Mike Brunette has a new favorite race to post about on his blog and it is a lesson of perseverance which his children will have a chance to read once they are old enough.
The 35-year-old, from Libertyville, Ill., overcame the Big Island’s legendary Ghost to win the 18th annual Big Island International Marathon in 2 hours, 53 minutes, 56 seconds on Sunday at Hilo Bayfront, where it was a rare blue moon occasion with no rain.
Brunette has run in 36 marathons, including 23 states. His goal is to cover all 50 states. And, obviously, finishing first in 26.2 miles would be nice, too.
He finally did that against local Billy Barnett, who clocked in at 2:55:04. The Ghost picked up his nickname in 2010 when he won the BIIM in 2:50:20 at the old course, which started at Pepeekeo, and vanished after he crossed the finish line.
There to cheer on Brunette was his wife, Melissa. The couple’s son Mars, 2, and daughter Mila, 1, were back home with the grandparents. Melissa, a lawyer, is four months pregnant and expecting a boy and he’ll be tagged with a letter M name, too.
“This one is my favorite race,” Brunette said. “I’ve said the first one that I win would be my favorite race. It was one of the most beautiful courses, and I wanted to get away from the cold of Chicago. I want to go back and run along the (Hamakua) coastline.”
His personal record is 2:47 at a race back home last year, but he was seventh. Brunette finished second at New Hampshire six months ago.
After 24 miles, Brunette was so far behind that he and Melissa, who tracked him at miles 6, 9, 14, 19 and 22, thought the Ghost, a Keaau High school teacher, would disappear under the gray clouds like a gentle breeze.
But a funny thing happened.
“I wanted to go out and have fun,” Barnett said.
The Ghost recently ran a 100-mile trail run, hasn’t trained much, and crashed at the 24-mile marker. It’s the third BIIM for Barnett, 30, who has competed in 25 ultras — 31 to 100 miles.
“I honestly didn’t think I had it. At the 25 mile marker, I saw him slowing down and I had to take it,” said Brunette, who has several tattoos, including one with a bear. “I like bears and I liken my wife to being a mother bear. At the 24 mile mark, I gave everything I could to catch up to him.
“I had a horrible start. I started off with two guys in the lead, and I went out too fast in the first half.”
Brunette, who is a stay-at-home dad, has a supportive wife in Melissa, who was emotional. She was overwhelmed by her husband’s accomplishment, and shed a waterfall of tears.
“I didn’t think he had a chance because he was far behind,” she said. “He’s been running a lot of races. I’m really proud.”
The couple plan to help the Hawaii tourism industry. They’re staying for 10 days and will visit Kauai. Then when they get home, Brunette has a good tale for his little cubs.
