Former Hammonton runner Shawn McBride, who now lives in Collingswood, placed 33rd out of more than 50,000 runners Sunday morning at the New York Marathon.
McBride, 33, ran 2:27.24 and was the 15th American finisher and top New Jersey runner.
McBride graduated from Hammonton in 2007. He shows no performances of note on his MileSplit page. He ran 18:57 and placed 71st at the 2007 South Jersey Group 3 sectionals at Delsea. But he has clearly improved dramatically in the last 16 years.
He averaged 6:07 per-mile for 5,000 meters in his best known race in high school and averaged 5:38 per-mile over 26 miles, 385 yards this weekend.
McBride placed 30th among 28,436 runners in the 30-34 age group.
He was out in 16:58 for the first 5,000, then ran 16:57 for his next 5,000, 16:46 from 10,000 to 15,000, then averaged 17:03 for his next two 5,000s, reaching 25K in 1:24.44. His sixth 5,000 took 17:07 and then he was at 18:08 for 1:59.59 through 35,000 meters and 19:19 for his final full 5K. He covered the final 1.3K in 8:17.
According to his World Athletics page, McBride set a marathon lifetime best of 2:25.09 in Berlin on Sept. 24, so this was his second marathon in about six weeks.
Erik Reitinger of Mt. Laurel, 39, placed 111th with a time of 2:36.17 and was 59th among U.S. finishers. His fastest marathon appears to be a 2:30.37 in Sacramento in December, 2021. Reitinger graduated from Shawnee in 2002. He placed 9th in the South Jersey Group 4 cross country championships at Williamstown in 2001.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 