By Will Hammock
The American women’s domination of Monday’s 122nd Boston Marathon had people hurriedly searching for information on the top finishers, then reporting the results on social media.
For a time, a few on Twitter reported that Nicole DiMercurio was Canadian. Before it was corrected, another post followed with what a great day it was for Canadian running.
It may have been, but it was even better for the American women. And for Gwinnett County running.
DiMercurio, a 2009 North Gwinnett High School graduate, was fifth in the Women’s Elite division, and sixth overall among women, at the prestigious 26.2-mile race that begins in Hopkinton, Mass., and ends up on Boylston Street in downtown Boston. She was part of seven Americans in the top eight finishers who gutted out a race in miserable rain, cold and gusting wind.
“I know there are some people in Gwinnett who ran out in Boston on the same day, and honestly even toeing the line that day was an accomplishment in itself,” DiMercurio said Tuesday while on a well-deserved vacation to Ireland. “I was stalking the weather about two weeks out from Boston and I started getting frustrated as the chance of rain and wind steadily increased as race day got closer. I was in the best shape of my life, and I wanted a time that reflected that more than anything.
“As race day approached, I spoke with my coach and he made it clear that this was going to be a race about toughness, that time didn’t matter. I just needed to go out and place as well as I could. So whether you won the entire marathon, or finished dead last, finishing that race was an accomplishment that should not be underestimated. There were times that I felt fantastic, but I’m slowly but surely finding out that’s the beauty of the marathon.”
The 27-year-old runs professionally for ZAP Fitness-Reebok, based out of Blowing Rock, N.C. Her time was 2 hours, 45 minutes, 52 seconds, about six minutes behind women’s champion and two-time Olympian Desiree Linden of Washington, Mich. Linden blew away the women’s field — runner-up Sarah Sellers was next in 2:44:44, well behind Linden’s winning time of 2:39:54, the slowest by a winner in 40 years.
The slow times were the result of wet weather, cold and wind (with wind chill below freezing) that left hundreds suffering from hypothermia.
“Having an opportunity to participate in the Boston Marathon was an absolutely amazing experience,” DiMercurio said. “It still feels like a dream come true to even step on the line and race through the streets of Boston. I am incredibly thankful to have the support from ZAP Fitness, Reebok and Generation UCAN that makes a sixth-place finish at Boston possible. Without their support, as well as the support from my friends and family, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what happened on this rainy, cold and windy day.”
The Boston race was only the third marathon for DiMercurio, whose first was at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, where she placed 82nd. She was 11th at the U.S. Marathon Championships in December in 2:36:01, qualifying for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials.
DiMercurio was an All-Southeastern Conference runner in the 5K and 10K events at the University of Georgia, as well as earning All-South honors in cross country. She began her post-college career at Greenville (S.C.) Track Club Elite before moving to ZAP Fitness.
Among her noteworthy pro races is a runner-up finish in the 2015 Peachtree Road Race.
“I am very, very proud of Nicole,” said Mark Karen, who coached her at North Gwinnett. “She has always been a hard worker and wanted to succeed at the highest levels in high school. I am very happy for her success at the Boston Marathon this year. It is an amazing accomplishment for sure.”