Tim and Christine Schneller of Crozet are the winners of the Comcast SportsNet “Start the Marine Corps Marathon at Your House” Contest. They posed with race director Rick Nealis and marathon mascot Miles under the race’s iconic red arch at Christine’s parents’ home in Burke April 6.
Thousands of runners will pass under the arch to start the marathon Oct. 31.
The Schnellers were selected from more than 160 entries submitted through the Comcast SportsNet website. They have won VIP treatment on marathon day, including two sought-after elite entries, two tickets to the MCM pre-race pasta party, official MCM apparel and VIP parking on race day. The contest marked the beginning of the online registration period for the MCM, a process that has traditionally taken only days to fill 30,000 spots.
The Schnellers are both former Marines and left active duty 17 years ago after fighting in the Gulf War. With personal goals of getting back in shape, they decided to train for and run the 35th Marine Corps Marathon. For each, it will be their first marathon. So far, Tim has lost more than 100 pounds and Christine has dropped 20 pounds.
