The race started at the end of an otherwise unremarkable training camp practice in August, with fans sitting along the grassy berm at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, facing a pair of practice fields. They watched as their team’s offensive linemen and quarterbacks volunteered to run sprints underneath the surprisingly sweltering Seattle sun.
Justin Britt was running. Joey Hunt was running. Ethan Pocic was running. Germain Ifedi was running. Alex McGough was running. Russell Wilson was running.
Duane Brown was winning.
Or, to put it differently: the 6-foot-4, 315-pound, 33-year-old offensive lineman was winning. He was out-running Wilson and all the rest — despite his weight, despite his age, despite the perception of his position.