03/20/2005
It had been 15 years since Megan Burns last ran a marathon, but her return to the 26.2 mile distance was a very successful one as she crossed the finish line as the first female finisher in the 2005 Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach, Virginia on March 19th.
The race was not as easy or uneventful as the result might suggest. About seven miles into the race, a walker (they had been started an hour early) stepped in front of Megan and caused her to trip and fall to the ground. She scraped up here hands and banged her chin so that there was blood on her face and singlet for the remainder of the race. At the finish, she looked like she had been in a fist fight. But she got up quickly, re-focused herself, and got back on track. Running alone for the final 8 miles, Megan finished in 2:58:28, about three and a half minutes ahead of the next female finisher.
Not only did Megan the overall title, but she also double dipped, winnning the prize for being the first master's runner (40+). Not bad for a mother of three who works a full time job!
Congratulations to Megan, who has been working with the coach Ladd since November.