SIOUX CITY - One thing was almost certain, the weather was cooperating.

Maybe not for onlookers, but the chilly air and overcast skies were just about perfect for running a race - especially a marathon.

Participants Saturday in the Siouxland Lewis & Clark Marathon were welcomed by spectators along the way, but mostly as they hit the home stretch on Historic Fourth Street downtown.

Maybe one of the most enigmatic sports to those who do not partake in the grueling feat of will power, having success means being mentally strong.

Tom Tisell, 42, of St. Paul, Minn., was the first person to cross the finish line, running the 26-miles course in two hours, 34 minutes and 46 seconds - not his best time, but a good time. That time is just four seconds off the time by last year's winner, Matt Hoyt of Vermillion, S.D.

Tisell - who has competed in multiple events this year - said his love for running started early.

"It was the one sport that I found I was actually good at," Tisell said, just moments after finishing the marathon. "It has afforded me a lot of opportunities, such as scholarships.

"But now I really focus on the health aspects and the competition," he said.

That last reason was a common theme among runners.

Coming in second behind Tisell was a newcomer - 24-year-old Council Bluffs, Iowa, native (and former University of South Dakota runner) Josh Blue finish just about two minutes later.

The Sioux City race wasn't just his first this year, it was just his first. Period.

"Being able to do this is an experience," Blue said, regarding his decision to participate in a marathon for the first time. "I think that's what fascinates some people with it."

Would he want to do another one?

"Not right now," he said with a grin, "maybe next year."

Sioux City performed well overall, but strikingly so in the female full marathon. Of the top five finishers, three were Sioux City residents.

Local runner Connie Prince Houlihan's time of three hours, four minutes and seven seconds also was not a personal best - same as Tisell - but she was happy with the result nonetheless.

"For some people, the ability to do this is kind of in-born," she said. "But this year I was doing it for my brother (Bill Prince) who has cancer. So I really wanted to win this one."

Prince Houlihan's time topped last year's best time of three hours, 13 minutes and 10 seconds set by Sioux City's Kjersten Welch, who finished second Saturday with a time of three hours, 15 minutes and nine seconds.

The race was not without its oddities, though.

Finishing 50th, Mark Mechaley of Omaha did so in an unconventional manner - he ran the entire 26 miles barefoot.

Mechaley was inspired by a book, "Born To Run," by author Christopher McDougall, which chronicles the Tarahumara people of northern Mexico. They are renowned for their long-distance running abilities.

Mechaley said he read the book earlier this year and was inspired by the author's portrayal of Tarahumara people running either barefoot or with minimal footwear.

"Shoes can give people a false sense of stability," the 25-year-old Mechaley said shortly after finishing the race Saturday. "It was a totally different experience."

Le Mars' Greg Meister, 31, finished first in the men's half-marathon.

Meister did well considering it was a bit longer than he usually runs.

"I'm an 800 (meter) runner so this is pretty long for me," he said. "But you need to throw in a long one to increase your aerobic capacity."

The top female half-marathon finisher was Omaha's Jennifer Viehrig with a time of one hour, 29 minutes and four seconds.

This year's race was the last time the event will be held on the current USA Track & Field certified course, race director Steve Uhl said. The course will undergo a redesign because of planned Interstate 29 construction.