Teenager not alone in going extra mile(s)

As adults, we can all probably reflect on a time when we can point to one person who made a huge difference in our lives.

For Cameron Lindsey, that just might be a guy in a lime green shirt who seemed to appear out of nowhere at a most difficult time in a road race.

That guy was Scott Binkley, a pacer for the Crossroads Marathon in Salina in November, who stayed by Cameron’s side from about the 20-mile mark to the finish line. Binkley’s encouragement and support helped Cameron record a time of 4 hours, 25 minutes, 34 seconds as the youngest finisher.

Cameron admits it would have been difficult to finish the race had it not been for Binkley, especially considering he had only trained for the grueling 26.2-mile run for about six weeks.

Oh yeah, Cameron was 17 years old at the time.

“The age group when people start running marathons is usually those in their late 20s, 30s, 40s,” said Binkley, a former high school cross country runner himself who ran his first marathon in his mid 40s. “For a 17-year-old to decide to do this, on his own, is pretty impressive.”

Binkley insists this story is not about him, but rather about Cameron Lindsey. But somehow, the two became forever linked together on a pleasant November Saturday in Salina.

The guy in the lime green shirt carrying the 4:20 flag no doubt will stick out in Cameron’s mind for a long, long time.

The decision that Cameron made to run the marathon seemed simple enough in October when he ran across an online notice about a marathon in Salina.

Hmm, he thought, “this sounds interesting.

It will be between cross country and basketball seasons. It’s perfect timing.”

A marathon is more than eight times farther than the high school cross country races of 5,000 meters (or 3.1 miles) for which Cameron is accustomed to running. And this particular marathon featured 800 runners.

But keep in mind, this young man had yet to celebrate his 18th birthday, an age when anything – and I mean anything – seems possible to accomplish.

A cross country runner for his high school team in Plainville, Cameron decided to start running extra mileage on his own to build up his endurance.

Coincidentally, that extra work ended up helping him eclipse his personal- best time by nearly 40 seconds at the Class 2A regional cross country meet in Great Bend, qualifying him for state for the first time in his career.

“He told me the Monday after regionals that he had signed up for a marathon,” said Travis Dixon, the cross country coach at Plainville. “I was definitely surprised, but pleased that he was working out extra on his own. Any extra work is obviously going to help with your endurance.”

Cameron’s PR regional time of 18 minutes, 48 seconds would have placed him in the top 10 at state, but he said he found the going difficult on the tough, hilly course at Wamego Country Club. He was disappointed with his performance at the season finale, but he soon began looking ahead to his next venture.

Cameron’s parents, Lee and Shannon Lindsey, drove the Crossroads Marathon course with their son the night before and chose points where they could meet up with him to give him water and snacks – and encouragement.

Binkley said he came upon Cameron at about the 21-mile mark.

“He was struggling, and he was talking to his mom,” Binkley said. “It was neat to see his parents leap-frogging the course to catch him at several points.”

Binkley, carrying the 4-hour, 20-minute pacer flag, decided right then and there that he was going to help this kid finish the race.

“It gets difficult when you get in those upper distances like 18, 20 miles and beyond. Things start going to your head, and you are asking ‘Why did I do this?’ ” Binkley said. “I just try to encourage the runners and distract them from thinking too much.”

Cameron’s legs were cramping when he saw Binkley. He said “they just weren’t cooperating.”

So Binkley talked Cameron into doing a “run/ walk,” where they alternated running for 2.5 minutes, then walking for 30 seconds.

“That helps take their mind off just running,” said Binkley, who continued to carry on a conversation with Cameron. “I talked to him about his high school football team and his age. I told him how amazing it was that someone his age was going to finish a marathon.

“He told me he had built up to 11 miles while training for the marathon, and I thought, ‘Whoa!’ He had already run almost twice that far. I told him we were going to do this and finish this race.”

Cameron and Binkley ultimately finished the race together. Cameron said it took him a few days to recuperate afterward but that he felt fine by his 18th birthday on Dec. 1.

Now, he is already checking out half-marathons, thinking that might be a more favorable distance.

But those races will have to wait.

Cameron is now living the life of a busy high school senior.

He is a starter for his high school basketball team. He plays the piano and is involved in band and yearbook. He is especially looking forward to track season. And he is thinking about his future, checking out colleges, with nearby Fort Hays State University at the top of his list.

Both Coach Dixon and Cameron think he has a promising senior track season ahead of him this spring. Cameron’s goal is to qualify for state and try to win a medal to hang beside his favorite medal of all time.

“That medal is the most special one I’ve every gotten,” Cameron said of the Crossroads medallion. “It’s hard to describe that feeling of when you cross the finish line after 4.5 hours of running.

“Being able to finish the marathon, even though it was difficult, will definitely motivate me in a lot of things now. It gave me a good deal of confidence that I can accomplish something on my own.”

Binkley said he is still amazed at what he witnessed that day but was glad he could be what he calls a small part of Cameron’s feat.

“I told him, ‘I didn’t do it, you did. I was just there helping keep your mind off of it,’ ” Binkley said. “The two most rewarding things out of being a pacer is to help first-timers and help people get to their PRs.”

Binkley did both for Cameron Lindsey – and a whole lot more.