Early risers, including Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, laced up their running shoes and hit the pavement of St. Louis Sunday morning for the Go! St. Louis Marathon. See the story in these photos by Lyle Whitworth.
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Lyle Whitworth
Go! St. Louis Marathon runners and spectators scramble to the starting line prior to the race.
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Denny McDonough, Sarah Rebholz, and Andrew Rebholz, stretch and make final preparations before hitting the downtown St. Louis streets.
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Missouri Governor, Matt Blunt, walks to the starting line before Sunday’s Go! St. Louis Marathon. Blunt competed in the marathon relay for the second consecutive year with John Russell, Rick Chrismer, and Mary Craven.
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Charles Glenn sings the National Anthem to kick off the Go! St. Louis Marathon. Glenn also occasionally performs the National Anthem at St. Louis Blues, Rams, and Cardinals games.
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Nearly 15,000 runners participated in the 2008 Go! St. Louis Marathon. Shown are the runners sprinting off the starting line.
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Friends and family of Eric Senseman show their support by making signs specifically for this event.
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Runners from over 40 states participated in this year's marathon.
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Even though the sign says, “don’t look back” in support of runner Sahrene Buckwalter, she can’t help but stop to kiss her daughter Abigail, 2. Also shown is Sahrene’s friend, Sharon Gabriel, and Sahrene’s husband, Alan Buckwalter. She crossed the finish line at 2:01.
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Jim Bartelsmeyer pumps his fist in response to the fans outpouring of support.
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High fives all around for this half marathon runner, Jason Pietrucha, of Urbana Ill., prior to crossing the finish line.
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Karl Gilpin wins the 2008 Go! St. Louis Marathon for the second consecutive year.
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Kellee Marshall grabs her daughter, Kalee, with .1 mile left to cross the finish line together.
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Cindy Halbrook, Bekah Emmons and Becky McCluer cheer as they cross the finish line.
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Thousands of medals sit on tables ready to be given to participants for completing the race.
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Deborah Siewing throws her hands up with joy for finishing the half marathon.
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Go! St. Louis Marathon volunteer, Jamie Gaddy, applies mylar blankets to runners after crossing the finish line. These foil blankets traps body heat to keep the body warm and prevent muscle stiffness.
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Dirk Frisbee finished the 26.2-mile marathon in 3:05, placed seventh in his division.
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More than 1,500 volunteers helped out throughout the marathon course, including handing out water and Gatorade to runners after completing the race.
