Valley runners make showing in big race

MAT-SU — A half-dozen Mat-Su Valley runners competed in the 113th Boston Marathon Monday morning in Boston, Mass.

Wasilla’s Joel Wattum was the first of six Valley residents to cross the finish line during the world’s oldest marathon. Wattum completed the 26.2-mile course which leads runners to Copley Square, deep into the heart of historic Boston, in a time of 3 hours and 23 seconds.

Wattum finished 1,376th overall, but was 10th among the 67 Alaska runners who finished the event.

Another Wasilla resident and a regular in the marathon, David Johnston, finished the race with a time of 3:24:35.

Johnston was about two minutes faster than Big Lake’s Rob Hutchison, who finished the race with a time of 3:26:11. Hutchison cut more the eight minutes off his time from last year.

Gail Taylor (3:28:50), Jodi Rogness (3:42:41) and Brigitte Sholton (4:18:07) — all of Wasilla — also finished the race.

Anchorage’s Jerry Ross was the top Alaska runner in the event, finishing with a time of 2:36:55.

2009 Boston Marathon

Monday; Boston, Mass.

Alaska finishers:

126. Jerry Ross, Anchorage 2 hours, 36 minutes, 55 seconds; 131. Tom Ritchie, Anchorage 2:37:12; 305. Mark Lindberg, Fairbanks 2:46:01; 499. John Clark 2:50:53; 674. Ben Ward, Anchorage 2:53:34; 726. Alan Stoll, Anchorage 2:54:16; 1,099. Wayde Ledar, Fairbanks 2:58:09; 1,156. Sam Hill, Anchorage 2:58:35; 1,183. Benjamin Gage, Juneau 2:58:47; 1,376. Joel Wattum, Wasilla 3:00:23; 3,477. Brian Broderick, Anchorage 3:14:18; 3,545. Andy Holland, Fairbanks 3:14:36; 3,734. Dorthy Shearn, Anchorage 3:15:34; 3,941. Raymond Karns, Fairbanks 3:16:32; 3,988. John Winrum, Anchorage 3:16:49; 4,085. Thomas Burton, Anchorage 3:17:21; 4,191. Kevin Taylor, Anchorage 3:17:49; 4,310. Eric Meier, Anchorage 3:18:29; 4,319. Peter Leonard, Fairbanks 3:18:30; 4,729. Douglas Ketterer, Anchorage 3:20:17; 4,778. Jesse Flores, Anchorage 3:20:31; 4,841. Thomas Coolidge, Anchorage 3:20:48; 4,946. Stuart Grant, Anchorage 3:21:16; 5,685. April Nelson, Anchorage 3:24:29; 5,715. Susan Faulkner, Fairbanks 3:24:35; 5,718. David Johnston, Wasilla 3:24:35; 5,751. Adam Johnson, Anchorage 3:24:43; 5,984. Laura Grosuch, Eagle River 3:25:38; 6,116. Rob Hutchison, Big Lake 3:26:11; 6,904. Gail Taylor, Wasilla 3:28:50; 7,253. Gina Baker, Fairbanks 3:29:52; 7,255. Davya Flaharty, Fairbanks 3:29:52; 7,407. Eric Mohler, Sterling 3:30:26; 7,677. Jennifer Mahlen, Fairbanks 3:31:22; 7,783. John Reed, Anchorage 3:31:46; 8,291.Edward Debevec, Fairbanks 3:33:33; 9,042. Ketchikan 3:30:03; 9,370. Greg Finstad, Fairbanks 3:37:15; 9,626. April Juliussen, Anchorage 3:38:14; 9,632. Polly Wirum, Anchorage 3:38:15; 10,013. Rafeal Castaneda, Anchorage 3:39:25; 10,099. Bad Bob Baker, Fairbanks 3:39:40; 10,365. Maxwell Mercer, Ketchikan 3:40:40; 10,583. Elizabeth Morgan 3:41:30; 10,988. Jodi Rogness, Wasilla 3:42:41; 11,025. Scott May, Juneau 3:43:16; 12,016. Kenneth Teune, Ward Cove 3:51:26; 12,520. Beverly Weis, Fairbanks 3:48:06; 13,330. Steven Bainbridge, Fairbanks 3:52:02; 14,461. Michael Kramer, Fairbanks 3:55:28; 14,527. Kristina Anderson, Anchorage 3:55:42; 14,682. Carol Johnson, Juneau 3:56:17; 14,835. Selina Sanders, Anchorage 3:56:51; 16,428. Andra Love, Anchorage 4:03.51; 17,051. Mary Diel, Anchorage 4:07:53; 17,585. Patrice Parker, Anchorage 4:11:01; 17,831. Anne Fiedler, Anchorage 4:12:55; 18,111. Lela Benson, Anchorage 4:15:06; 18,242. Kathleen Pelkan, Bethel 4:16:06; 18,271. Sharon Baker, Fairbanks 4:16:21; 18,312. Michelle Bittner, 4:16:40; 18,502. Birgitte Sholton, 4:18:07; 18,788. Rusty Myers, Anchorage 4:20:26; 19,15. Norma Haubenstock, Fairbanks 4:24:11; 20,306. Howard Hanson, Fairbanks 4:36:47; 20,395. Glenn Miller, Douglas, 4:38:07.