This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Natalie Como squeezes in a run whenever she can during the few precious hours she gets while working as a pediatrics resident at the University of Utah.
As she crossed the finish line as the women's 2016 Salt Lake City Marathon champion Saturday, the 80-mile and 80-hour work weeks paid off in the form of her first 26.2-mile title ever at 3 hours and 20 seconds.
"I've never won a marathon before. For the last couple of years, I've been trying to just go by time and do a lot of fast races," Como said. "This is my first full event, so that's really cool."
Meanwhile, it was a different course, and three years removed from his first title, but Bryant Jensen of Kaysville found more success in the 2016 marathon.
Jensen took the men's title for the second time after winning in 2013 — finishing two minutes short of his first championship result with a 2:32:40 time Saturday.
"It was great to come back," Jensen said. "I've got a few other marathons I'm running this season, and this is a good one to see where I'm at and get a feel for what my body can handle right now."
The 2016 event featured marathon, half-marathon, 10K skate, 5K, a 25-mile bike tour and a kids' 1K race distances. The marathon route started at an elevation of 4,835 feet on the University of Utah campus, stretching down to Holladay and back through downtown to finish at Library Square.
Jensen said the course has improved since 2013, hitting more of the scenic city landmarks along the route.
"It's a fun course to be in Salt Lake City to run. They cover some great areas of the city, and it's a very scenic race," Jensen said. "I felt like it was the perfect day for it."
Brett Hales of Layton finished at the top of the half-marathon with a 1:07:08 time, a blistering pace of 5:08 per mile.
"It's a tough course. It's not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. ... If you take it easy on a downhill, it's going to kill you on the uphill," Hales said. "Just gotta stay consistent."
Como's recovery plan after going the 26.2-mile distance? To spend another 12 hours on her feet Sunday at the University hospital.
"No matter how busy you are, if there's something you're really, really passionate about and really love, you'll make time for it," she said.
Twitter: @BrennanJSmith —
Top 5 men
1. Bryant Jensen, Kaysville, 2:32:40
2. Daniel Bishop, Salt Lake City, 2:37:29
3. Jason Howe, Salt Lake City, 2:42:12
4. Barry Wilcox, West Jordan, 2:47:05
5. Dan Erhardt, Salt Lake City, 2:50:09
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Top 5 women
1. Natalie Como, Salt Lake City, 3:00:20
2. Lara Rheinemann, Salt Lake City, 3:07:55
3. Angela Ellsworth, Provo, 3:08:52
4. Kendra Harris, Billings, Mont., 3:20:33
5. Kayla Bronder, Tooele, 3:23:23