Jake GilletteJake Gillette’s first marathon in Georgia became his 39th victory at the 26.2-mile distance. Only 31 years old, he’s won half of the 78 he’s entered, all the wins having come in the last nine years.
The Goshen, Ind., elementary school physical education teacher won the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon on Saturday in 2 hours, 43 minutes, 38 seconds. He pulled away in the last five miles from Ooltewah’s Ken Curran, who was second in 2:44:39, beating his best previous time by almost three minutes on a sunny, nicely chilly morning.
“Unbelievable, man!” Curran praised Gillette at the finish line.
Turning to reporters, the runner-up said, “I was basically pacing him. When he went by me, it was awesome.”
Said Gillette: “The first 20 miles I was in his back pocket all the way. It was me and him, and I knew I had to stay with him.”