Running
Seattle marathon: Memorable morning for champ Steidl

By Jim Whiting
Special to The Seattle Times

THOMAS JAMES HURST / THE SEATTLE TIMES Uli Steidl holds up six fingers as he approaches the finish line, showing how many Seattle Marathons he has won consecutively. Steidl also proposed to his girlfriend, fellow runner Trisha Rosenberg, yesterday.

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Uli Steidl shrugged off a challenge from two opponents, a hamstring injury from six weeks ago and a bad cold to win his sixth consecutive Seattle Marathon yesterday in 2 hours, 29 minutes.

In anticipation of his victory, Steidl, 32, wore No. 6. But his day was memorable for an entirely different reason.

Out on the course, his girlfriend, Trisha Rosenberg, was still running.

At mile 12, Rosenberg saw someone holding a sign with the word "Will." Two miles later, a second sign said "You." "Marry" popped up 7 miles later and, not unexpectedly, "Me" completed the sequence at mile 23.

Any doubts about the person for whom the message was intended were dispelled by a smiling Steidl waiting for her at the finish, holding a "Trisha" sign.

"I looked at him a little, then said, 'Yes!' " Rosenberg said.

2004 Seattle Marathon Top male finishers 1, Uli Steidl, 32 years old, Shoreline, 2:29:36. 2, Greg Crowther, 31, Seattle, 2:32:53. 3, David Jackson, 28, Victoria, B.C., 2:35:11. 4, Jeffrey Bigham, 23, Seattle, 2:39:45. 5, Jesse Stevick, 22, Olympia, 2:40:15. Top female finishers 1, Kami Semick, 38, Bend, Ore., 2:53:11. 2, Joan McGrath, 43, New Westminster, B.C., 2:54:12. 3, Sarah Williams, 38, Gold Beach, Ore., 2:59:38. 4, Trisha Rosenberg, 28, Shoreline, 3:01:11. 5, Melanie Bos, 31, Kelowna, B.C., 3:05:59.

Kami Semick of Bend, Ore., won the women's race in 2:53:11. Rosenberg was fourth.

Tabbed by some as a likely women's winner on the basis of runner-up finishes in 2002 and 2003, Rosenberg knew that her recent training as cross-country coach at the University of Portland didn't include enough distance work to compete at the top levels of the marathon.

In addition, she had just returned to Seattle after several months in Portland, throwing off her daily rhythm and routine.

"I don't recommend moving before the marathon," said Rosenberg, who turned 28 yesterday.

But with the pressure of trying to win removed, "I just had fun," she said. "I've never been this un-upset about running so slow."

While "slow" is relative — Rosenberg's time of 3:01:11 was just eight minutes off of Semick's winning time — it did allow her the opportunity to take in her surroundings.

For Semick, 38, her victory in her first Seattle appearance was a bit of payback. She had finished second to Rosenberg in the Bend Marathon on Oct. 10.

"I don't do a lot of road marathons," Semick said. "I mostly do ultras (races longer than the standard marathon of 26.2 miles), so this was shorter than usual. The hills were nothing to me because I'm used to 8,000-foot climbs."

Joan McGrath, 43, of New Westminster B.C. — who became the first woman to win three races in a row before finishing third last year — was second, a minute behind Semick.

"I'm pretty happy," McGrath said. "I just started running again after taking six months off."

Steidl, who also won at Bend, strained a hamstring during that race and had to back off his customary 70-plus-mile weeks. Then he caught a cold about two weeks ago.

	THOMAS JAMES HURST / THE SEATTLE TIMES Kami Semick of Bend, Ore., gets a kiss from her 2-year-old daughter after winning the women's marathon in 2:53.11.

"Even though I wasn't fully recovered, I still planned on running unless I was really sick," he said.

He shared the pace for 16 miles with eventual runner-up Greg Crowther of Seattle and David Jackson of Victoria, B.C., who finished third

"Then they started falling back a little and I picked it up a notch," Steidl said. "After 20 miles I never saw them again."

Steve Hubbell of Seattle, 31, easily won the hand-cranked cycle division.

"I trimmed a little off my time," Hubbell said with considerable understatement.

His time of 2:18 represented a 42-minute improvement over his inaugural effort at the distance last year, a few months after taking up the sport.

"It's a great way to see the city and have some fun," he said.

Ian Fraser, 30, of Chimacum (1:10:31) and Lauren Groves, 23, of Victoria (1:20:19) won the accompanying half-marathons.

Seattle Marathon officials reported record turnouts in all five parts of the event. The marathon run had 2,600 entrants; the marathon walk 732; the half-marathon run 6,011; and the half-marathon walk 1,322.

	Uli Steidl

On Saturday, an estimated 3,000 youngsters participated in the Seattle Kids Marathon.

The youngsters logged 25 or more miles before race day, then did a final 1.2-mile loop around Seattle Center.

In the past two years, the kids marathon has raised more than $100,000 for the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Puget Sound.

Complete Seattle Marathon results

MEN

1. Uli Steidl, 32, Shoreline, 2:29:36; 2. Greg Crowther, 31, Seattle, 2:32:53; 3. David Jackson, 28, Victoria, BC, 2:35:11; 4. Jeffrey Bigham, 23, Seattle, 2:39:45; 5. Jesse Stevick, 22, Olympia, 2:40:15; 6. Broderick Gann, 18, Kirkland, 2:43:46; 7. Michael Gordon, 26, Missoula, MT, 2:44:25; 8. Jim Elwell, 44, Fort Collins, CO, 2:44:55; 9. Matthew Simms, 36, Langley, 2:44:55; 10. Paul Korchak, 29, Vancouver, BC, 2:48:06; 11. Hal Koerner, 28, Seattle, 2:48:40; 12. Scott McLellan, 44, Boise, ID, 2:49:21; 13. Kenneth Burgess, 23, Seattle, 2:49:37; 14. Josh Singsass, 23, Puyallup, 2:50:27; 15. Cliff Richards, 43, Maple Valley, 2:50:47

WOMEN

1. Kami Semick, 38, Bend, OR, 2:53:11; 2. Joan McGrath, 43, New Westminster, BC, 2:54:12; 3. Sarah Williams, 38, Gold Beach, OR, 2:59:38; 4. Trish Rosenberg, 28, Shoreline, 3:01:11; 5. Melanie Bos, 31, Kelowna, BC, 3:05:59; 6. Kristin Veal, 25, Seattle, 3:06:50; 7. Becky Hofland, 32, Everett, 3:06:51; 8. Heather Griffith, N/A, Everett, 3:08:20; 9. Michelle Chille, 38, Calabasas, CA, 3:08:38; 10. Lori Buratto, 34, Spokane Valley, 3:11:45; 11. Wendy Closkey, 29, Vancouver, BC, 3:13:50; 12. Waverly Thorsen, 28, Poulsbo, 3:14:00; 13. Kim Formo, 24, Fairview, OR, 3:15:42; 14. Jennifer Yogi, 29, Seattle, 3:16:13; 15. Lachelle Crotteau, 31, Bend, OR, 3:17:57

MEN'S HALF MARATHON

1. Ian Fraser, 30, Chimacum, 1:10:31; 2. Dan McLean, 23, Seattle, 1:10:41; 3. Rusty McCrea, 26, Meridian, ID, 1:11:22; 4. John Collin, 26, Portola Valley, CA, 1:12:18; 5. Simon Driver, 25, Vancouver, BC, 1:12:48; 6. Phil Olson, 24, Bellevue, 1:14:32; 7. Ben Brown, 23, Lakewood, 1:14:34; 8. Corey Folske, 27, Beaverton, OR, 1:15:21; 9. Ryan Johns, 17, Olympia, 1:18:00; 10. Shaun Endsley, 37, Coeur d'Alene, ID, 1:18:22; 11. Jeffrey Mitton, 21, Bellevue, 1:18:54; 12. James Savage, 29, Bainbridge Island, 1:19:46; 13. Ryan Ogliore, 26, Sierra Madre, CA, 1:19:49; 14. Andrew Rakestraw, 19, Seattle, 1:19:58; 15. Nate Wood, 24, Vancouver, BC, 1:20:02

WOMEN'S HALF MARATHON

1. Lauren Groves, 23, Victoria, BC, 1:20:19; 2. Suzanne Binne-Huse, 30, Missoula, MT, 1:22:26; 3. Megan Johnson, 23, Seattle, 1:23:18; 4. Elaine Holmer, 32, Edmonds, 1:24:01; 5. Erin Skourtes, 23, Portland, 1:24:51; 6. Emily Showman, 23, Seattle, 1:25:58; 7. Anne Marshall, 26, Spokane, 1:26:15; 8. Johnna Haberman, 24, San Francisco, 1:26:54; 9. Marti Riemer-Reiss, 35, Bellingham, 1:26:57; 10. Rene McKibbin, 37, Delta, BC, 1:28:06; 11. Haley Olsen-Acre, 23, Marysville, 1:28:32; 12. Jessica Mullen, 27, Nepean, ON, 1:29:41; 13. Katie Galbadini, 32, Seattle, 1:30:16; 14. Valor Hopes, 28, Bellingham, 1:30:34; 15. Mary Hanna, 43, Maple Valley, 1:30:39

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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