As the rising sun illuminated city skyscrapers Sunday, Dan Vassallo set out on a familiar, but longer, course.
The second-place finisher in the 2008 Philadelphia half-marathon, Vassallo set his sights on the city's full 26.2-mile course in the 17th annual Philadelphia Marathon. He rolled from Center City to Penn's Landing and through University City and Manayunk before charging down Kelly Drive and back to the Art Museum.
In the end, although he underwent sports-hernia surgery in July, Vassallo captured what he called "the greatest win of my career" in 2 hours, 21 minutes, 28 seconds.
By the 18-mile mark, before the 25-year-old resident of Wilmington, Mass., had entered Manayunk, he knew the race was his to lose.
"I was overcome by emotion a few times," said Vassallo, who bested second-place finisher David Bedoya, a 33-year-old from Somerville, Mass., by 2:09. "When they were playing the music" - "Chariots of Fire" at the 26-mile mark - "and calling my name out, I got a little emotional. Especially with all the garbage I've been through this year. It was good to end it this way."
Mariska Kramer, 36, of the Netherlands, won her first Philadelphia women's marathon in 2:38:55. She edged Ramilia Burangulova, 49, of Russia, by nearly two minutes. Finishing third was Emily Hulme, 26, a Havertown resident and a teacher and a cross-country coach at the Haverford School.
"I still have to let the results sink in," said Hulme, who was the highest local finisher in both marathons and qualified for the Olympic marathon B standard with a time of 2:44:30. "I was just focusing on the individual goal of qualifying for the B standard. Anything extra is just great."
Like Vassallo, Philadelphia native Abby Dean, 39, returned from a grueling injury in emphatic fashion. The 2008 marathon runner-up suffered torn hamstring tendons in 2009 but finished ninth Sunday in her first marathon since the injury.
More than 23,000 runners took part in the marathon and half-marathon, while about 50,000 spectators lined the streets, according to race officials.
There were those racing against Vassallo, Kramer, and the other leaders; those chasing personal-best times; and those grinding the pavement to complete their first marathon.
"It gives you self-confidence, and it makes you a better person," said 18-year-old Shabazz Ransom, a senior at MaST Charter, who completed his third marathon and narrowly missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:21:24. "You get to compete against yourself and prove what you can do."
Kiprotich Kirui, 25, of Kenya, captured gold in the men's half-marathon in 1:04:02. William Rowland, 24, of Bala Cynwyd, finished third in 1:07:59.
Hirut Mandefro, 25, an Ethiopian, won the women's half-marathon in 1:17:52 after finishing second in Saturday's 8-kilometer race, which Clara Grandt of West Virginia won. Mourad Marofit of Morocco won the men's 8K in 23:09.
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