Former Drake distance running standout Jason Lehmkuhle, AS’00, finished 10th out of a record 43,741 participants in the 40th running of the New York Marathon Sunday, Nov. 1.
Lehmkuhle was one of six Americans who finished in the top 10 as the USA Men’s Marathon Championship was held in conjunction with the event. He was timed in 2 hours 14 minutes 39 seconds in the race on a windy, occasionally misty day with temperatures in the mid-50s.
Approximately 2.5 million spectators lined the 26.2-mile route that traversed New York City’s five boroughs.
Lehmkuhle’s credentials include a fifth-place finish at the 2008 U.S. Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials held in New York’s Central Park in followed by an eighth place finish at the ING New York City Marathon in 2008. He has a best in the distance of 2:12:54.
This fall, Lehmkuhle placed third at the USA 20k Championships on Labor Day in a personal best time of 59:04, placed second at the Cow Harbor 10k in 29:18, and was fourth at the USA Men’s 10 Mile Championship in a personal best of 47:16.
“I’ve run three races this fall and they have all gone very well with new PR’s at 20k and 10 miles,” Lehmkuhle said. “These fast races are certainly a positive indicator, but, in my experience, good races at shorter distances are certainly no guarantee of marathon success. My training has been very good during this buildup. Generally, the marathon-specific workouts have been on par with my best ever.”
During his Drake career, Lehmkuhle set the all-time Missouri Valley Conference record in the outdoor 10,000 meters of 28:44.91 in 2000. He also won the individual cross country title at the 1999 MVC Championship.