Congratulations to Waubay School teacher, Mr. Curtis Huffman who- recently ran in the 7th Day Adventist Chattanooga, TN Marathon this past weekend. He finished 1st overall in a time of 2:51:48. There were 475 total marathon runners that finished this event. This was his 28th marathon completed in the 27th state. We are proud of you Mr. Huffman!
Here are some thoughts that Mr. Huffman had on the race:
The race started off on a crazy note. The first half-mile in to the race, the two leaders I was behind took a wrong turn at a stoplight. The security patrol person told them to take a left at the stoplight, so they did. We ran a city block up hill when the cones ended. I said, “I think we are not on the right course.” We looked back and seen all the other marathon runners turning right at the previous stoplight. Wasting no time, I took off back down the hill another city block. Yes, that means we ran 2 extra blocks in a 26.2 mile race. Believe me, it adds time to any race when you run extra distance. About a mile and a half in to the race, I caught the leader once again. We ran with each for about a mile, then I took the lead from there. It was really nice being in the lead and setting the pace throughout the race. It’s not every day that you get to run a marathon, yet alone win a marathon.
The race had great weather. It was 50-55 degrees with little to no wind. The course was relatively rolling with several ups and downs. The course took us on a scenic route along the Tennessee River. The marathon route went out to mile 15 where it had a turn-around point. This was great as you could see how far the next runners were behind you. As well, it gave you an extra energy boost as you got to see the other runners as they cheered me on as I ran by. Just when I ran out of marathon runners I approached the half marathon turn-around point where more runners were going to be running the same trail all the way back to the finish line.
At the end of the marathon, the race director invited my wife, Casey Huffman, and I up to the VIP area. It was kind of like being treated like a professional athlete. Many of the other runners were asking my wife and I questions and were very interested in my running story and plan. They thought I was crazy that I could train and run in South Dakota with our winters we have.
I do not have any more marathons planned for this year and am looking into next year to continue on the path to complete all 50 states by my 50th birthday. This means that I need to complete two a year. I finished the Green Bay Marathon in May and this one for the two in year 2023.