Posted on 02/10/2019 7:00:17 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
No one would have expected a full-time nurse from Philadelphia to keep pace with the elites at one of the top marathons in the country, but that’s just what Samantha Roecker did in December.
At the California International Marathon (CIM), which saw 99 women qualify for the Olympic Trials, the top three women finished almost exactly one minute apart. Emma Bates, who recently signed on with Asics, won in 2:28:19. HOKA Northern Arizona Elite’s Stephanie Bruce finished second in 2:29:21. Then Roecker, an unsponsored runner, crossed the Sacramento finish line in 2:30:25.
“The race was all a blur,” Roecker, 27, told Runner’s World. “In every race I’m in, I try to find a competitive pack to run with. And this time, that was the lead pack.”
Her splits for the race—which every year attracts thousands of Boston Marathon and Olympic Trials hopefuls with its fast, slightly downhill course—were nearly perfect: a 1:14 for the first half and 1:15 for second.
“Both of my splits beat my previous half marathon best by almost two and a half minutes,” Roecker said. “When I saw the time at halfway, I figured I’d at least get a half PR out of the race. At that point, adrenaline kicked in, and I just hung on.”
Roecker’s overall finish time not only beat her previous marathon PR by almost eight minutes, but also ranked her as the 12th-fastest woman so far heading into the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2020. While Roecker’s time is slower than those of Shalane Flanagan, Amy Cragg, Molly Huddle, and Des Linden, she’s well within striking distance of the Olympians. And if she continues progressing in the marathon as she has over the last few years, she very well might be bumping elbows with the leaders in Atlanta.
(Excerpt) Read more at runnersworld.com ...
Next week we’ll find out she took the bus for most of the course.
She can check my vitals anytime!
NICE!
In before the "get her a cheeseburger" crowd
Helllo Nurse!
See what happens when you let them wear shoes and leave the house?
There’s a guy somewhere that’s in need of a sandwich. Is she getting him a sandwich? Nope. She’s running around like a crazy person.
Kitchens were invented to keep women occupied so they didn’t get themselves into trouble. Everyone knows this.
Barefoot, pregnant, chained to the stove.
“See what happens when you let them wear shoes and leave the house?”
She doesn’t look pregnant either. Some guy’s falling down on HIS job.
BUT... nurses rock just the same!
That pic shows a bunch of dudes chasing her. She must be doing something right. );-)
Trying to catch her. Send her back to where she belongs!
Or they think she has their sandwich.
lot of scarring on that right arm.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.