The guy did a 2:15 on a certified course. He went out with the goal of beating the 2:17 course record on a faster course which has 955' of vertical drop. Assuming his training was good, I think that is a good strategy. If he had a good day, he would have gotten the course record. If he had a great day, he had a shot at a PR. It didn't turn out well for him on that day, but it will in the future. I have run Steamtown, and I think the downhill sounds fast but beats the crap out of your quads. It would prove nothing for him to be cautious and win in 2:20. He has been there and done that, and the payday was not such a lure to just care about a win in a mid-sized marathon.