Running in memory of her father at the New York City Marathon, Colorado graduate Kara Goucher on Sunday became the first American woman to earn a podium finish there in 14 years.
Goucher, who briefly led at the midway point, finished third in 2 hours, 25 minutes, 53 seconds, eclipsing Deena Kastor for the fastest marathon debut by an American woman.
Goucher was born in New York City. But her father, Mirko Grgas, was killed by a drunk driver in 1982 when she was not quite 4.
“I didn’t want my dad and the heaviness of what happened to him here to affect my race,” said Goucher, 30, from Portland, Ore., who was inducted into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame last month.
“But he did enter my mind a couple of times . . . just to be strong and I wasn’t alone.”
Goucher cried as she shook hands with well-wishers at the finish line in Central Park after a thrilling run in windy, cool conditions. The Associated Press
