Shiprock Marathon crowns new men's, women's winner
By Sunnie Clahchischiligi
Navajo Times
SHIPROCK, N.M., May 8, 2014
(Times photo – Sunnie Clahchischiligi)
Trent Taylor, 33, the overall men’s winner of the 31st annual Shiprock Marathon, completed the race with a time of 2:48.31. It was the first time the Ganado, Ariz. native entered the full marathon race.
Taylor was the overall winner in the men's division of the marathon with a time of 2:48:31.
The 33-year-old Ganado, Ariz., native took second in the half marathon last year but decided to sign up for his first marathon this year.
"I'm really surprised with the win, because I wasn't trying to win the course," he said. "I was just trying to qualify for Boston."
Taylor said he's run his share of ultra-marathons but he always wanted to run a full marathon.
He said though qualifying for the Boston Marathon was his objective, winning the race was a bonus.
"It's the marathon on the reservation, so I came back here and had fun," he said.
The half Navajo and Hopi runner is also in the middle of training for the IRONMAN Arizona race set for November.
He said running the marathon was a test of his training ability. He said he had to be able to get up the next day and continue training for the IRONMAN.
"The primary goal was to be able to train tomorrow and just run a comfortable marathon," Taylor said. "I over exceeded my goal today."
Taylor jokingly added that he was glad five-time Shiprock Marathon winner Shaun Martin didn't run the race, which made his chances better.
Martin, the Dine College cross-country coach and athletic director, was at the race finish line cheering on his family who participated and the Dine College running teams.
Shiprock Marathon race director Tom Riggenbach said it was nice to have Martin on the finish line for a change.
"He was having fun cheering on his team, he ran with his son in the kid's marathon and interacting with everyone on the finish line," Riggenbach said. "Trent Taylor credited Shaun who kind of inspired him."
Riggenbach said Taylor ran a phenomenal race.
He said it was a close race most of the way as Taylor and Brad Poppele, who came in second overall, were neck-and-neck for the first 20 miles, before Taylor pulled ahead.
Taylor said he found Brad to pace with and later had an opportunity to pull away.
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