Branden Scheel had never run a marathon before Saturday morning.
The former Fargo Davies and North Dakota State cross country athlete thought that before he tries to do an Iron Man-a 2.4 mile swim and a 112-mile bike ride followed by a marathon-that he should attempt just the marathon part first.
That's why he signed up for the annual Wild Hog Marathon in Grand Forks.
"I thought I might as well get one under my belt and see what it feels like," Scheel said.
It turned out OK.
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Scheel, 21, won the Wild Hog Marathon, posting a time of 2 hours, 43 minutes and 47 seconds on a chilly fall day in Grand Forks.
"Honestly, I had no idea what to expect," Scheel said. "I was on Facebook, asking all of my marathon and Iron Man buddies what to expect. I didn't do a ton of training. I didn't do as much as I should have. I did one longer run and realized how painful it would be. I prayed when I hit the starting line and went for it. There's nothing you can expect from a marathon other than to expect the unexpected."
Scheel said he made his move early in the race to separate from the pack. He had to stop at an aid station near the 18-mile mark to get his feet back under him, but he was able to close out the victory.
"Miles 20-24 were just brutal," he said. "But every time you get a little closer to the finish line, it got a little easier."
Winning the race wasn't totally unexpected for the 2014 Davies graduate, though.
"Looking at the times from past years, I knew there was a chance," Scheel said.
Scheel plans to go to Worlds for the Half Iron Man next year and plans to do his first full Iron Man in 2019.
"I'm going to have to thrown in one more marathon next year now," he said. "Hopefully, I'll learn from this experience and get better."
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Ellsworth wins women's marathon
Emily Ellsworth had never been to Grand Forks before this weekend. She flew in from Culver City, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles, on Friday to visit her boyfriend's family.
On Saturday morning, she woke up and ran the Wild Hog Marathon in 3 hours, 28 minutes and 33 seconds to win the women's competition.
Ellsworth ran the Wild Hog marathon in 3:28:33, winning the women's competition.
"I got the tour of the city now," she said, laughing.
It was the second marathon victory for Ellsworth. She won a marathon in Long Beach, Calif., last year.
"It was a good course," she said. "It was a pretty flat course with some nice scenery along the way."
The chilly fall day was atypical for Ellsworth, but it didn't bother her.
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"It's about 25 degrees colder than it is in Los Angeles right now," she said. "But it's perfect for running."
Sights and sounds
Bill Crosby, a pastor from Cavalier, N.D., ran the half marathon in a full North Dakota State football uniform, a move inspired by 3-year-old friend Levi Gagner, who battles a rare form of congenital muscular dystrophy.
B.J. Arellano, meanwhile, decided to run the half marathon while chugging a beer every two miles. Arellano kept the beers-Iconic Blondes from Rhombus Guys-in a vest as he ran.
"I really didn't do much training for this race, except for the shower beer I drank yesterday," he said.
