Jacob Stout from North Portland won the male masters division at the Eugene Marathon on Sunday in the first year he was eligible for the division, crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 27 minutes, 31 seconds.
Stout said he attempted to save some energy during the first half; he ran it conservatively since that was where most of the hills were. However, after running the first half, things started going differently.
“Inevitably it’s just kinda like you get two hours in and things start falling apart,” he said. Stout said that despite the last portion, overall he felt good.
Stout knew during the race the place he was in overall, but he wasn’t aware of his position in the masters category. He didn’t originally plan to win this award; he was going for a time goal. “It was a nice consolation prize,” he said.
During the awards ceremony, Stout, like other runners, had a tough time with the big step onto the stage. “Legs are pretty shattered,” he said. “I think that’s kind of part of the course knowing that there wasn’t much left to give. They should cut it down to 22 miles and everyone would be happier,” he said, and chuckled.
Stout first started running in 1989, following his father who was also a runner. He ran track and cross-country for Willamette University. As a result, he is familiar with Hayward and its presence from his track meets in college. This was his first time running at the newly renovated Hayward.
After college, Stout continued his passion for running by choosing to be a coach in track and field in 2009. He hopes his own kids, ages 3 and 6, can get into running if it’s something they enjoy one day.
Stout received a 10-pound packet of Krusteaz pancake mix in addition to his award. Stout was glad because his kids love pancakes and “they’re gonna be pumped.” Stout said his wife is the “expert pancake maker” so she’ll be in charge, but his kids will be happy.
