Carrie Dimhoff didn’t hit the Olympic Trials standard, but the win felt good. Photo by Kevin Neri
Bowerman Track Club runner Carrie Dimoff contemplated dropping out of the Eugene Marathon, but she persevered and won the women’s division on Sunday morning with a time of 2 hours, 43 minutes, 51 seconds.
“It was a struggle the whole way, and there were times where I was like, I really don’t feel good — maybe I should just drop out,” she said. “And I was like, I’m leading the race. You can’t drop out if you’re leading.”
This was Dimoff’s second time finishing a race in the newly renovated Hayward Field.
“I ran the 10K in the Olympic Trials this summer, and I knew the magic of the stadium and the effect of the crowds,” Dimoff said. “Just get into mile 26 ’cause once you get into the stadium, it’s like free energy. The crowd will give you all the energy you need to finish.”
Dimoff ran her last marathon at the California International Marathon this past December, finishing in 2:29:33.
The Bowerman Track Club’s goal was to have the runners make the Olympic trials qualifying standard, which is 2:37 for women, but that didn’t work out.
“That would’ve been 5:59 pace,” Dimoff said. “It was just tough from the start for whatever reason, so we just refocused around halfway and said we’re just gonna finish.”
Dimoff’s pace at the CIM was 5:42, so her goal of 5:59 was reasonable. But she just couldn’t get it done. She will have more chances to achieve the trials standard before 2024.
“Today’s not a day to time,” she said. “We’re just gonna run our best and leave it all on the course.”
