Tens of thousands of people laced up their running shoes and hit the pavement for P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona on Sunday morning.
Race coordinators say they've never seen a marathon run like this in Arizona before. They say there were three lead changes and, in the end, a virtual unknown from Berkeley won.
"Oh it was amazing. I was not expecting to win, I just got lucky and had a great race," said Ryan Neely.
23-year old Neely was the first marathon runner to cross the finish line Sunday with a time of 2:31:07.
"I mean, I was hoping for a top 10 today, I think," said Neely.
Race coordinators say Phoenix-born Roosevelt Cook led most of the race, even battling it out with a Moroccan runner for 10 miles, until that runner fell behind.
But, at mile 21 Roosevelt started cramping.
Neely came out of no where.
"I was in third place most of the race...looked like the guys in front of me had a rough time, maybe locked up a little bit. I just had a little left," said Neely.
Neely's girlfriend, Kelly O'Donnel, was about 15 minutes behind him.
She came in third in the women's full marathon.
The two met at Harvard where they ran.
He's now getting his Ph.D. at University of California, Berkeley, in neuroscience and she's getting her Ph.D. at University of California, Santa Cruz, in ecology and evolutionary biology.
The leaderboard - featured some local racers.
A Mesa man came in fourth in the men's full marathon.
A Sierra Vista woman came in first in the women's full marathon, with a time of just over 2-hours, 44 minutes.
A woman from Flagstaff won the women's half marathon, while a Flagstaff man came in third in the men's half.
Thursday, May 23 2013 11:10 PM EDT2013-05-24 03:10:53 GMT
AP photo
Actress Amanda Bynes was arrested Thursday for allegedly smoking marijuana in the lobby of her Midtown Manhattan building, police said. The troubled celebrity is also accused of throwing her "drug paraphernalia"
Actress Amanda Bynes was arrested Thursday for allegedly smoking marijuana in the lobby of her Midtown Manhattan building, police said. The troubled celebrity is also accused of throwing her "drug paraphernalia"
Thursday, May 23 2013 10:17 PM EDT2013-05-24 02:17:32 GMT
New Jersey officials have seized inventory and demanded records from 29 bars and restaurants, nearly half of them TGI Fridays, that they say sold low-quality liquor to patrons who thought they were buying premium brands.
New Jersey officials have seized inventory and demanded records from 29 bars and restaurants, nearly half of them TGI Fridays, that they say sold low-quality liquor to patrons who thought they were buying premium brands.
Thursday, May 23 2013 10:11 PM EDT2013-05-24 02:11:26 GMT
An Edison, N.J., police officer was arrested and accused of setting fire to the home of a police captain in his department, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.
An Edison, N.J., police officer was arrested and accused of setting fire to the home of a police captain in his department, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.
Thursday, May 23 2013 10:04 PM EDT2013-05-24 02:04:45 GMT
Former Rep. Anthony Weiner launched his campaign for mayor of New York City this week, but his website seems to indicate he is running for office in Pittsburgh. The stylized and colorized image used in
Former Rep. Anthony Weiner launched his campaign for mayor of New York City this week, but his website seems to indicate he is running for office in Pittsburgh. The stylized and colorized image used in
Thursday, May 23 2013 9:49 PM EDT2013-05-24 01:49:53 GMT
AP photo
President Barack Obama plans to give the Jersey Shore a boost with a post-Memorial Day visit to showcase recovery efforts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
President Barack Obama plans to give the Jersey Shore a boost with a post-Memorial Day visit to showcase recovery efforts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
Thursday, May 23 2013 8:50 PM EDT2013-05-24 00:50:04 GMT
Heavy downpours sparked flash flooding across the tristate area on Thursday. The National Weather Service issued numerous weather alerts for many counties in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Heavy downpours sparked flash flooding across the tristate area on Thursday. The National Weather Service issued numerous weather alerts for many counties in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Thursday, May 23 2013 7:42 PM EDT2013-05-23 23:42:40 GMT
The Bronx Zoo has unveiled its animatronics dinosaur exhibit. The exhibit, called Dinosaur Safari, is something different from the zoo, which is better known for its exhibits of living animals. The ride
The Bronx Zoo has unveiled its exhibit of animatronics. The exhibit, called Dinosaur Safari, is something different from the zoo, which is better known for its exhibits of living animals.
