If you are a runner, competing in the Boston Marathon is as good as it gets. The 114th annual prestigious race was held two weeks ago and featured six Mercer Island residents posting finish times.

It was the fourth time that Daniel Mendes, 50, had run the race, and the third for his wife, Joy. Daniel finished in 3:32.58, while Joy, 46, posted a 3:51.12 time.

“We were both a little slower than we were hoping, but we moved up from where we were seeded,” said Daniel Mendes. The couple qualified for the race after last year’s inaugural Seattle Rock’n’Roll marathon, held in June. While they have competed in other marathons, including New York and Chicago, Daniel said Boston is always the ‘ultimate’ because it’s the only race in the United States that you have to qualify for.

“It’s just a really cool event,” he said. “Boston is always kind of the goal.” He said the experience of racing through the streets of Boston is exciting, watching the long lines of school buses transport people to the start line and seeing the television helicopters buzz through the skyline is a thrill.

Mendes said both his and his wife Joy’s times qualified them for next year’s Boston Marathon, but they haven’t yet decided if they will attend.

“The pain from the race is still fresh in our minds. It’s hard to explain to someone who’s never done a marathon, but you’re just willing yourself forward a mile at a time,” he said. Historically, the Boston Marathon has punished runners with bad weather, including strong winds, freezing temperatures and rain, but this year Mendes said it was a perfect race day.

“The weather was absolutely perfect for marathoners,” he said. “It was cool, which is really good.”

Other Island residents who competed in the race include: Rhonda Glass, 48, finishing in 3:15.17, Annie Vu, 45, who finished in 4:02.24, Olga Walker, 54, who ran it in 4:40.24 and Roger Larson, 65, who did the race in 5:15.49.