Redefine Possible: The Challenge of Endurance

After running fourteen marathons, Clark Baurer, 54, finds motivation and companionship in his rescued shepherd. Baurer’s most recent marathon was Philadelphia’s 20^th Annual Marathon held on Sunday, November 17, 2013. Runners began their journey of 26.2mile marathon or 13.1mile half marathon at seven am that crisp Sunday morning.

            Families could be seen searching for their loved ones on the side lines, Irca, Baurer’s wife stood on the corner of Chestnut St. and South Broad St. impatiently awaiting her husband. The Baurers’ who traveled from Chicago for the marathon rescued Clark’s running companion from Oklahoma after the tornados in early 2013. Like any other runner, Irca Baurer said her husband experiences days of jadedness toward running. On those days it is their energetic shepherd that gives Clark the motivation to train.

            Clark Baurer uses marathons to stay healthy. Training for a specific event helps him stay driven and the marathon is his “ideal race,” according to his wife. Irca Baurer said her husband describes the first 13 miles as, “beautiful bliss.” After training for 16 weeks those miles are second nature.

            Upon seeing her husband, Irca Baurer immediately jumped up and down and ran on the sidewalk keeping in pace with her husband. This joy and excitement was felt throughout the morning as supporters waved their signs and screamed for those running. “Stay strong runners, stay strong,” was the anthem for one supporter on Chestnut Street.

            The runners weren’t the only ones who exercised that day. Families and friends moved along the 26.2mile course to cheer their runner on all day. While waiting for her son, Jason Friedman, Shelia Friedman said, “The Ethiopian runners were first of course, so he wouldn’t be in that group.” But soon her face lit up, screaming as Jason ran by. After, Shelia Friedman began the 30- minute walk to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to do it all over again.

            30,000 runners from every state and 40 different countries competed in this year’s marathon. The course started and ended on Benjamin Franklin Blvd along the Delaware. The runners saw Philadelphia’s many attractions including the Liberty Bell, Love Park, City Hall, South Street, University City, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Boathouse Row and Kelly Drive in Fairmount Park.

First place winners, Abebe Mekuriya and Irina Alexandrova both received $3500. Alexandrova, a 33 year-old Russian native, lead the women with a time of 2:39:3.74. Mekuriya, the 30 year-old Ethiopian native finished in 2:17:34.7, only 47.3 second away from the men’s record of 2:16:47, set by Joseph Nderitu in 2003. Though Makuriya did not break the record, along with the other 29, 999 runners, he redefined possible – proving what one runner’s shirt proclaimed.

"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit." George Sheehan