New Mexico State graduate student, 30-year-old mom take El Paso Marathon titles

Colleen Everett and her husband Daniel share a passion for running, but as parents of a 15-month-old, it's not something they often get to do together. Someone has to watch Emerson while the other runs.

They had family help on that front at Sunday's El Paso Marathon, leaving the two free to compete together. Colleen didn't keep up with her husband, but no other woman could keep up with her.

More:El Paso Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K Run/Walk results

Colleen Everett ran her best time by a bunch (2 hours, 55 minutes, 13 seconds) to win the women's division of the El Paso Marathon, crossing the finish line 12 minutes after Daniel claimed second place in the men's division. New Mexico State graduate student Cole Shugart won his marathon debut, a year after winning the El Paso Half Marathon.

"It was really good," Colleen Everett said shortly before she and her husband were able to collect their son and celebrate with family. "A nice and flat course, the weather was perfect, and the crowd was at the exact locations I needed them. It was perfect.

"That was a 15-minute pr (personal record). I'm very excited. I saw my husband with .2 to go, then I saw the clock and 'Oh my gosh.'"

She came in wanting to compete for the title and quickly realized that was going to be a possibility.

"I was hoping I could win, but I thought there might be a ringer in there," said the 30-year-old, who is a medical student at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso’s Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. "Pretty early on I realized it was just me."

Shugart's story was similar, with the caveat that three weeks ago the plan was to defend his championship in the half marathon. Then, while watching marathon videos with friends, he decided to take the plunge and run his first 26.2-mile race.

He won in 2:35:20, about eight minutes ahead of Daniel Everett.

More:'Putting in the mileage': Inspiration from 3 El Paso Marathon runners

"Last year I did the El Paso Half Marathon and I won that," Shugart said. "I figured why not double up, get a marathon win. Having the cops (the leader's escort) in front of me helped a lot."

Shugart competed collegiately for the University of Portland until transferring to New Mexico State to get a second graduate degree last year. He ran for the Aggies cross-country team last season, his final year of college eligibility, and he represented New Mexico State with his uniform Sunday.

"My goal was to run about 6-flat (for each mile; a 2:37:12 marathon) for the whole thing. I was a bit quicker than that," the 25-year-old said. "I started off pretty easy. I was running with a guy the first five miles, then it was me and the cops for the rest of the way."

It created a special Sunday for the New Mexico State grad student.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: NMSU grad student, 30-year-old mom take El Paso Marathon titles