By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Keri Mandell and Joseph Campolattano felt a responsibility to the runners in the group that they were pacing to a 2-hour, 10-minute finish in the Princeton Half Marathon on Sunday.
When April Farrell started to feel the effects of the hills on the back half of the course and dehydration, they were right there for her.
“We kind of latched on to her,” said Campolattano, who works at the Princeton Running Company. “We really, really wanted her to finish and complete her goal. She was struggling just like anyone struggles. We’ve all been there.”
When Farrell needed some motivation in the final mile and wasn’t even sure she would finish, they were still there for her, all the way to making sure she got across the finish line and beat the 2:10 goal time.
“It is certainly rewarding,” said Mandell, who had been a pacer for the race last year as well. “Anything I can do to help a fellow individual, it’s nice to know you played a part in it. I love pacing. I love racing. It’s about being better than you were the day before. I love challenging myself. It’s why I love CrossFit. When you have an opportunity to pace, it allows you to enjoy racing in a different way. It’s not about your pace, it’s about helping other people through their process. You get to see the other side to it, and it’s fun. I love being around people. I love the energy.”
Farrell was treated for dehydration at the conclusion of her first half-marathon. The Garwood resident reached out to the two pacers via the Princeton Half Marathon organizers to thank them for their support through the race.
“I was able to get in touch and say not only thank you for helping me finish, but also helping me go all the way,” Farrell said. “They’re awesome cheerleaders.
“There was some camaraderie to it. I needed that to get me through the race. I had no idea that was going to happen to me at the end. I’m glad I ran with them. I’m not sure I would have finished without them.”
Pacing groups are popular in many longer distance races. Pacers keep participants on track for a goal time, and there are multiple pacers for various goals.
Farrell had started running in February after she and her husband Lance celebrated the birth of their first son. She had started with a Couch to 5k program, joined a moms’ running group, moved up to a 10K, and finally committed to a half marathon, actually signing up for two within two weeks of each other. She picked the Princeton Half Marathon to be her first.
“I’ve been trying to find the perfect first half,” Farrell said. “This is the one I found most appealing.
“It was an absolutely beautiful course,” she added. “I could appreciate that even in my delirium.”
Farrell was tripped partway through the course, but got back up and kept going, oblivious of her bleeding knee. She kept pace with the group with the encouragement of Mandell and Campolattano.
“She’d never run one before,” Mandell said. “She’s been training and I felt really connected to her. I felt like when I started running a couple years ago, it changed my life, and I could see that for her.”
Mandell had enjoyed her time as a pacer the year before in the Princeton Half Marathon. Her experience last year was rewarding, and she used it to help her pace group this year.
“For me,” Mandell said, “being a pacer was about mentally preparing them for the challenge to come, but also inspiring them.”
Mandell runs regularly with the Princeton Running Company’s group runs and knew the course well. She works as a learning consultant for South Brunswick, teaches at Yoga Stream in Princeton and coaches CrossFit at CrossFit Nassau. She will be opening her own yoga studio in Montgomery in January.
“I’ve been immersed in the community,” Mandell said. “I’m big in fundraising and helping out.
“I love being able to go and meet people and hear their stories,” she added. “It’s neat how we’re all so different but can come together for this shared interest.”
Campolattano has an extensive running background. He’d gotten into ultramarathons years ago and had raced up to 50 miles. Mandell had told him about pacing, and he was thrilled that he could help.
Said Campolattano: “Keri is an amazing motivator and good at getting people hyped up.”
Campolattano helped their group plenty as well. He offered advice and motivation to the anyone that would listen.
“What I really enjoyed about it was helping April was the highlight of the experience, but for the most part, being able to give insight to people along the way,” Campolattano said. “People would run up and say, I’m worried about this, what should I take in, and what should I do here? Giving support was fun and helping to alleviate some of the runners’ fears and remind them of why they were doing it was great.
“If it was easy, everyone would be doing it,” he added. “I had the opportunity to get up on my running soapbox about it and see people’s lightbulb go off about why they’re doing it.”
For some, it is to compete. Zachary Rivers of Brooklyn, N.Y., was this year’s race winner in a new course-record 1:12:10, a pace of 5:30 per mile. Natalie Rathjen of Princeton was the women’s winner in 1:24:32, a pace of 6:27 per mile.
Others, including plenty of newcomers like Farrell, were looking just to finish. That goal became tougher in the final mile.
“Usually you hear that your head is giving up, but your body wants to go on,” Farrell said. “Mine was opposite. My head was saying go on, and my body wouldn’t.”
Farrell wanted a stronger looking finish, but she was happy to have Campolattano and Mandell there to help her complete the first half marathon of her life.
“They got me through it,” she said. “They’re awesome people. They helped me finish.”
