Nissan Buffalo Marathon
Buffalo, NY
May 25, 2003
| Full Marathon Results Half Marathon Results Relay Teams Results |
Photos by Jeff John
 The assembled marathon runners stand ready to run just before the start of the 2003 Nissan Buffalo Marathon. A military color guard presents the flags while the Canadian and American national anthems played. |
 ALL ABOARD! -- In front of the marathon headquarters at the Buffalo Hyatt Hotel, buses load athletes for the ride to the Half Marathon start in Delaware Park. |
 A long line of buses also readies to transport relay participants to their exchange points on the full marathon course |
 Marathon EXPO - In the Hyatt, athletes enjoyed the combination registration room and Marathon Expo. |
 AT THE EXPO - Jesse Kregal, on the left, views an exciting video of the 1984 Olympic Trials Marathon held in Buffalo. Kregal, who ran the full marathon and won his age group, was the founding race director of the very successful and internationally acclaimed Skylon International Marathon. On the right is Jim Ralston, race director of the Casino Niagara Marathon. Ralston was on hand at the expo to promote his marathon which will be held in October on a course very similar to the old Skylon. Like the Skylon, the Casino-Niagara Marathon starts in Buffalo and concludes at the Niagara Falls in Canada.. |
 John Beishline, race director of the Nissan Buffalo Marathon, confers with a Buffalo Police officer prior to starting the big race. |
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| On the left, Race Director John Beishline calls the marathoners to the staring line. Beishline drew applause and cheers from the crowd as he acknowledged the Canadian and American racers in the field. After a crisp and inspiring introduction and playing of the national anthems, the race was on! | |
 Official race timer, Don Mitchell, confers briefly with wheelchair racer Holly Koester. For safety, Holly was started a few seconds before the field of runners. Holly performed very well on the course, clocking an excellent 2:56:00 for the marathon, a big improvement on her time in the same event a year ago. |
 THEY'RE OFF AND RUNNING in the 2003 Nissan Buffalo Marathon. Jeffrey Gruendike, a relay team competitor, takes the early lead. Eventual winner of the full marathon, Shingirai Badza, wearing number 1, is close behind. Gruendike's relay team, "Team Herron", won their relay category, Mens-Open, and turned in the top relay performance of the day. The other team members were Mike J. Herron, Kevin Burke, and Jason A. Walsh. |
 A lead pack begins to form 1/8 mile into the marathon. That's Amy Fakterowitz in the middle. She led her relay team to victory in the Coed-Open category. Her team mates were Trey H. Gardner, Amy Hurta, and Ted Washburn. |
 The early mid-pack in the full marathon rumbles through downtown Buffalo. |
 More Buffalo Marathoner starters at 1/8 mile into the long 26.2 mile run.. |
 Meanwhile, across town in Delaware Park, the GBTC readies the water station at the halfway point of the full marathon. The location also served as the staging area for the start of the Half Marathon race. Half marathoners take advantage of the station to hydrate prior to starting their 13.1 mile trek. Volunteers visible here from the left are Jeff Yurko, Paula Arcara, Ryan Arcara and Hector Bauza. Also in action are station captain Tony Nicotera, Paul Schwandt, Dexter Frank, Sue Devlin, Kathy and Nikki Sciolino, Barb Kuzina, and Jeff Yurko's wife and Tony's nieces and nephews. THANKS to the hundreds of volunteers that made this race possible. |
 420 RUNNERS assemble for the start of the Half marathon event to be run over the second half of the full marathon course. This image looks toward the intersection of Colvin at Amherst from Delaware Park. |
 A spectacular and unexpectedly high caliber duel is about to take shape as superbly fit national class athletes Steve Bohan and Todd Reeser join the half marathon field. |
 THEY'RE OFF! At the gun, the half marathoners begin the greuling 13.1 mile race. |
 Smiling and waving amiably, the eventual full marathon winner, Shingirai Badza, approaches the half way point as he passes the GBTC water station. |
 Marathon leader Shingirai Badza is all alone at the half way point of his 26.2 mile excursion. He has already pulled far ahead of both the field of marathon runners and the fastest of the relay teams. Badza managed to clock an excellent 2:22:49, tantalizingly close to Rick Mannen's adopted course record that was notched more than a decade ago. |
 More marathoners approach the GBTC Half Marathon water station in Delawaer park. Marathoners were offered water, power-ade, gummy bears and orange slices. The marathon offered water stations similar to this one every 2 miles over the full marathon course. |
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