Christian Thompson said he decided to enter the Chattanooga Marathon because he was tired of running alone as he trains for the upcoming Boston Marathon.
Thompson, 28, got the pre-Boston workout he was looking for Sunday, but he sure didn’t find many companions on the race course.
The newly minted Chattanooga resident won the second Chattanooga Marathon more than 15 minutes ahead of his closest challenger, with a time of 2 hours, 29 minutes, 31 seconds on the 26.2-mile course.
“Well, it’s still different when you’re running in a race,” he said. “There’s people cheering you on, versus just getting up early and running by yourself. It makes it a lot easier.”
Thompson moved to the city in June because his wife is completing an optometry residency here. He represented Fleet Feet Chattanooga – the North Shore running equipment store where he is working – during Sunday’s competition, which included a half-marathon.