POCATELLO — Everyone had one thing in common who participated in the 12th annual Idaho State Journal Pocatello Marathon at lower Ross park on Saturday — the athletes will be sore for a couple of days and might even need some time to recoup.

    Justin Park, 31, of Sandy, Utah, who ran the full marathon, had the fastest time breaking the previous record that was set. His time was 2:31:28, according to the timing device he wore on his wrist.

    He works for an accounting firm and his wife and young daughter were there to cheer him on.

    “It’s a fantastic race and course,” Park said. “I didn’t expect to win.”

    Penny Parrish, 29, of Pocatello, also ran the marathon. She has been the top female finisher for two years in a row now.

    The mother of four is a Cross Country coach at Highland High School in Pocatello. She had to miss their meet to participate in the marathon.

    “I know that the kids will be excited (for me),” Parrish said. “I’m going to text the coach so he can let them know ... then they will run faster.”

    People traveled to Pocatello from as far away as New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco and Japan to run a variety of races on Saturday.

    In all, 608 people ran the full marathon, 419 completed the half marathon, 171 signed up for the 10K and 205 participated in the 5K race.

    A girl as young as 7-years-old also crossed the finish line completing the entire length of the “full marathon,” which is 26 miles.

   The runners kept their pace in between grabbing a drink of water at any one of the eight stations that were set up along the 26 mile course.

   In honor of the big day, at least two of the competitors dyed their hair blue and one woman carried with her a bright hot pink inflatable plastic flamingo.

   Besides being adorned with a “Running the Gap” medal, varying prizes were awarded to each participant.

    Greg Romriell of Pocatello competed in the 5K after having reconstructive surgery on his ankle a year ago.

    “I was not sure if I could finish the race, but my grandson kept me going,” Romriell said. “Right now, I feel really good. It’s surprising how good I feel.”

    The dentist, who finished the course in roughly 55 minutes, has already set a goal to run the half marathon next year.

    “It was so motivating to hear patients of mine, whom I didn’t even know would be at the race, yelling out my name and cheering me on,” Romriell said. “The entire experience was inspirational.”

    Romriell, with Smile Makers of Pocatello, has been making financial contributions to the event for last several years.

    “It’s exciting to see how big of an event this has become,” Romriell said. “It just keeps growing each year, and I think it’s great that we always have plenty of people who want to volunteer their time to help make this possible.”

    Five of his children and 16 of his grandchildren were race participants.

    A desire to be active in the outdoors is a value that has been instilled in 12-year-old Amanda Mullins who participated in the 5K race.

    “I think it’s important to exercise,” Mullins said. “My dad is a runner and a bike rider. He is really active.”

    The Franklin Middle School student is not as worried about her competition as she is about taking in the scenery and simply enjoying being in the moment.

    “This year I mainly walked and talked,” Mullins said. “I hadn’t seen my friend that much this summer. We had fun.”

    She describes what went on in her mind when she crossed the finish line.

    “It’s such a relief,” Mullins said. “Five miles is a lot, and everything quickly starts to catch up with you. All of a sudden, you feel tired.”

    Mullins is involved with a local fencing club and plans on joining her school’s track team in the springtime.

    It wasn’t until ten years ago that Cherie Eason, 50, from Georgia, laced up her first pair of running shoes.

    She recently became a member of the “50 States Marathon Club.” This is the eleventh state that she has touched down in to test her physical endurance.

    “I didn’t have a good day today,” Eason stated. “But the race course was beautiful. This is my first time in Idaho, and it was definitely worth the trip.”

    Eason held on for 26 miles, crossing the finish line with a time of 4:47:48.

   “I would rate this as my second favorite marathon yet because of the scenery,” Eason said. “I’m partly a member of the club so that I can experience what it’s like in other parts of the United States.”

    The next state that the group plans on traveling to is North Dakota.

    “I didn’t start running until I was 40-years-old. Anyone can do this if they put their mind to it,” Eason said. “When I cross the finish line, it always brings tears to my eyes. I feel such an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. It’s empowering.”

    For more of this story, see Sunday’s Idaho State Jorunal.