Gillette looking to win 3 Big Island Marathons in 2011

Melissa Gillette

Husband/wife duo of Justin and Melissa Gillette at Saturday’s Maryville Marathon/Chamber Country Classic.

Justin Gillette won the male division of the marathon with a time of 2:37:50, while his wife finished in 3:16:34 to win the female division. They each won $600 for winning their gender division.

This is not the first time the couple from Berne, Ind., have teamed up to win the male and female divisions. They compete in several marathons each year, often finishing at or near the top of the pack. In just two weeks, they’ll be running in a marathon in Hawaii.

Saturday’s weather didn’t make it easy for the Gillette’s or any of the other competitors in the field. Just after the marathon and half marathon runners began their race at 6:30 a.m., a storm rolled through Maryville that brought heavy rain for about 20 minutes, with light rain continuing off and on for another 20 minutes after the storm had moved on.

“It was actually kind of fun,” Melissa Gillette said of the weather. “And I prefer that over (hot weather). I was afraid it was going to be clear skies and 85. That would’ve been harder I think.”

Two weeks later the Gillette’s were in Kona to run in the UCC Kunitake Farms Kona Marathon with the same results.

Justin Gillette

Justin Gillette, who competed in his 61st marathon on Sunday in Kona, claimed his 19th victory.  But none of the big names showed up to contest his victory.

Big Island International Marathon winner and Volcano resident, Billy Barnett, was a no show in Kona.  Barnett had won the Hilo race in 2:50 but decided not to run in Hilo for personal reasons.

Also, two times defending champion, Aaron Pierson of Oakland, California did not come to Kona to compete leaving Gillette as the lone sub three hour runner in the field of more than 200 harriers.

One of Justin Gillette’s goals for 2011 is to win three Hawaii Island Marathon’s, “I’d like to try to win the Hilo, Kona and Volcano Marathons all in the same year,” Gillette told the Big Dog.

Still in doubt is whether or not there will be a Volcano Marathon for 2011.  Gillette has won the Kona Marathon three times, but has never ran the scenic Hilo Marathon. 

KONA Marathon TOP 10 Results

 Plc Name                       Time

   1 Justin Gillette #2        2:34:53

   2 Mark Schlicting #6        3:02:41

   3 Melissa Gillette #3       3:07:51

   4 Belinda Granger #316      3:10:58

   5 Darin Anderson #162       3:18:42

   6 Bryan Baroffio #51        3:21:13

   7 Fukushima Shinichi #262   3:24:26

   8 Akio Komatsu #195         3:25:47

   9 David Steehler #233       3:28:41

  10 Mel Vigilla #141          3:29:39

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