ST. CHARLES – His wife hooked him on running, and his daughters provided the motivation that brought out his best.

Factor in that his mother was among the family supporting him Sunday at the Advocate Dreyer Fox Valley Marathon, and Steve Nusser’s third-place finish in the marathon was a triumph for the entire clan.

Nusser, of Geneva, was the top local finisher at the marathon, clocking in at 2:49.36. It wasn’t the 2:45-or-lower that Nusser sought, but still counted as his second-best finish in the 20 marathons that he’s run.