Andrews, Dehininet, Shortsleeve, Bathalon winners at marathon

Two newcomers became first-time winners of the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon this year.

Tyler Andrews, of Concord, Mass., won the elite men's race of the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon in 2:20 unofficially, Sunday. The female winner, unofficially, is Jara Dehininet in 2:43:14.

Four-time Vermont City Marathon winner Matt Pelletier finished fourth. The first Vermont runner to cross the finish line was Josh Ferenc of Saxton's River.

After Andrews crossed line in first he collapsed and was carried by medical staff into nearby tent. Andrews finished the Boston Marathon in 2:21:30 last month. Andrews is also the world-record holder for the half-marathon treadmill (1:07:18).

"In the New England running community, it's one of those marathons that people talk about. It has always been on my radar," Tyler Andrews said later.

Dehininet, who is Ethiopian, said through a translator she was happy after the race. "It was nice," she said.

Jeremy Shortsleeve was the first handcyclist to cross the finish line, officially breaking his own course record in 1:28:09. He beat his own record by 36 seconds. Charlotte Bathalon was the first female handcyclist, finishing in 2:15:40.

The marathon course records are held by runners Michael Khobotov (2:17:03 in 2001) and Heidi Westover (2:35:02 in 2009).

The race started this morning under both sun and fog. Fog hid the lake from view before start time, while just up the hill Burlington's Church Street was basking in sunshine.

The National Weather Service in South Burlington said the forecast was mostly sunny, with a high near 73.

Fletcher Allen Health Care spokesman Mike Noble said the hospital does not keep track of exactly how many people are transported in from the marathon, but he said the emergency department has seen a "noticeable number of people" be brought in from the event.

Most of these people have heat-related medical needs, he said.

At around 1 p.m. the marathon announcer said the temperature was holding at around 72 degrees Sunday afternoon.

The starting line at the 26th annual KeyBank Vermont City Marathon was expected to have a record number of handcycle division competitors with 22 athletes.

Among the runners this year are Joan Benoit Samuelson, who won gold at the inaugural women's marathon at the 1984 Olympics. She will be running in a four-person relay with Vermont high school standout runners: South Burlington's Katherine Cook, Essex's Emma Farrington and Champlain Valley's Autumn Eastman.

Also in the race:

• Shane Beam, of South Burlington, who lost 180 pounds before today's race. He said his goal time is 3:59:59.
• Andrew Ely, a Burlington High School student who severed his toes in a lawnmower accident last summer returns to running in the the relay this year
• Kevin Pearce, former professional snowboarder who suffered a traumatic brain injury while training for the 2010 winter Olympics, is running a leg of the relay

Not in the race are last year's winners: Heidi Westover, who holds six Vermont City Marathon titles in the women's division. She pulled out after suffering a leg injury this month.

Last year's male winner, Chris Zablocki, is not among the registered marathoners for today's 26.2-mile race.

Spectators are lining the race course, including some eating breakfast at Leunig's Bistro. Executive chef/co-owner Donnell Collins was among the spectators as watched the race with her dog, Belle.

'I'm working on a new menu today,' Collins said, explaining why she isn't cooking eggs for the diners who paid $50 to sit at one of the race-side tables on Church Street.

Racing today is a team of Leunig's servers in the relay and a bar manager running the full marathon.

For the Canepa family of Barrington, N.H., today's marathon is "a stepping stone," said Roxanne Canepa.

Her husband Kevin Canepa crossed the Boston finish line last year, hand in hand with their twin daughters, Claire and Ellie, 14 minutes before the bomb explosion, she said.

Today, holding a sign that says "We Love You Daddy" the girls celebrated their ninth birthday with steak and eggs at Leunig's Bistro.

"We get front row seats and we get to high five runners," Ellie said

Battery Street was also crowded with spectators urging runners up the hill.

Lueth Lueth, 21, a soccer player and runner, says he feels like he has no legs when he gets to the top of the Battery Street hill.

He listens to music and tries "to spend less time thinking about how fast and how far he's going," Lueth said.

This year, for the first time in four races, Lueth will run the last split of the relay, instead of the third leg with the hill.

"I just want to do something different," he said. "I'm excited."

He's looking forward to crossing the finish line -- and a level, even downhill, run.

Marie Ayers of Wells has been perched in a chair at Battery Park, at the top of the hill, since 6:30 a.m.

She arrived early because her son Robert Ayers of Colchester is a pace-runner in today's marathon, leading the pack of 4:15 runners.

The race is nothing more than an after work jog for Robert Ayers, an ultra-runner who competes in 100-mile races.

Robert Ayers was going to run home to Colchester after running the marathon, his mother said.

"The endurance," Marie Ayers said. "How they do it, I don't know."

In 2011, Cpl. Tom Chenette of the Burlington Police Department ran the marathon. This year he's working security around Church Street.

'It's a busy but fun day,' Chenette said. "We're making sure that everybody has a safe time, but a good time."

Bomb-sniffing dogs, part of the security team, are courtesy of Homeland Security, Chenette said. "It's the new norm,' he said.