FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GARDEN SPOT VILLAGE ANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY MARATHON RESULTS
Boston Marathon qualifier at Lancaster County retirement
community draws nearly 1,000 registrations
NEW HOLLAND, Pa. — Apr. 11, 2009 — Bob Dressler, 27, of Ronks, Pa.,
finished first in yesterday's Garden Spot Village marathon, with a time of
2:46:15. Elizabeth Smith, 29, Hershey Pa., placed first in the Women's
Division and 12th overall, with a time of 3:11:40. Steve Templin, 37, of
Milton, Pa., was the first across the finishe, winning the half marathon
with a time of 1:22:00.
"In the interest of encouraging people to get out and get fit, we added a
half marathon this year for people who wanted a shorter course," said race
director Scott Miller, himself a marathoner, who is also marketing director
of the retirement community. The event is believed to be the first marathon
hosted by a retirement community.
Under a blue spring sky in the brisk morning air, an estimated 2,000
runners and spectators gathered near the community's Legacy Garden for the
start of the race. The event drew participants from as far away as Brazil.
The USA Track & Field (USATF)-certified course circled through the
farmlands at the foot of Welsh Mountain before returning to the 104-acre
Garden Spot Village campus. The event is a qualifier for the Boston
Marathon.
First-place marathon finishers in each of four categories won cash awards
of $500: Men Overall, Women Overall, Men 50-plus and Women 50-plus. The
Garden Spot Village Marathon is unique in that the masters awards for
runners 50-plus are the same amounts as the overall awards.
"We feel it is important to encourage adults to remain active regardless of
age, and we want to recognize the athleticism of our 50-plus runners," said
Miller.
Results for the full marathon were:
Men's Overall
First place Bob Dressler, age 27, Ronks, Pa.; 2:46:15
Second place Charles Therriault, age 24, Newmarket, N.H.; 2:47:38
Third Place Joel Moceri, age 27, West Lawn, Pa.; 2:47:56
Women's Overall
First place Elizabeth Smith, age 29, Hershey, Pa.; 3:11:40
Second place Jennifer Panetta, age 40, Berwyn, Pa.; 3:20:20
Third place Megan Kiczek, age 29, Exton, Pa; 3:36:39
Men's Masters (age 50 or above)
First place Steven Andrews, age 50, Etna, N.H.; 2:53:07
Second place Eugene Gignac; age 54; New Cumberland, Pa; 3:12:58
Third Place Justin Whittington, age 50, Wernersville, Pa.;
3:18:23
Women's Masters (age 50 or above)
First place Mary Richardson, age 50, Middlefield, Mass.; 3:48:51
Second place Marsha Hatten, age 52, Mountville, Pa.; 3:56:18
Third Place Ritta Tornegard, age 58, Yardley, Pa.; 4:33:42
The half marathon also is USATF certified. Results were:
Men's Overall
First place Steve Templin, Milton, Pa.; 1:22:00
Second place Jim Stoltzfus, New Holland; 1:23:04
Third Place Phillip Gause; Philadelphia; 1:23:58
Women's Overall
First place Heather Sayre, Houghton, N.Y; 1:30:21
Second place Steffie Brockhart, Lititz, Pa.; 1:31:34
Third place Dawn Fisher, Gordonville, Pa; 1:32:25
Men's Masters
First place Patrick Lynam, Arnold, Pa.; 1:24:48
Second place Jeff Kirchner, Lancaster, Pa., 1:30:02
Third Place Doug Arndt, Strasberg, Pa., 1:33:58
Women's Masters
First place Diane Widdowson, Lancaster, Pa.; 1:36:40
Second place Nancy Sensenig, Wyomissing, Pa.; 1:40:58
Third Place Elaine Cook, Mohrsville, Pa.; 1:44:00
The Negative Splits from West Chester won the Relay Division with a time of
2:51:29. The Stage Drivers from Sinking Springs took second place with a
time of 3:07:32, and Men at Work, from Berks County, finished third, in
3:17:43.
Complete and final results can be found at GardenSpotVillageMarathon.org.
Proceeds from the marathon benefit the Garden Spot Village Benevolent Fund,
which helps support residents who need financial assistance. The event's
premier sponsors is Garden Spot Village. Comcast and Warfel Construction
Company are the event's presenting sponsors, and Blue Ridge
Communications/Cable 11 is the media sponsor. New Holland Auto Group
sponsored one of the water stations along the 26.2-mile, USA Track &
Field-certified, Boston Marathon qualifier course. Mile marker sponsors
were Graystone Bank, Highmark and United Concordia Dental. Kegel's Produce,
Landis Foods, Pioneer, Singer, Triangle Communications and Turkey Hill made
in-kind donations. MetLife Home Loans, Rochester Midland and Stauffers Drug
Store all are Marathon Friends.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Garden Spot Village Benevolent Fund,
which helps support residents who need financial assistance. In the current
fiscal year, Garden Spot Village will provide approximately $1.3 million in
benevolent care.
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