Justin and Melissa Gillette Claim Victory at the 49th Running of the Atlanta Marathon

Atlanta, October 30, 2011 – Nearly 1200 marathon participants and 300 relay teams toed the line at the 2011 Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay on Sunday, October 30. The event started and finished at Atlantic Station near Midtown Atlanta.  2011 marked the 49th running of the Atlanta Marathon, which was previously held in conjunction with the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving Day, as well as the inaugural running of the Atlanta Marathon Relay.

“From the sell-out of the inaugural Atlanta Marathon Relay, to the near perfect weather conditions and fantastic course support from our volunteers and the 18 Atlanta-based nonprofit organizations that were part of the Atlanta Track Club’s Adopt a Marathon Mile program, we couldn’t have asked for a better event,” said Tracey Russell, Executive Director of the Atlanta Track Club.

In a first for the Atlanta Marathon, the husband and wife duo of Justin Gillette and Melissa Gillette, both 28 of Goshen, Ind., took home first place victories in the overall male and female races at the 2011 Atlanta Marathon with times of 2:33:45 and 3:01:40 respectively.  Justin took the lead early in the race around mile three and was able to maintain his lead throughout, crossing the finish nearly seven and a half minutes ahead of second place finisher, Charles Slick of Atlanta. Melissa drew her motivation to tackle the hilly, Atlanta course from the crowd support along the way which contributed to her nearly six minute lead over second place finisher, Patricia Coppel of Atlanta.

The Atlanta Track Club Men’s Open Team made up of Cory Baumann, Mike Gerber, Andrew Mearns and Piotr Witczak took top honors in the men’s relay division with a time of 2:23:28 at the Atlanta Marathon Relay, while team “birthday CAKE” made up of Anna Collins, Kay Crawford, Clara Easterlin and Elyse Ensor claimed first in the women’s relay division with a time of 3:23:59.

Throughout the Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay participants were treated to aid station and cheer zone support from 18 metro Atlanta based nonprofits that were selected to be part of the Atlanta Track Club’s Adopt a Marathon Mile program.  The various organizations each adopted a mile of the course and provided a minimum of 30 volunteers to support an aid station and cheer zone within their mile.  Organizations that met the minimum requirements during the event will receive a $3,500 – $7,500 donation from the Atlanta Track Club based on each organization’s level of support. 

Complete results for the Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay are posted at atlantamarathon.org. 

2011 Atlanta Marathon Prize Money Recipients (Prize money awarded based on official gun time.)

Overall Male
1 Justin Gillette 28 Goshen, Ind. 2:33:45 $1,000
2 Charles Slick 26 Atlanta, Ga. 2:41:16 $700
3 John Piggott 46 Williamsburg, Va. 2:44:21 $500
4 Andrew Clarke 30 Atlanta, Ga. 2:44:53 $400
5 Ryan Purcell 24 Atlanta, Ga. 2:46:42 $300
6 Juan Soto 25 Gainesville, Ga. 2:49:01 $250
7 Roy Smoot 28 Atlanta, Ga. 2:50:00 $200
8 Christopher Kimbel 27 Atlanta, Ga. 2:56:37 $150

Overall Female
1 Melissa Gillette 28 Goshen, Ind. 3:01:40 $1,000
2 Patricia Coppel 28 Atlanta, Ga. 3:07:36 $700
3 Mary Chind 26 Atlanta, Ga. 3:07:55 $500
4 Izabela Amos 29 Atlanta, Ga. 3:12:00 $400
5 Laurie Knowles 34 Atlanta, Ga. 3:12:02 $300
6 Gina Rouse 31 Knoxville, Tenn. 3:15:20 $250
7 Leah Thomas 34 Atlanta, Ga. 3:15:20 $200
8 Kathryn Kramer 24 Atlanta, Ga. 3:20:31 $150

Masters Male
1 John Piggott 46 Williamsburg, Va. 2:44:21 $500
2 Donald Mack 44 Limerick, Pa. 3:12:47 $400
3 Mike Wien 60 Marietta, Ga. 3:13:55 $300

Masters Female
1 Mary Delp 41 Alpharetta, Ga. 3:24:30 $500
2 Lisa Dillman 44 Decatur, Ga. 3:27:30 $400
3 Sheryl Ehft 57 Bally, Pa. 3:32:32 $300

Grandmaster Male
Mike Wien 60 Marietta, Ga. 3:13:55 $250

Grandmaster Female
Sheryl Ehft 57 Bally, Pa. 3:32:32 $250

Out-of-State Male
Justin Gillette 28 Goshen, Ind. 2:33:45 $300

Out-of-State Female
Melissa Gillette 28 Goshen, Ind. 3:01:40 $300

About the Atlanta Marathon
The Atlanta Marathon, organized by the Atlanta Track Club, is the oldest marathon in the Southeast and among the longest running marathons in the United States.  The event is an urban marathon and marathon relay that takes participants on a tour through the largest city in the Southeast, Atlanta. With a challenging course, festive cheer zones and a 6 1/2 hour course limit, this event is the perfect opportunity for both first-timers and seasoned runners looking to achieve their marathon goals.  For additional information on the Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay, visit atlantamarathon.org.

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