It's pretty intense. It's not like running a marathon, but it is a mental strain.

I've always been interested in the marathon and this is pretty much as hands-on as you can get. It's very intense, but at the same time you can sit back after and see what you did. It's definitely worth it.

They're running pretty well up front. That's a big key at districts. One or two guys in the top 10 puts you at a huge advantage over other teams.

There is a whole new breed of marathoner who wouldn't even have considered running something like a marathon. In the past, people ran if they were exercise junkies. The marathon held the ultimate challenge for them.

To me, running a marathon is one of the ultimate challenges in sport. And for her to do it that many times, wow, she is a strong person. She knows her body, and she knows what she is capable of doing.

Refiners are exhausted, like runners in mid-marathon. They've been pushing very hard since last year. As a practical matter, these things have limits. If you push too hard, capacity drops.