|
 By Mark DeCotis - FLORIDA TODAY
 Brevard County women made a statement about the quality of running on the Space Coast, sweeping titles in the Marathon Bahamas full and half-marathons on Sunday.
Indialantic’s Angela Cobb, 28, won the full marathon in 3 hours and 17 seconds, and Satellite Beach’s Jessica Crate, 26, won the half in 1:21:47.
The victory was the first for Cobb in her fifth marathon. As for Crate, who has been a dominant woman among Brevard County runners, the title was another in an increasing rate of success.
The finish didn’t come easy.
“I hadn’t really run a marathon in about six years,” said Cobb, a server at Long Doggers in Indialantic. “Previously, I had run to just basically finish the marathon, but now I’m actually running to win so I’m racing a marathon which is a completely different feel.
“I went out too fast. I wanted to see how long I could hold the pace. I just wanted to see what my body was capable of. Now I know for the next time. I’m going to train harder. I wanted to go sub-3. I felt really good up until about mile 16. It was definitely a tough race.”
Cobb, a mom to 23-month-old daughter Savanah Popham, got into the sport as a youngster in rural South Georgia who would run on dirt roads after school to burn off energy. She ran her first marathon at age 17 and ran in college at Valdosta State and Clayton State. Now she leads of all people — Crate — by 20 points in the overall female standings in the Running Zone Race Series with three races to go.
“Angela is a phenomenal runner,” Denise Piercy, co-owner of Running Zone, wrote in an email. “She is consistent and very strong yet humble and stealth. She comes out quietly to a race and slams in a first-place finish without anyone knowing what just happened.
“We are very excited for her as she finished first in the Bahamas Marathon.”
That both Cobb and Crate won on Sunday speaks volumes about the the state of running in Brevard.
“It says a lot, it’s pretty cool,” Cobb said. “I’ve lived in the area for about four years now and I’ve seen running just kind of explode here. A lot of people are very excited about it in this area. It’s a huge thing right now. It’s exciting to be in a place where people are excited for something that is my passion.”
For Crate, the victory on what she called a tough two-bridge course, followed her 2:56 finish in November’s New York City Marathon.
Pushing through a headwind on the way back was a challenge but she was pleased with her effort coming off a stress fracture she suffered in April’s Boston Marathon. The injury kept her away from full-distance running for the summer, when she opted for triathlons.
Crate, who coaches runners in the county, also spoke highly of the running environment in Brevard.
“It just goes to show that Brevard County, not only does it have some amazing talent, but the support of the community is absolutely phenomenal, the encouragement of everyone in support of the athletes,” she said.
“Encouraging people to run and encouraging the morale of the sport. It’s an amazing opportunity to go race, even internationally, and knowing the whole of Brevard County is cheering you on.
“For Ang and I, it’s just been awesome to train together and race together and run together and just see each otgher improve and encourage each other. She’s gotten to fast. I’m so proud of her.”
Results for the 2012 Bahamas Marathon:
http://www.wildsideonline.net/results/2012/bahamaskomen.php
http://www.wildsideonline.net/results/2012/SIMBFull.php
http://www.wildsideonline.net/results/2012/SIMBHalf.php
http://www.wildsideonline.net/results/2012/SIMBrelay.html
|
