Army Lieutenant Wins Marine Corps Marathon

He initially took up running to lose weight.

Even though he wasn’t one of their own, most Marine marathoners are proud of 27-year-old Chad Ware. The Army Lieutenant won the 36th edition of the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday, clocking 2:19:46 for the 26.2 miles.

The race was hardly easy for the Wheeling, Illinois native. He later admitted to fighting through stomach problems that forced him to slow his pace.

It was the race’s fastest time in 14 years.

Serial racer Mike Wardian was second. Patrick Fernandez, 24 of Alexandria, finished third in 2:26:37.

“I didn’t know he was going to run that fast,” Wardian said of Ware. “But he proved me wrong.”

Ware had hoped to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials next January in Houston, but the late-race hill near Arlington Cemetery slowed him down. “Maybe if that wasn’t there I would have been able to qualify for the trials,” he said.

Turkey’s Tezata Dengersa, 30 years old, won the women’s race in 2:45:28. Emily Shertzer of Jonestown, Pa. took second in 2:45:55. Third place went to Getachew Shiferaw of Ethiopia.

“It was little bit cold but for me, that’s good,” said Dengersa afterwards.

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