And then there were two.
After weeks of competition, starting with a field of more than 100 runners, moving through the round of 32, the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, and the Final Four, it comes to this. One final challenge to determine the 2010 March Mile Madness champion. The best half marathon run today or tomorrow wins it all. Who will prevail?
Maybe Steven R. Steven dominated the distance rounds, placing first in the first round, the Sweet Sixteen, and the Final Four. But he’s struggled in the speed rounds, placing in the bottom half of the the round of 32 and escaping the Elite Eight only because other runners were forced to drop out due to injury. Still, don’t count him out: previous speed rounds featured shorter distances, and this distance specialist may just have what it takes to pull out a Cinderella-story-style win.
Or maybe Henrik W. has what it takes. Henrik got off to a shaky start, finishing the first round in the bottom half of runners moving on. Or maybe he was just getting warmed up. Since then he’s come on strong, placing 4th and 5th in the round of 32 and the Sweet Sixteen, and challenging for outright wins in the Elite Eight and the Final Four. His consistency in the later rounds proves he may have just the combination of speed and endurance needed for this final round.
Whoever wins, I hope everybody has enjoyed the tournament. I definitely plan to bring it back next year, but next time with a dedicated women’s division (shout-out to Kathy S., the top woman this year!) I also hope to organize some more multi-challenge events in the coming months, so stay tuned!