No obstacle big enough for these marathoners

One of the best things about running is limits do not exist. There are no outs, like in baseball. There might be a clock, but it doesn’t go down to zero — it goes up.

You can run as far as you want or can, for as long as you want or can.

Sometimes there is a finish line, a defining goal, like at the Honolulu Marathon.

And one of the best things about a marathon is you can be all alone in a crowd, challenging yourself in the inspirational company of thousands doing the same.

As someone who was diagnosed with autism at age 10, Joshua Manning knows a lot about challenges. But the concept of limits is lost on him. Especially when it comes to endurance sports.

"I just love the atmosphere," said Manning, moments after covering the 26.2 miles in the rain in 3 hours, 22 minutes and 12 seconds.

This was the 17-year-old Australian’s first marathon. But that’s a bit misleading. He’s been running seriously for two years, and already has a 50-kilometer race under his belt.

He also bikes and swims and aspires to someday compete professionally as a runner or triathlete.

Manning was hoping to break three hours Sunday, but was happy with his effort. It was pretty impressive overall, considering 22,068 people started the marathon and he placed 265th. And he was excellent in comparison to his peers, too; Manning was 10th of 122 entrants in his demographic of males 15 to 19.

Next time he will know to pace himself a bit better; after burning a 41:41 opening 10K, Manning said he went to "a dark place" for a while near the end. That can happen to even the most experienced marathoners.

Not that he undertrained — Manning said he runs around 100 kilometers a week. That might even seem like too much for a teenager. But his father, Paul, an experienced endurance athlete himself, makes sure Joshua trains correctly.

"He’s got a proper coach who manages his training very carefully," Paul Manning said. "He does a lot of miles, but he trains the right way."

Josh finds his strength from within. But If he ever needs inspiration he can look to Mike Brannigan, 18, of Long Island, N.Y.

Brannigan, a senior at Northport High School, is one of the fastest prep milers in the country, with a 4:07 to his credit. Like Manning, he has autism.

"Too many people look at it as a huge limiter. You just have to find what you’re good at," Paul Manning said. "(As a distance runner) you get that head space where it can be you with yourself. For kids with autism the challenge is often social interaction. They get stressed and it makes it hard to be among people. It changes how you interact with the world. But we’ve never looked at it as a limiter."

And on this rainy morning at the Kapiolani Park finish line as he peered toward the Pacific Ocean, Joshua Manning found himself among the thousands who let nothing stop them.

———

Reach Dave Reardon at <@Tagline -- email1>dreardon@staradvertiser.com<@$p> or 529-4783. His blog is at hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.