There are some occasions that people mark on their calendars. For runners it’s a marathon because it is the ultimate test of endurance, character and determination to run 26.2 miles and cross the finish line when every inch of their bodies is screaming to stop.
For Julie Stackhouse, Sunday, 3 December will forever be special because she passed the test and convincingly. Not only was it the first marathon for the 27-year-old but she crashed across the line with a time of 3:06:17 for the overall first place and set a course record for women at the Cayman Islands Marathon.
Stackhouse is an assistant track coach for the women’s team at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. While Stackhouse has run in several half marathons, she says she has never run competitively. In fact, the longest she has ever run before 3 December was two hours.
The track coach’s racing pedigree mainly involves sprinting and the heptathlon.
Stackhouse heard about the Cayman Islands Marathon last year when she personally trained a woman who ran the 2005 race. That is when she got the idea to do it herself in 2006.
“I set a goal, the 2006 Cayman Islands Marathon, started training and I did it,” she explained. “The victory was surreal. I can’t believe the sense of accomplishment. I am hooked on marathons. I can’t believe I was first overall.”
Despite having earned bragging rights to the Cayman Islands Marathon, Stackhouse admits that pounding the pavement wasn’t easy. “I’m happy that I had Mark [Hydes] to run with. The last three miles were hard but I pushed on.”
She said the Cayman Islands Marathon was a positive experience. “I enjoyed the run, the scenery and the island. The water stations were great, so motivational, inspiring. They encouraged me to continue when I felt like stopping.”
Stackhouse hopes to return in 2007 to defend her title, and plans to bring along a few friends to run the race with her.
For results, photos and 2007 online registration, log on to www.CaymanIslandsMarathon.com.
The Cayman Islands Marathon was sponsored by Digicel; Cayman Islands Department of Tourism; Deloitte; Cayman National; Breezes By The Bay Restaurant (Official Marathon Party Zone); 106.1 KISS FM (Official Radio Station); Cayman Airways; Flowers Bottled Water (Official Water); Gatorade (Official Sports Drink); Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort (Official Hotel); TAG Heuer; Final Touch; Butterfield Bank; Audi, CUC; RE/MAX Cayman Islands; Generali; Admiral; KPMG; Red Sail Sports; Island Companies and Pepsi.
