For Ashland’s Karl Pryor, who wasn’t able to finish 2004’s Portland Marathon, this year’s race offers a chance at redemption

Karl Pryor knew he was in trouble during the first 10 miles of last year’s Portland Marathon.

The Ashland Middle School English teacher, who was running his first marathon in eight years, paid the price for going out too hard and then began to feel pain in his right knee.

What had been a powerful stride at the beginning of the race became a slow jog. And then the jog degenerated into a walk. Sheer willpower enabled Pryor to reach the 19th mile of the 26.2-mile race. But then he was toast.

"I was just kind of peg-legging along — I was a sad sight," Pryor says. "It was very disappointing."

A week from Sunday, Pryor will head north and seek revenge on the formidable event. This time, he’ll be joined by seven other Rogue Valley runners, including mentor Mark Wolfe.

Advertisement

"For me, it’s about excising the demons of last year," Pryor says. "I want to go back to Portland and do it right."

Pryor, 41, also wants to qualify for the Boston Marathon next April. To reach that goal, he’ll have to run the Portland Marathon in three hours, 21 minutes or faster. That’s a per-mile pace of 7:38.

Pryor has only four marathons under his belt, but thanks to Wolfe he’ll head to Portland in probably the best shape of his life. Wolfe has put the runners on a vigorous program that has seen them train since mid-summer. During one four-week stretch, most of them ran 60 or more miles per week.

Wolfe also put the group through a dress rehearsal of sorts. On Labor Day, the runners completed a six-mile stretch of the Bear Creek Greenway four times for a total of 24 miles. An aid station was set up, and energy drinks were handed out in an attempt to simulate a marathon.

"We all went at the pace we’ll be shooting for in Portland," Pryor says. "I was three minutes under my goal — the pace that would qualify me for Boston.

"That leaves me cautiously optimistic."

The Portland Marathon, the nation’s 13th largest with 8,500 participants, runs along both sides of the Willamette River and is conducive to fast times. Thirty percent of its runners reach personal records.

"It’s remarkably flat with few turns," Pryor says. "There’s a lot of people cheering you on and there must be at least 20 live bands along the way. It’s a wonderful setting."

Pryor admits that last year’s failure will occupy a small part of his mind when he takes the starting line. The worst part about it, he says, was having to face the kids in his classroom.

"I’d been talking to them about it beforehand and I had to tell them I didn’t make it," he says.

But Pryor is more confident this time around. For one thing, he’s completed two marathons since that ill-fated day in Portland. He ran the California International Marathon in Sacramento, Calif., last December in 3:39 and completed the Newport Marathon in a very respectable time of 3:24 in June.

He also has changed his routine in the two or three days leading up to a marathon, making sure he drinks a lot of water and eats a fair amount of carbohydrates. And during the actual runs he’s ingesting more electrolyte drinks and snacks along the way to sustain his energy.

"It’s all about developing a routine that gets you prepared," he says.

Joining Pryor and Wolfe in Portland will be Medford’s Brian Pahl, Darin Prulhiere and Chris George, Ashland’s JoNel Aleccia and Portland’s Erick Haynie and Doug Pahl.

Wolfe has mentored Haynie and Doug Pahl from afar.

Former South Medford High standout Josh Wallace, who is also training with and under Wolfe, will run the St. George Marathon in Utah Saturday.

Wolfe, 42, got the idea to train the local runners after completing the Boston Marathon last April. He sent an e-mail to friends and acquaintances and encouraged them to forward it to others.

Wolfe spends about 15 hours per week planning workouts and working with the other runners. He’s done it on a volunteer basis.

"They’re personally designed training plans that are constantly updated and revised," he says. "Someone may hurt their knee and need to back off. Someone else may be feeling great and want to increase their mileage.

"But these people have been an inspiration to my own training," adds Wolfe, who hopes to blaze the Portland Marathon in 3:05 or faster.

Wolfe is proud of all his protégés, but none more so than Brian Pahl, who in Portland will be running his first marathon. Wolfe says the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Pahl has awkward form but has completed every workout.

"He’s been incredibly thorough in his workouts," Wolfe says. "He’s run all the miles. He’s never run in a race longer than (10 miles), but I predict he’ll run (the marathon) under four hours."

Pahl says prior to working under Wolfe his training wasn’t structured.

"I didn’t even own a watch," Pahl says. "I would just go out three times a week and run maybe four or five miles, but I really had no idea how fast or how far I was going."

Pahl completed the 10-mile Pear Blossom Run last April — his first competitive event since he ran cross country more than a quarter-century ago. He’s excited about tackling his first marathon but, unlike some runners, he’s not fanatical about it.

"We’ll see what happens," he says. "It might hook me or it might make me swear off running forever."

Another success story is Prulhiere, who last summer took up running for the first time since he was in medical school nearly a decade ago.

"He went out for his first run in June and barely managed three miles," Wolfe says. "Now he’s up to 20-milers. He had some knee problems but he tested it last weekend and he’s definitely a go (for the marathon)."

Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail dhunt@mailtribune.com.

Around 9,000 people are expected to compete

The race, which includes walking events, begins at 7 a.m. downtown, at the corner of Main and Fourth streets, and winds through the riverfront, Old Town and several residential neighborhoods before returning downtown.

About 8,500 athletes have signed up so far, including 2,000 who plan to walk the course. A marathon spokeswoman said about 45 percent of entrants come from out of state. Around 10 percent of entrants usually fail to complete the race, either stopping along the course or not racing at all.

More information is available at www.portlandmarathon.org.