Special to Guthrie News Page
By Darl DeVault
Camille Herron from Warr Acres, Okla., took a dominating lead on the first lap and ran into history by becoming the World Champion at 100 kilometers Saturday. The event was the 28th International Association of Ultrarunners 100km Road World Championships held in Winschoten, Netherlands.
“I have been looking forward to this, to compete at this level—and to win at this level puts everything from my last 15 years of running into a really great place for me and my coach Conor Holt,” Herron, 33, said Monday.
In only her third ultra finish, Herron’s running style and determination carried her to a 10-minute advantage over her nearest woman competitor, Sweden’s 2012 silver medalist Kajsa Berg, at the halfway point. Meanwhile she was beating many of the top men in the same field, including catching up to some of the Team USA men.
She continued to increase her lead during the second 50K, pulling out another two minutes from Berg by the end of the sixth lap of the 10-lap event at 60K. She had difficulties with fueling the last 35K, which included puking multiple times and having to switch to liquids only the last 20K. She maintained her lead and continued to run steady to the finish.
Herron, who is the daughter of former Guthrie superintendent Jack Herron, won her first world championship in seven hours and eight minutes (7:08:35, or 6:53 per mile for 62.12 miles) which is the fourth fastest time ever for a women and a personal record for her of almost 18 minutes. She had become a prerace favorite by scorching the course record April 11th at the Mad City 100K/US National Championship in Madison, Wis., to win her first USA national championship in 7:26:24. That time showed great potential for the faster world championship course, as it was the fastest time in the World since 2007.
Her effort Saturday, added her name as world champion to a list that includes two other Americans who won in the last six Worlds at 100K—Kami Semick in 2009 and Amy Sproston in 2012.
Berg never took back any of Herron’s 12-minute lead to take silver in 7:20:48. She earned a national record for Sweden and set a personal record by almost 20 minutes. Berg’s time also gave her a place in the event’s top 10 time list at eighth while also conferring the European title.
Marija Vrajic of Croatia earned her country its first ever individual medal by taking third in this championships by running a national record of 7:27.11, while also setting a personal record of just over 10 minutes on the fast course.
Herron’s strong performance helped Team USA women pull off an upset win for the team gold, ahead of Sweden and Russian.
Herron’s highlights also include having won 20 marathons, qualified for three US Olympic Marathon Trials and finishing as the top American woman at the 2011 Pan Am Games marathon. Also winning the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon this year for a record third time, Herron holds a personal best marathon time of 2:37:14 from the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials.
Support is a factor that helps deliver the athlete to the starting line ready to focus on the event. Along with having good genes, Herron has married into a solid support system, being coached by former world-class distance runner, Conor Holt. Holt has tried to support her at every event that fits around his being head coach for the national championship-winning Oklahoma City University Men’s and Women’s Cross Country/Track Teams. Herron says the proper guidance from Holt is the single greatest reason why she is one of only a few Oklahoma runners who have made it to the national and international levels. Herron also receives vital support from her main sponsors, Marathonguide.com, Skechers, PowerBar, and local healthcare professionals, Kevin Jones, DC and Seaton Do, MPT.
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