Homefield advantage played a crucial role in Joseph Hill’s victory in the 52nd running of the BMW Dallas Marathon on Sunday.
The 30-year-old West Dallas resident made up half of a one-minute deficit at White Rock Lake, and three miles from the finish line he made a final move to win the feature race for the second time in three years in two hours, 24 minutes and 53 seconds. All times are unofficial until ratified.
“I’ve run this loop around White Rock a few times so I know every step,” said Hill, who grew up in Grapevine and attended Dallas Baptist.
“I knew it was downhill after mile 23, and when I looked back after mile 1, I couldn’t see anyone.”
Hill, the eighth straight American men’s winner, credits his sister Sarah with being a role model who influenced him to run.
“I ran track in high school and wanted to be like her,” he said.
A week earlier, Hill had run a marathon in Sacramento, California, and was disappointed with his performance.
“I was hungry for more today,” he said.
Women’s marathon champion Jill Wolfe manages to train every day despite owning a pet supply business with five locations, none of which come within 130 miles of Dallas. This translates into a lot of travel time.
All the training, which took 50 minutes of her time since 2017, paid off in a personal best time of 2:51.47, nearly eight minutes faster than the next runner.
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Wolfe has made Dallas his home for the past seven years and got married two months ago.
“I thought I might have a chance today. The weather was the best we’ve had for the run. I’ve trained hard for it,” Wolff said.
There was some confusion after the race because a faster time than Wolff’s was recorded electronically, but after further investigation and some anxious moments Wolff was declared the winner.
Half marathon: For the second year in a row, Mimi Smith took the top placing in the women’s half marathon with a time of 1:15.20.
“I feel better than I did after last year,” Smith, a Chicago native and Dallas resident, said over the past 18 months. “I have a big race, a marathon, that I’m training for in February.”
Smith, a Wake Forest alumna, said her last three miles were difficult when she found herself running alone.
Men’s half marathon champion Mitch Ammons, who grew up in Dallas, enjoys running the streets he drives.
“Coming down to Greenville is my favorite,” said the 34-year-old, who has resided in Austin for the past 10 years.
Ammons, who grew up in the Lakewood area and graduated from Bishop Lynch, was a bit disappointed with his time of 1:07.53.
He said: “I am training in preparation for the Olympics, and it was much slower than I wanted, but I did everything I could.”
Ultra Marathon: For those who didn’t believe a marathon was long enough, there was a 50km course.
Women’s Ultra Champion Christy Coleman saw her husband at home, spread her arms out and said, “Why?” But moments later, as she reached the finish line of the 50K, Coleman had the answer to her question.
She won on her first attempt at the distance.
Coleman, 38, of Yukon, Oklahoma, said winning was not a consideration when entering the race.
“You don’t really worry about that when you sign up,” she said. “You have to run your own race, no matter the distance.”
Her time of 3:41.19 was confirmed as a personal best.
“When I ran the 800 meters in college, I didn’t want to run a race longer than that,” Coleman said. “Now I don’t want that [run] A short one.”
Men’s champion Calum Neave says he “loves” the 50k. He should because it was his third race at that distance in the last 45 days.
“Nutrition is key,” said Neff, 39, a Canadian who had a transplant and lives in Fulshear, Texas.
Nev’s winning time of 2:58.47 would be respectable for a marathon. Neff is the previous Canadian 50K record holder at 2:51.
mission accomplished: Brian Goldsmith generated some cheers at the finish line when he set a Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon in a football uniform. The 37-year-old Las Colinas resident clocked a time of 3:29.30 while wearing full football gear for the XFL champion Arlington Renegades.
Goldsmith needed to beat the time of 3:33.42 set by Australian Alastair Kelty at the Dubai Marathon in 2019.
The rebellious actors were waiting at the finish line to attack Goldsmith.
“At mile 20 I started cramping up,” said Goldsmith, who works as a ticket representative for the Renegades. “I kept telling myself to get to the next mile, and I kept playing that game. I was as nervous today as I’ve ever been.”
Complete BMW Dallas Marathon results can be found here.
Find more sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
The BMW Dallas Marathon saw Joseph Hill claiming victory for the second time in just three years, all thanks to the undeniable influence of homefield advantage. Hill’s impressive performance and familiarity with the course prove that having a hometown advantage can be a game-changer in the competitive world of marathon running. With the support of the local crowd and his deep understanding of the terrain, Hill was able to secure another remarkable win in this prestigious event.