Ortonville residents Christine Ladd and Colleen Cordner, along with three other runners, proved that ‘last is not least? when it comes to running a marathon.
Ladd, 43, and Cordner, 44, teamed up with Cordner’s sister, Maureen Lobdell, 43 of Charlotte, North Carolina, her mother, Ilene Lanfear, 66, and friend Lori Hamilton of Flat Rock to form the ‘Last But Not Least? team, which successfully completed the Detroit Free Press Marathon Sunday, Oct. 29 for the third straight year.
Cordner, a nurse at Detroit Receiving Hospital, said the marathon gives the group something to shoot for while doing their exercise routine.
‘We get to do it as a family,? she said. ‘I’ve known Chris for 10 years ? she’s just like family. She and I train together all the time.?
In fact, Cordner said Ladd, who used to work at the Henry Ford Center for Athletic Medicine before becoming a stay-at-home mom, helped her through a recent injury. Cordner tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on her left knee, and she said Ladd was instrumental in helping her get back to health and ready to compete in the race.
Ladd, who ran while a student at Clarkston High School, said this is the only marathon they take part in each year, but they run in several smaller races each year. She quipped that she runs ‘because I like to eat.?
In all seriousness, she said she and her running partners have a rule when it comes to training: ‘You can’t have more than a day off. You have to rain every other day.?
Ladd said whenever she runs, she does so for between four to six-and-one-half miles. ‘Typically, I train on the back roads in Ortonville, because they’re so hilly, or I train on the Brandon High School track,? she said.
She is glad she moved from Clarkston to Ortonville, because of the hilly roads on which to train as well as the quality of life. ‘There are pretty views out here,? she said.
Ladd and husband Brian live in Ortonville have four children: Nicole, 12, Nolan, 10, Brendan, 8, and Ian, 5.
The official site of the marathon, freepressmarathon.com, gives an overview of the race Ladd and her teammates ran.
Runners started on Washington Blvd., and headed west through Mexican Village to the Ambassador Bridge approach. They then ran across the bridge into Windsor, Ontario, and looped north towards the riverfront bike and running path that includes art sculpture and waterfall terraces.
Next, runners headed towards the entrance to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
Back in the U.S., runners proceeded west, then looped back through Corktown and the theatre district, past the halfway point near Ford Field. The course then headed south past the newly opened Hard Rock Caf? and Compuware building.
The runners then ran through a half loop of Belle Isle before proceeding for the final stretch. Leaving Belle Isle, runners headed to Indian Village. Once through the village, the runners headed west towards Ford Field, passing by Martin Luther King, Jr. High School. The course wound through Greektown before runners entered the quarter-mile tunnel to the finish on Ford Field.
Cordner said Hamilton ran the first leg of the marathon, about 6.8 miles, going up the Ambassador Bridge and running straight through. Lobdell took the next leg and ran about 5.4 miles, running through the Windsor-Detroit tunnel.
Afterward, Lanfear ran the third leg, which lasted about 3.1 miles, then gave way to Cordner, who ran about 5.1 miles through Belle Isle. Ladd then ran the anchor leg (about 5.8 miles), which ran up Lafayette, from Indian Village through Ford Field.
The other four runners in the group meet Ladd at Ford Field for the finish. Ladd said she and the rest of the team battled chilly temperatures to complete the event.
‘I could feel the wind blow through my shoes,? she said.
Reflecting on the marathon, Cordner said she would like her children to participate in the race in some capacity next year. She has two sons, Keith Jr., 14, and Caleb, 12, with husband Keith, who will be turning 40 in about three weeks.
Although Cordner has not competed in any recent marathons, she has participated in such events as the Oak Apple Run in Royal Oak, as well as a couple of races in Lapeer. She said she first became interested in running after she had her two sons.
‘This is mostly a ‘post-mom? thing,? she said. ‘We’re not trying to go fast, we’re trying to stay active.?