Seven Sisters women complete Portland Marathon

Eight local women completed the annual Portland Marathon on Sunday, October 4.

The 26.2-mile event, considered one of the finest, friendliest marathons in the West every year by Runner's World magazine, starts downtown, wends its way through northwest Portland and back, and includes music every two miles to help keep the runners and walkers moving.

Rochelle Curtis and Kara Calmettes trained together on two long trail runs for the event, which helped Calmettes survive her first attempt at the distance. Curtis, of Camp Sherman, finished in 4 hours, 11 minutes and 2 seconds, while Calmettes met her goal of breaking five hours, finishing in 4:47:25.

"It was great," said Calmettes. "I felt it was a good first marathon experience, so I actually plan to do another someday."

For Darci Fitzke it was a chance to experience the marathon with her 60-year-old mother, Gayle Johnson, who completed her thirteenth marathon.

"It was special to do it with my mother," she said. "I let her set the pace and she finished in her fastest time ever, in 5:39:12."

Other finishers from Sisters included Jody Nelson (5:46:55), Eileen Heth (6:24:32), Donna Layne, Becky Aylor and Peggy Chesser, who all finished together in 7:01:26.