For Gander’s Keith Clarke, who finished 60th of 165 runners in the male 35-39 division, he’ll never know if completing the Tely 10 is like giving birth. However, like Howse and Timmons, Clarke was happy with his result, and looks back at the run with a sense of humor.
“A lady can’t tell her age,” said Clarke with laugh, when asked for his age category.
This was Clarke’s third Tely 10 run, as he competed in 2003 and 2007. It won’t be surprising to see Clarke run in the 84th Tely 10 next year, where he’ll bring more experience to St. John’s with him.
“The first time I ran in 2003 I finished in 67 minutes, which is really good. But I was six years younger, and about 15 pounds lighter then,” said Clarke. “I trained really hard in 2003 and stuck with the training schedule. I’ve had a couple of kids since then, so it’s not that easy anymore.”
The first time Clarke crossed the finish line in 2003 he said he ran so hard there was a feeling of monumental relief. In 2010, an older Clarke didn’t run as hard as he did in 2003, but said it still felt good to finish what he started.
“I probably could have pushed myself a little more, but I felt good when I finished,” he said. “A few years ago it was really hot and the last couple of miles were brutal, but I felt good when I finished and had more left in the tank.”
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