the internet and telephone – and one of his elite runners is entered again this year. Gina Slaby was the 10th American woman to finish last year, and was the 25th woman overall. Slaby lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
“She is running with her mother, Eileen Glenn,” Felty said.
Also entered in this year’s marathon is Ron Copstead, Stuart Johnson Jr., Charlie Quinn, Rhonda Topham, and Peter Vosshall, all from Bainbridge; Thomas Ellis and Steven Woodward from Bremerton; Doug Felts, Joey Gutjahr, and Renee Patsch from Silverdale; Kevin Fischer, Bob Flynn; Steven Jensen, and Courtney Willson from Port Orchard, and Ryan Hefferman and Louie Pratt from Poulsbo.