Local Competition Draws in World Class Athletes

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“The plan was today was to get the record, go for the record,” said Bart Swings who won the elite men’s category of the NorthShore Inline Marathon.

Swings, of Belgium, crossed the finish line at 58:50.

He is the third person in the marathon’s history to come in under an hour.

“I still think that I did a good race,” said Swings. “Still happy with the victory of course.”

Not too far behind him was Manon Kamninga who came in at 1:12 taking the lead for the women.

“We spoke before the race and we really wanted to go for the record,” said Kamminga. “We were serious about it. I guess we tried our best and just didn’t happen this year.”

More than two thousand people from near and far competed in the 20th year of the marathon.

“The field this year in the 2015 NorthShore Inline Marathon was spectacular,” race director Skeeter Moore said. “We had people from Thailand, Germany from Belgium from Holland.

Racers tell FOX 21 the road from Two Harbors to Duluth was smooth.

A cross wind and rolling hills made the competition tough but glances at the breathtaking views gave them some relief.

“Sometimes I do it just to get distracted because the legs start feeling a lot of pain getting a lot of lactating to my legs,” said Swings. “So just to think about something else other than the time or the pace I look around but not too much of that.”

Both racers say they plan on coming back next year.

The marathon wrapped up with an award ceremony.