Perry Qualifies For Boston Marathon
On Saturday September 3rd, two local runners made the long trip to Marquette, in the upper peninsula of Michigan, for Marquette’s 7th annual Marathon. Joe Perry and Bryan Cowden, of Wallaceburg, had goals to qualify for Boston 2017 as the deadline to qualify is this weekend, September 11th. Bryan ran a 3 hour, 10 minute marathon, just 5 minutes short of Boston standards. Joe Perry ran a 3 hour, 19 minute marathon, beating his qualifying time by 6 minutes. Qualifying is based on age and gender. Bryan (34, male) needed to run 3:05 and Joe (46, male) needed 3:25.
Perry, a 2-time Boston qualifier, felt relieved afterwards “We were cutting it close by signing up for a marathon one week before Boston registration time. I tried qualifying in Charlevoix, Mi a couple weeks ago but the hot, humid weather really made it tough to get below my goal.”
Bryan, although just short of his Boston dream, was very happy with his results “I’m not disappointed at all. 3:10 is a very good time being that it’s only my second marathon and I just started running 2 and a half years ago. It’s also a personal best as I beat my last marathon by 9 minutes. Also, Joe and I have this great friendly rivalry. Until we run another marathon together, I can brag that I beat him.”
Bryan and Joe are both executive members of the Defiance Running Club. They meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. You can go to www.defiancerunningclub.ca for more details.
This is a great accomplishment for both men and really ranks them in the “elite” of Wallaceburg’s running community. Bryan Cowden will get to Boston, mark my words. He and Joe Perry both have a relentless work ethic which puts them in another gear.