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Shore to Shore Marathon
September 18, 2004
Race Report by Bob Dolphin
On Saturday, September 18, 2004, I joined 47 other runners to participate for the fourth time in the fourth annual Shore to Shore Marathon. I enjoy this race at Lake Chelan, so I hope to keep my string going. It's one of the most scenic races that I run each year. The race started near Twenty-five Mile Creek State Park on South Shore Boulevard in a forested area above lakeshore homes. The run followed a point-to point course that proceeded south following the south shore through hilly terrain. Looking across the long, but narrow, lake in the early miles
the runners saw the North Cascade Mountains, some hills, and the town of Manson several miles away.
Manson is the finish area....so close and yet so far. To get there, we followed the shoreline through forest, sage, fields, orchards and the city of Chelan.
The marathon started at 7:00 a.m. in early light with few clouds, light winds, and an air temperature of 60 degrees. With the afternoon temperature peaking at 65 degrees, it was good running weather.
My race went well. I started at the back of the field and then held a 10 minute pace most of the time. I passed a few runners in mid-race, but mostly I ran alone as the small field spread out. As I reached the city of Chelan in the 17th mile at the east end of the lake, I was still holding my pace, but then the "wall" set in after a long hill in the 18th mile. In the last 10K while running along the north shore, a walk/run alternation sequence kept me moving. Manson came in sight, and there was a welcome tailwind that helped get me to the finish line.
My time was 4:32:51, (10:15 pace), and I was the 30th of 48 marathon finishers.....the only 70-74 male participant and the oldest one in the race. I finished 42 minutes faster than at the Skagit Flats Marathon six days earlier and had my best finishing time this year by 10 minutes. It was a good day!
There were Marathon Maniacs on hand again. Sue Fauerbach, 57, of Renton, the first woman to become a Marathon Maniac (MM), finished first in the 55-59F division with a time of 5:20:48.....in spite of being hampered by a foot injury. The Shore to Shore Marathon was Sue's SIXTH marathon in SIX weekends, truly a maniacal accomplishment!
Gregg Walchli, 42, an MM and a 100 Marathon Club North America member from Seattle came in second overall with a time of 3:06:00. This was Gregg's third marathon in three weekends. He ran a 3:00:21 at the Skagit Flats Marathon at Burlington and was the overall winner. He had also won a marathon a week earlier on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in Canada. He ran the difficult Tongass Marathon at Ketchikan, AK, on August 21st this year and won it with a 3:27:23. That's THREE WINS and a SECOND in less than a month!
Pete Hansen, 48, of Ferndale is on schedule to run 17 marathons in 2004. At Lake Chelan he ran a 3:16:23 for second place in the 45-49M division. Only six days earlier he had a 3:13:20 at the Skagit Flats Marathon. Way to go, Pete! I enjoyed visiting with MM's Ted Coulson, 56, and Doug MacLean, 52, of the Seattle area at the awards ceremony. Ted finished with a 3:45:33 for third 55-59M, and Doug had a 3:10:54 for sixth place overall and first 50-54M. Doug is a sponsor of the YAKIMA RIVER CANYON MARATHON providing "Talking Rain" for our race.
Jared Wymer, 17, of Poulsbo was back. Last year Lenore and I became acquainted with him as he ran his first marathon at Lake Chelan. His time of 3:51:42 was about 40 minutes faster than his time last year. His dad David Wymer, 41, ran his first half marathon and had a finishing time of 1:33:02 for fifth overall of 106 finishers!
It was good to see Jim Simpson, 62, of Huntington Beach, CA again. He's a 100 Marathon Club North America member and a 50 Stater. After he finished the marathon in 4:43:52, he drove to Billings, MT, to be able to run the Montana Marathon the next day! At the starting area Tim Larson, 52, of Wenatchee introduced himself to me. Someone on the bus to the starting line had told him that as a first-time marathoner he should run with me, and he would finish in about 4:30:00. I was dubious and told him that my time was about five hours these days. I last saw him in the 14th mile, and he must have keyed in on me as he finished close behind with a 4:35:08, a respectable first marathon time.
I "leap-frogged" with Kelly Hendra, 39, and Shannon Anderson, 32, before they passed me at Mile 24 to finish in 4:30:35 and 4:30:36. Much later I learned that we were all from Yakima. Thanks go to our friends and weekend hosts, Patty and Hal Porter of Manson. Hal gave me an enjoyable tour of the Cascade Mountains adjacent to Lake Chelan's north shore the day before the race. We flushed a Coopers hawk and several ruffed grouse which are interesting birds of the mountains. Patty, Lenore and Sue Fauerbach worked on quilts at the Porter home. Lenore and Sue produced similar, small quilts that each took home as keepsakes of another great marathon weekend.
Written by Bob Dolphin
Shore to Shore Marathon Partial Results
(1) 3:00:00 Craig Elsner, 35, Manson, 1st in Age Division
(2) 3:06:00 Gregg Walchli, 42, Seattle, 1st
(3) 3:08:02 Kevin Carrol, 49, Spokane, 1st
(1F) 3:36:35 Allison Tuszynski, 22, Spokane, 1st
(2F) 3:46:19 Susan Brockenbrough, 30, Seattle, 1st
(3F) 3:51:51 Jean Brockenbrough, 60, Bellevue, 1st
3:12:11 Doug MacLean, 52, Mercer Island, 1st
3:16:23 Pete Hansen, 48, Ferndale, 2nd
3:45:33 Ted Coulson, 56, Seattle, 3rd
3:51:42 Jared Wymer, 17, Poulsbo, 1st
4:30:35 Kelly Hendra, 39, Yakima, 1st
4:30:36 Shannon Anderson, 32, Yakima, 3rd
4:32:51 Bob Dolphin, 74, Renton/Yakima, 1st
4:35:08 Tim Larson, 52, Wenatchee
4:39:31 Lenore Toms, 50, Seattle, 1st
4:43:52 Jim Simpson, 62, Huntington Beach, CA, 2nd
5:20:48 Sue Fauerbach, 57, Renton, 1st
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