Bellefontaine resident Andrew Lattimer recently completed his first-ever marathon, finishing the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. with an impressive official chip time of 3 hours, 41 minutes, and 15 seconds.
That placed him in the top 11 percent of all runners at the competition.
Lattimer, who works at Honda and holds a master’s degree in Business from Heidelberg University, played four years of college baseball before taking on this new endurance challenge.
Running the Marine Corps Marathon held special meaning for him — his family represents three generations of U.S. Marines, including his father, Todd Lattimer, grandfather, Larry Lattimer, and cousins Josh, Niki, and Jordan Kauffman, all from Logan County.
The marathon idea started as a lighthearted joke between Lattimer and two friends on the fitness app Strava.
“I commented that we should just sign up for a marathon. That joke turned into us actually looking for one to do, and we settled on the Marine Corps Marathon. It was a cool way to honor my family’s Marine legacy.”
– Andrew Lattimer
Lattimer began a 21-week training program in early June that totaled 560 miles, though his plan was derailed at times by illness, injuries, and travel.
Originally training for a sub-3:30 marathon, he adjusted his goal to simply finish under four hours, a mark he comfortably beat.
The race weekend was packed with sightseeing around D.C., including Arlington Cemetery and Georgetown, before the early start on race morning.
Temperatures were a cool 40 degrees, and Lattimer’s race strategy focused on pacing and steady fueling with energy gels, electrolytes, and salt tabs.
The toughest miles came late in the race, between miles 19 and 21, when fatigue and pain set in on a stretch of highway.
“Everything from mile 20 to 26 was purely mental willpower, but finishing and seeing my mom at the end made it all worth it.”
– Andrew Lattimer
Lattimer credited support from friends and family who texted him throughout the race, including his girlfriend, Tatum, and a friend serving as a Navy nurse in California, for giving him extra motivation when things got tough.
Now, he’s already thinking about what’s next. “I immediately said I need another one,” he said with a laugh.
His next goal: running another marathon with his friends and breaking the 3:30 mark, and maybe even tackling a trail ultramarathon in the future.
