More than 8000 runners flood Raleigh for Rock'n'Roll marathon

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- More than 8,000 runners crossed the finish line in Raleigh's second annual Rock'n'Roll Marathon, marking personal achievements and raising awareness about a number of causes.

"The whole point is just to prove something to myself that I can keep going no matter what," said Carrie Hendrick, an ovarian cancer survivor. "No matter what happens in your life, you can keep going."

Hendrick was among the runners representing Team V. The group raised money for the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. The foundation is named after the late Jim Valvano, the famed broadcaster and N.C. State University coach who passed away in 1993 after a battle with metastatic cancer.

"It's amazing," said Jamie Howard, Jimmy V's daughter and a breast cancer survivor. "It means my dad's legacy is alive and well."

Bobby Mack, a N.C. State graduate and Raleigh resident, was the first half-marathon finisher, completing the race in just over an hour. The full marathon winner, Ben Ludovici, hailed from Syracuse and finished in about two hours and 40 minutes. He credits the man who finished right behind him, Michael O'Brian, with helping to move him forward.

"I was just relieved," Ludovici laughed. "I had basically nothing left, so I was happy to see the finish line."

Heidi Bretscher, a Durham woman, was the first female full marathon finisher.

Sunday marked Bretscher's second Rock'n'Roll marathon win. She finished last year in less than two hours, but described some difficulty on this year's course.

"I'm a little frustrated because I ran three miles off the course because I didn't know which way to run in the race," said Bretscher, who finished in three hours and seven minutes.

For Trent Morrow, Sunday's race marked his 299th marathon since 2008. The 300th will be next week in Boston.

"I do it to inspire a new generation to get out and make the most of life," said Morrow, who is from Australia. "So to inspire people to take their own journey. [It] doesn't necessarily have to be a 26.2 mile distance. Whether it be your personal life, your family, or your career, it's about doing the very best you can in that marathon journey."

The journey for wheelchair finishers with the Ainsley's Angels in Central Carolina group inspired others. The group says it builds awareness about the special needs community through inclusion.

"[It's] to help children with disabilities to be able to enjoy the ability to run and to participate in these events," said Ernie Tapley, whose two children, one with cerebral palsy, participated in the race. "It stimulates the kids and when the kids get stimulated like that, it makes for a better life."

Read more about the group here.

Registration numbers showed that there were 4,000 fewer runners this year, according to the News and Observer.

Roadways opened earlier than expected. It was just after 1 p.m. with only 100 runners left on the course. Two runners were taken to the hospital for concerns described as "minor" by race organizers.