Tallahassee runners take on the Boston Marathon

Jim Henry
Tallahassee Democrat

Mickey Moore had to stop and walk a few times. His right hamstring tightened on him late in the race. The weather featured rain at the start and heat and humidity at the end.

None of that mattered.

Moore couldn’t have been happier – or more thankful - after he clocked a 3:16:11 in Monday’s Boston Marathon.

 “I am on cloud nine,” Moore said. “Sometimes the unexpected can happen if you believe enough, try hard enough and love something enough.”

Moore, 49, pointed to a challenging last nine months that saw him change jobs and undergo knee surgery in December. The established runner trained only eight weeks for his third Boston Marathon.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but  this is a great day,” said Moore, who earned a qualifying time by nearly 10 minutes for next year’s 26.2-mile race. “I couldn’t be happier.”

Moore was among a group of Tallahassee runners who made the trek to Boston for the famed 123rd marathon.

Apr 15, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; General view of the start of the men's elite group during the 2019 Boston Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

It’s the oldest and considered the most prestigious annual marathon in the world. The race had a wet start, but it wasn’t as cold as expected. Temperatures were in the 60s – with rays of sunshine – by the time many runners crossed the finish line.

Veteran marathoners Jack McDermott and wife Laura always enjoy the race. It was Jack’s 18th consecutive Boston Marathon and Laura’s fourth.

However, Jack, coming off a 100-mile race only weeks ago, was disappointed with his time (3:22:33).

“I did not run very well and I was lucky to get as fast as I got,” McDermott said. “But I did it, and it’s always such a fabulous event.”

The lone hitch in Laura’s run was her official time, which showed identical marks for gun timing and chip timing. (That’s only possible for runners who start at the front). Laura clocked herself at 3:43:08.

“It was fun, it was exhilarating  and there definitely some highs and lows throughout the race,” Laura said. “I was faster last year in the freezing rain – Jack and I both do better when it’s colder.”

Laura laughed as she pointed out the unpredictable weather that’s always seems to accompany the Boston Marathon. As the couple waited on a ride after the race to their hotel, it started to cloud up and rain, topped by a cool breeze. 

“I could have really used that during the race,” she said.

Former Leon High football player Matt Glass, 37, who weighed 220 pounds in high school and only started to run to lose weight before his 2003 marriage, clocked a 3:01:57 in his first Boston Marathon. Glass, who lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with his wife and 7-year-old son, thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Unexpectedly, he also saw his wife, son, niece and sister Alison Thumm, who made the trip from Tallahassee, among the cheering crowd near the 21-mile mark.

“It was awesome. The way the city has everything set up, it’s fantastic,” Glass said. “The pure adrenaline you get from the fans on the course, it was nothing like I have ever been part of. It was such a great experience.”  

Tom Parker, 36, also was thrilled with his performance, coming in under three hours at 2:57:53 and setting a personal record by more than five minutes. 

"It was a tough run with the heat and humidity picking up in the second half, but I stuck with it and trusted my training," Parker posted on his Facebook page. "Beyond happy with an almost 5:30 minute pr. About half a million fans cheering along the way certainly helped. Such a great city and an amazing race. I don’t know when I will be back but at some point I am coming again for you Boston."

Runner Kyle Rodemacher struggles with his poncho prior to the 2019 Boston Marathon.

Tallahassee Finishers

Robert Asztalos, 4:09:01

Stacy Biggart, 4:14:35

Roy Crews, 4:22:29

Jack McDermott, 3:22:33

Laura McDermott, 3:43:08

Deanna McVay, 3:28:07

Kathy Greene, 3:47:58

Birgit Maier-Katkin, 4:02:02

Jon Maner, 3:42: 49

Mickey Moore, 3:16: 11

Meghan Ogle, 3:16:27

Thomas Parker, 2:57:53

Colby Redfield, 3:38:31

Deanna Samaha, 6:05:15

Tsige Tadesse, 4:18:41

Sherri Wise, 3:59:24

Matt Glass, 3:01:57 (former Leon High runner who lives in North Carolina)

Reach Jim Henry at jjhenry@tallahassee.com