Missoulian  headline, July 14, 2014:  "Sweltering Pace." The large photo of a 26-year-old athlete from Alaska, glistening with sweat and grimacing with effort as he won the Missoula Marathon, filled me with admiration and respect. Matt "Grizzly" Adams had just set a new course record of 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 27 seconds

New Haven Register headline, July 28, 2012: "Cheshire Marathoner Eugene DeFronzo Lapping the Nation."  The large photo of a 76-year-old attorney from Connecticut, standing in front of more than 500 marathon finisher's medals displayed on the wall, also filled me with admiration and respect. This year he finished the Missoula Marathon in last place after 7 hours, 58 minutes, and 2 seconds.

Both men accomplished phenomenal feats of physical and mental endurance here last week.  Both men covered 26.2 miles on foot.  One made the cover of our local newspaper.  The other was found in small print on the results page.  I would like, here, to give Eugene DeFronzo a little more attention.

DeFronzo is memorable.  His posture is contorted, his gait uneven, his expression purposeful.  I first saw him in Park City, Utah in 2001 when I passed him on the last mile of my own first marathon. I found him again in 2013 at the Center of the Nation series, where he ran five marathons in five states in five days. His t-shirt there read:  50 marathons, 50 states, NINE TIMES. I noted the same face, pace, and shirt at the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati in May.  Then again this week.  He shows up at a lot of marathons.  It is what he does. Click here for the rest of his story.

I admire and am inspired by people who challenge and expand their limits.  I celebrate victories by young people who recognize and capitalize on innate athletic talents.  I also celebrate the accomplishments of people at any age whose performance explodes the appearance of disability.  The combination of training, effort, and perseverance required to finish a marathon is inspiring at any pace.

How do you see achievement in endurance events? Is speed the only measure of success, or can coming in last sometimes mean more?