Scott Seiss, 40, a resident of Rocky Ridge, Md., grabs the attention of the media after he took first place in the Marine Corps Marathon hand-cranked bicycle race Sunday. His winning time was 1 hour, 22 minutes and 47 seconds
Hundreds of people in hand-cranked bicycles filled both lanes of Lee Highway early Sunday morning in Arlington, Va. Thousands more spectators — a number that would eventually rise to one quarter of a million — teemed with anticipation on either side of the road.
This was the race before the race. This was not the 34th annual Marine Corps Marathon. This was the MCM hand-cranked bicycle event.
Scot Seiss, 42, a resident of Rocky Ridge, Md., took first place in the 26.2-mile race Sunday with a time of 1 hour, 22 minutes and 47 seconds.
For the past year, Seiss, who is not a veteran, has represented theParalyzed Veterans of America, anorganization that advocates former service members who suffer from spinal chord injuries or dysfunctions. Seiss himself suffered from the loss of both legs in the aftermath of a motorcycle accident in 1993.
‘‘I’m not a veteran, but a few good friends of mine are,” Seiss explained.
Seiss is not a new face to the MCM. He has participated in the last four marathons. Neither was his win on Sunday morning his first. He also won last year’s race, although he bested that time this year by more than 30 seconds.
‘‘I have a 30-mile route that I do about every other day,” Seiss said of the training regimen he followed in preparation for the event.
Seiss said he plans to participate in the wheelchair race for many yearsto come.
‘‘It’s a great event, it’s nearby and it’s enjoyable.”
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