COEUR d'ALENE - Running requires a reason, and each of the nearly 2,500 Coeur d'Alene Marathon and half-marathon racers had his or her own.

It takes a little something extra to get up and run 26.2 or 13.1 miles.

For Greg Fargen, who completed the half-marathon course in his wheelchair, it was to honor his late friend, who passed away last year.

Fargen wasn't aware of his time when he crossed the finish line at Riverstone on Sunday near the two-hour mark, only that he'd finished.

"My arms were getting tired at the end," he said. "When I was out there, I could hear him cheering me on."

Teresa Dugger, of Spokane, did the half-marathon because she wants to improve her running. And she mixes in a little family vacation to coincide with the scenic race.

"I love it here," said Dugger, who crossed the finish line with her two daughters after 9-year-old Kaitlyn and 5-year old Courtney jumped on the last leg of the course to be with their mom. "This is our special vacation every year."

The 2,468 runners who participated was less than 100 short of the race's record turnout set last year, according to Charliie Miller, director of the North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation, the organization that puts on the annual tradition.

The race, which started and ended at Riverstone, looped through the newly redeveloped education corridor and along Dike Road and the waterfront, a route which drew compliments from racers, he said.

Yes, the scenery is something to behold. And that helps the runners keep their mind off the pain, said half-marathon finisher Eve Knudtsen, as does the cheering crowd lining the last mile or so, which she dubbed "no man's land" out of fatigue.

"There were some times out there I thought I really wasn't going to make it," she said.

Evan Sims of Spokane clocked the fastest half at 1 hour, 9 minutes, 56 seconds. Melissa Van of Post Falls was the first female to finish the half at 1:21:45.

While the half-marathon outdraws the full marathon, plenty were brave enough to take on the 26.2-mile run. Heath Wiltse of Coeur d'Alene finished first for male marathon runners at 2:45:57. Kyla Berendzen of Coeur d'Alene was the first female finisher at 3:11:19.

Either on the half or full marathon, it's the last miles that are the most difficult. James Richman, who finished tops in his 50-54 age bracket for the full marathon, ran the course just under three hours. Count the last miles as the most difficult, with or without scenery to help out, he said.

"It's hard to remember why you're doing it at that point in the race," he said.