The fourth annual Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon, held on Feb. 25 and 26, brought runners together from around the nation.
Doug Yoder, the cross-country and track coach at GC, played a significant role in organizing the marathon and also participated by running two and a half marathons for the occasion.
“It was a great event,” said Yoder. “Everyone was impressed with our organization and with Goshen College in general.”
He also noted that the marathon was a great way to nationally spread the word about Goshen College because people came from all over the country to participate.
On Saturday the 25th, Jake Gillette took first place for men with a time of 2:59:47.4 and Marit Janse took first place for women with a time of 4:28:43.9.
On Sunday, Grant Stieglitz took first place for men with a time of 3:08:45.3 and Melissa Gillette, assistant coach for the cross-country team and a GC graduate, set an indoor marathon world record for women with a time of 3:08:53.8.
Yoder has high hopes for continuing the event next year. “I expect the field to be full within a month of when registration opens,” he said. He also expects to pursue national sponsorships for next year’s marathon in order to gain more financial support.
