Isphording Favored in Columbus Marathon

Defending champion Julie Isphording, favored in the women’s division of the Columbus Marathon, has tendinitis in her right leg and does not know if she will be able to finish today’s race.

But Isphording said Friday that she felt well enough to start the 26.2-mile race.

“The toughest part of the course is mile 13 through about 18, that middle few miles,” she said at a news conference. “At the 18th mile, you say, ‘Oh, just eight more miles,’ and you can envision the finish line.

“It’s also tougher in that stretch because there aren’t any fans there and it always helps to have people cheering you on,” she said.

The 27-year-old Isphording said she has had tendinitis since her last workout Tuesday. She said her doctor treated the inflammation with cortisone.

Race director Mike Collins said Isphording has not been hampered by tendon problems she has had in the past. He speculated she might be feeling pressure as the favorite.

“I think she’s nervous about it,” Collins said. “I think she’d like the pressure off her back. There’s no way she’d be here if she didn’t think she could win.”

Last year, Isphording set the women’s course record of two hours, 31 minutes 9 seconds.

Recently, she said she would need to finish in 2:28 to win this year.

“I will be starting, but now I’m worried about this (tendinitis) instead of a 2:28,” she said.

The men’s division features one of the most evenly matched fields in the race’s 10-year history, Collins said.

The personal-best times of the top 15 entrants are within 4 1/2 minutes of each other, ranging from Richard Kaitany of Kenya, at 2:09:37, to Jeff Scuffins of Hagerstown, Md., at 2:14:01.

Kaitany, who won the Houston marathon in April and is preparing for his first event since an injury sustained after that race, said he sometimes paces himself by remaining within sight of the press truck, which carries a clock showing the elapsed time.

“The exhaust can get to you, but the driver ... will stay away from you most of the time. When you catch up, they will pull away from you,” he said.

“The problem with the exhaust is there, but it’s usually not a big one.”

Kaitany suffered a locked hip joint after the Houston race.

“On the men’s side, I wouldn’t bet on anyone right now,” Collins said. “I think you’ve got eight guys who can win the race, and we’ve never had this before. There’s always been one or two perennial favorites.”

The course record is 2:11:02, by Tommy Perrson in 1980.

Defending champion Mark Plaatjes, who finished at 2:12:17, is recovering from a calf injury and will not compete. He started Sunday’s New York City Marathon, but dropped out.

The winner in each division receives $20,000. Bonus incentives include $10,000 for course records and $30,000 for world bests.

More than 3,200 runners have registered, making this the marathon’s largest field.

The Columbus course is the same basic layout that will be used for the 1990 and 1991 United States men’s national championships and the 1992 men’s Olympic trials. The course, through the city’s downtown and Ohio State University, is mostly flat and considered one of the fastest in the country.