THESE GUYS (AND GALS) ARE GOOD!

As an old Redneck dude that has run a couple of marathons, it is always (let me get my word book...) astounding to me how marathoners continue to improve.

The guy that won the NY City Marathon today ran it in under two hours and 9 minutes. Listen to me...that is quick! I remember when the idea of anyone finishing under 2:09:00 was considered suicidal. Now it happens regularly.

And the chick that won in the chick division ran it in under 2 hours, 24 minutes. There are some marathons run where even the winning guy doesn't break 2:24:00.

It's astounding! Marathoners are the most impressive athletes in the world (well, maybe right behind Ironman triathletes) to me.

Radcliffe, Dos Santos capture New York Marathon titles

NEW YORK (AFP) — Britain's Paula Radcliffe won her third New York Marathon crown in a blowout here on Sunday while Brazil's Marilson Gomes dos Santos won his second title on a last-mile pass of Morocco's Abderrahim Goumri.

Radcliffe won in an official time of 2hrs, 23mins 56secs with Russian Ludmila Petrova second in 2:25:43 and marathon debutante Kara Goucher third in 2:25:53.

"It was a close finish at the end with the others so it was nice to make it a little easier on my husband this time," Radcliffe said.

Dos Santos, who also won here in 2006, fell off Goumri's pace in the 21st mile but held his form and surged ahead of the Moroccan in Central Park for the victory in 2:08:43 with Goumri second for the second year in a row in 2:09:07.