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Jordan Snyder was focused on her pace about 14 miles into the BMW Dallas Marathon on Sunday when a cart pulled beside her and someone asked questions about her running background.

"I was like: 'What place am I?'" she said. "And they told me first.' And I was like, 'Really!' Then, I was like, 'Yes!'"

Yes, really.

Snyder, a Dallas native who had struggled with finding enough in her tank to finish two other marathons this year, found the physical and mental stamina to win her hometown race.

She did it in 2 hours, 59 minutes and 19 seconds, allowing her to reach her goal of finishing in under three hours.

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Snyder, 25, works in finance in New York, but she played soccer at Ursuline Academy and at Notre Dame. Self-coached, she is running in only her fifth marathon.

"I didn't run a marathon until a little over two years ago," she said. "To come in and win one, it's hard to describe how it feels, so I was just overcome with emotion."

Leading the parade of hugs was her grandmother, Roberta "Bobbi" Snyder of Preston Hollow, also known as grand-mère (French for grandmother) by her brood.

"Jordan is an example to those in high school or college who didn't take advantage of their athleticsim and skillset or didn't recognize it," Bobbi Snyder said. "She had an instinct for it and explored it and started setting goals."

Her granddaughter started out behind Canadian Alexandra Garner in the first 5 kilometers. Snyder took over first by the 10K mark, through which she had put in a 6:36-per-mile pace. From there, she kept building her lead. Garner finished sixth.

In Boston, Snyder said she hit the wall in the 13th mile. In Chicago, she hit it at 22, and her legs gave out.

"Here, at 22, 23 and 24, my legs were feeling really good," she said.

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"I wasn't training smart," she said. "For me, this is the stepping stone to becoming a better runner and train properly."

Like Snyder, Soto was surprised to discover her standing when race officials approached her on the course.

"I kept seeing this girl on a bike, and I finally looked at her and she said 'I have to stay with you because you're No. 2,'" said Soto, who earned the female Masters win.

"I'm like, 'You're kidding me?' It boosted my confidence big time."

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When the starting-line cannon first boomed, it startled runners and spectators alike.

Runners flinched and a few spectators retreated when it went off. Even women's marathon winner Jordan Snyder, who recently ran in the Boston Marathon was taken aback.

"I didn't think it was a good idea," she said. "I know if it happened in Boston, it wouldn't have been appropriate."

In past marathons, race officials admitted the starting signal was more subtle.

WFAA meteorologist raises $10K for Texas Scottish Rite

WFAA-TV (Ch. 8) meteorologist Colleen Coyle raised more than $10,000 for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital.

Coyle was the last runner to start the half marathon. She raised funds based on the number of half-marathon runners she passed.

In clocking 1:59:34, she passed 3,498 runners.