Post-race recovery

 

By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com

* Photo gallery

ELLERBE — Rosemary Baxley doesn’t know how to take a day off.

Less than 24 hours after winning the women’s title at the 24th annual Ellerbe Marathon, the 52-year-old Hamlet woman was back on the course. This time, though, she was dressed in sneakers, jeans her well-earned Ellerbe Marathon T-shirt.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com From left to right, Jerry Lindstrand, Mark Long and Susan Dummar approach the three-hour mark of the Ellerbe Marathon re-run on Sunday. Cresting the hill behind them is Sarah Jane Harmon.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
From left to right, Jerry Lindstrand, Mark Long and Susan Dummar approach the three-hour mark of the Ellerbe Marathon re-run on Sunday. Cresting the hill behind them is Sarah Jane Harmon.

Instead of working her body up each of the nearly uncountable inclines, though, this time Baxley tackled the hills with ease — behind the comfort of the steering wheel of her SUV. Between 7 and 8 Sunday morning, four runners took off from the start of the Ellerbe Marathon race course by the Mount Pleasant Community Club on Grassy Island Road to conquer the 26.2-mile road run. It’s called the “re-run,” and is an annual invitation to race-day volunteers and others who couldn’t make it to the race to be a part of the festivities.

While race day itself is a rather isolation 26.2-mile adventure sprinkled with eight aid stations for support, this is even more remote. But Baxley made sure the four runners — Hamlet resident and race director Mark Long, of Rockingham and assistant director and aid station captain Jerry Lindstrand, aid station and finish line volunteer Susan Dummar, of Fayetteville, and Southern Pines harrier (and aid station volunteer) Sarah Jane Harmon — had all the support they needed.

Baxley and her SUV leapfrogged the runners through all the ups and downs the course offered all 73 finishers on Saturday. She was ready and waiting with fresh water, sports drink, oranges, bananas and moral support.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com From champ to volunteer, Rosemary Baxley (right) helps Sarah Jane Harmon fill a bottle with sports drink.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
From champ to volunteer, Rosemary Baxley (right) helps Sarah Jane Harmon fill a bottle with sports drink.

Baxley said she was sore — not unexpected after a grueling road marathon — but staying in bed wasn’t a good option. It was a better post-race routine, she said, to be active as much as possible.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com

Filed in: Latest Headlines, Sports

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