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Jimmie Johnson completes Boston Marathon

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NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson says that he feels "horrible" after running the Boston Marathon but lauds the experience after suffering through the challenge.

Jimmie Johnson completed the Boston Marathon on Monday, finishing the 26.2-mile route in 3 hours, 9 minutes and 7 seconds. His average pace was 7:13 per mile.

Johnson placed 4,155th overall. He was 3,746th among men and 641st in his division.

Johnson, who ran with bib number 4848, had stated his goal was to complete the marathon in less than three hours. His wave of runners left the starting line at 10:25 a.m. ET.

“I left the pace I wanted to try to hold and came up a little bit short of my goal,” Johnson told reporters after the race. “I wanted to race it and really run hard and challenge myself. I need some food. I’m afraid to sit down. I might not get back up. Everything is starting to tighten back up right now.”

Johnson said it was “amazing” how many people recognized him and his bib and cheered him on, “from banners and T-shirts. My sponsor Ally was at the firehouse (at mile marker 17) and took it over and decorated and I got a huge applause coming through there.”

Johnson also noted the “camaraderie” among fellow runners and the “energy” and “excitement” from fans with “kids passing out popsicles and waters. It was really amazing.”

For the first time, the marathon took place on the anniversary of the bombings that marked the event six years ago (April 15, 2013). The tragedy left a mark on Hendrick Motorsports.

“We had somebody close to Hendrick Motorsports ... was lost in the bombing,” Johnson said. “Sean Collier was a security guard at MIT and was lost trying to apprehend the bombers. His brother (Andrew) worked in our engine shop and I’ve been able to meet with his family and spend time with them and take them to the races. I’ve been trying to bring up his name and honor him.”

Will Johnson return to the marathon in 2020?

“I’ve got to look at the car racing schedule,” Johnson said. “Somebody told me that it doesn’t work out as well. I’d like to have Sunday to recover some. So I need to look at it, but I’ve heard that with my time I’m qualified to come back. So, if I can, I will.”

The 2020 Boston Marathon is scheduled for Monday, April 20. The Cup Series is scheduled to compete at Richmond Raceway the day before.

Kenyan Lawrence Cherono won the marathon in a photo finish over Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa. Cherono won with a time of 2 hours, 7 minutes and 57 seconds.

For a time comparison, this year’s Daytona 500 was completed in 3 hours, 45 minutes and 55 seconds.

The 500-mile Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway took 3 hours, 16 minutes and 11 seconds.
In Johnson’s last Cup win at Dover International Speedway in June 2017, the time of the race was 3 hours, 52 minutes and 6 seconds.

Johnson took part in the marathon two days after competing in the 400 lap Cup race at Richmond Raceway.

Former Cup driver Michael Waltrip competed in the Boston Marathon in 2000 the day after a race at Talladega Superspeedway. He completed the route in 4 hours, 42 minutes and 20 seconds.

Below are tweets documenting Johnson’s marathon experience.