Extra miles pose no problem for Ashley, Gortmaker

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By KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star

Forget about experience. Shelve the advice about learning how to run a marathon.

“You take yourself to the brink and a half and just push harder mentally,”  Levi Ashley said after he won in his first full marathon competition Sunday in the 31st annual Lincoln Marathon.

Even though he had never run a marathon before, the Lincoln man cruised to the finish and ran  the 26.2 miles through Lincoln in 2 hours, 26 minutes, 55 seconds.

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Valerie Gortmaker is congratulated by her mother Shirley (left) and Nancy Sutton-Moss after winning the women's 2008 Lincoln Marathon. (Michael Paulsen)

Valerie Gortmaker is congratulated by her mother Shirley (left) and Nancy Sutton-Moss after winning the women's 2008 Lincoln Marathon. (Michael Paulsen)

He received his roses and a medal, held on for hugs from girlfriend Latasha Landeros and his parents, Sue and Andy Ashley, and stuck around for interviews.

Valerie Gortmaker, a Lincoln Public Schools psychologist who won the women’s division, was nowhere to be found after her victory.

The 32-year-old Omaha native and former Creighton basketball player crossed the finish line in 2:59.27, waved and immediately turned around and started running back through the course for almost two miles so she could finish with her mother, Shirley, who was running the half-marathon.

“OK. I’m done running now,” Gortmaker said after crossing the finish line for a second time. “Mom is my inspiration and I know she’s always waiting for me to come back and join her.”

Like Gortmaker, the extra miles were important to Ashley, too.

The runner-up in the Lincoln Half-Marathon the last two years said he needed the extra miles for a challenge.

“I got to the point where I was kind of sick of running and I needed something to shoot for,” said the former Nebraska Wesleyan All-American, who led the pack of 6,029 runners in the marathon, half-marathon and National Guard national championship marathon.

 The wireless sales rep for Alltel was upset with his lack of victories in the half-marathons he had run.

“I run to win and second is losing,” he said. “I decided last December that I’d try the full course (26.2 miles) even though I had never run more than 20 miles at one time in my life,” he said.

Ashley trailed John Rotich of Coon Rapids, Minn., through most of the race. He sped to the lead with about a half-mile left and pulled away to become the second consecutive Lincoln Marathon winner to win in his first try. Last year, Bryce Dickmeyer won in his first marathon.

Ashley, 25, and a native of Alma, finished almost a minute ahead of Rotich.

Troy Harrrison of Hustown, Pa., won the National Guard marathon and finished third overall.

“They got away from me halfway and Rotich had about 30 seconds on me with six miles left and I thought I’d fall apart,” Ashley said. “Friends on bikes supporting me got me fired up to push to the lead. Then, the crowd started yelling and I felt a whole lot better.”

Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.