Nixon Becomes
First-Ever Women’s Champ of B.A.A. Half Marathon
by Julia
Beeson
Sarah
Nixon, 37, of Medfield, MA became the first
woman ever to cross the break tape of the B.A.A.
Half Marathon. Nixon ran tightly with B.A.A. Running
Club member Cathi
Campbell for the first seven miles of the
13.1-mile stretch before an adrenaline kick propelled
her into the lead and to a 1:21:16 finish.
"Seeing the cheering crowd
really pumped me up, and I just tried to hang
on for as long as I could," Nixon said. A
member of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute training
team, Nixon said that the support of her teammates
and friends along the route gave her the "incredible
rush" she needed to cross the finish line
first.
In what Nixon described as her
ideal racing conditions – cool, drizzly autumn
weather – she was able to maintain a 6:12 pace
as she traversed the leafy roads lining the Emerald
Necklace park system. Campbell, moving at a 6:14
pace, ran closely with Nixon for just over half
of the course. "I have a ton of respect for
Cathi," said Nixon. "She is a really
consistent runner."
While Nixon may have backed
off slightly on the uphill sections of the race
route, such as the mile stretch leading up to
Franklin Park, Campbell, a 2000 U.S. Marathon
Trials participant, held a consistent pace. Both
women were able to adjust well to the shifting
terrain and landscape – which varied from a dirt
path cut through a safari-like backdrop of zebras
and giraffes, to a verdant roadway lining Jamaica
Pond.
Nixon, who has competed in the
Boston Marathon seven times, said that the B.A.A.
Half Marathon course provides a flattering reflection
of the City of Boston. "While the Boston
Marathon ends in the City, this race really showcases
some lovely parts of Boston," she said.
In addition to being the first
female champion of the B.A.A. Half Marathon, Nixon
was also the first American woman to cross the
finish at the 2001 Paris Marathon, where she established
her personal best of 2:53:30. Nixon will compete
next at the New York City Marathon this November.
Carly
Graytock, 23, of the Boston Athletic Association
was the second female finisher with her time of
1:21:35. A resident of Cambridge, MA, Graytock
is currently training to run her first marathon.
She has also excelled in shorter distance competitions,
with a 10,000M personal record of 35:59.
The inaugural women’s race of
the B.A.A. Half Marathon witnessed a field of
top local running talent – an exhibition of the
finest of what the greater Boston community has
to offer, in both its athletes and its seasonal
beauty.
