An Atlanta runner competing in his tenth marathon won Sunday’s 2024 Coast Guard Marathon in Elizabeth City, while a South Carolina woman competing in her first-ever full marathon was the female winner in the 26.2-mile race.
An airman and airwoman stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, meanwhile, were the top male and female finishers in the 13.1-mile Coast Guard Half Marathon.
Nearly 2,000 spectators turned out Sunday to the watch the marathon and half marathon, either to cheer on family and friends competing or just offer their support for the runners. Many were crowded into the “Coast Guard Village” set up at Waterfront Park for the first-ever Family Fun Day at the Park. Activities included inflatables for kids, an Army rock band from Ft. Eustis, a Dog Tag Memorial Wall, face painting and food trucks.
Andrew Lowndes, 33, won the third annual Coast Guard Marathon with a time of 2:42:19, about 19 minutes off Tai Smith’s winning time in the 2023 Coast Guard Marathon.
“The conditions were perfect, the temperature was perfect. Just perfect,” he said.
Lowndes, who’s originally from Wisconsin, said he had competed in nine previous marathons but never won one until Sunday.
Asked what advice he’d give other marathoners to get that extra push to win, he had two words: go vegan. In fact, his running shirt contained the words “Vegan Runners.”
“The first marathon I ever did I wasn’t vegan and I finished with a time over four hours and had to walk,” Lowndes said. “The first marathon I ran vegan, I ran in 2:55.”
“I was skeptical of the health benefits, but it works,” he added.
Sarah Ashbrook Gwinn, 28, of Aiken, South Carolina, was the first female the cross the finish line at the waterfront, winning the women’s marathon with a time of 03:06:07, about 24 minutes off Kaylee Flanagan’s time in the 2023 marathon.
Sunday’s race was the first time Gwinn had attempted a full 26.2-mile marathon, she said.
Gwinn said she has been running her whole life for fun, but it was in college that she first considered running as more than just a hobby.
Asked about the course for Sunday’s race, Gwinn said the spectators who turned out to cheer on the runners was the best part.
“The course was great and the people cheering us on were the best,” she said.
Asked about advice she would give to young runners, her message also was simple: “Work hard and a smile goes a long way.”
Erik McMillan, 26, who is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, won the Coast Guard Half Marathon with a time of 1:15:10.
He described the course for Sunday’s half marathon as gorgeous.
“It was a beautiful course,” he said. “Honestly I could not have asked for a better course. There was some headwinds coming north, but other than that it was beautiful.”
McMillan said Sunday’s race wasn’t his first half marathon. He’s run so many, he said he’s lost track of the number. He also plans to run in the 128th Boston Marathon, which is scheduled for Monday, April 15.
“After that I am going to take a little break,” he said with a laugh.
Sarah Martin, 25, originally from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and also stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, won the women’s half marathon, finishing with a time of 1:31:46.
Sunday’s race wasn’t Martin’s first marathon. She had run in a couple before this weekend’s race and plans to run in the Every Woman Marathon in Savannah, Georgia in the fall.
Martin said she wanted to run a personal best at the Coast Guard Marathon and she succeeded in her goal. She says her previous best was 1:34:00 and she beat that on Sunday by close to three minutes.
Martin also was a big fan of Sunday’s course.
“The course was great,” she said. “I loved the first two miles going through the neighborhoods and going on the runway (at the Coast Guard Base) was definitely the highlight. Coming back on the water was nice too.”
When it comes to advice to other runners, Martin said training is critical whether you’re running competitively or just for fun.
“Always come up with a good plan for your training. I have always used the book ‘Run Less, Run Faster,’” she said referring to the 2007 runners guide authored by Bill Pierce, Scott Murr and Ray Moss.
“I am in the Air Force so I am way too busy to run 80 miles a week,” Martin continued. “But the program in the book is just running every other day, so I avoid injury and get faster doing that and still focus on work.”
Both McMillan and Martin are members of the Eagle Run Club, a group of about 10 runners from Seymour Johnson who traveled to Elizabeth City this weekend to compete in the Coast Guard Marathon and Half Marathon.
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