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Christmas Marathon
December 18, 2005
Race Report by Bob Dolphin
Like a kid looking forward to Christmas, I had similar feelings as I counted down the days to the Christmas Marathon. When the day finally arrived, Sunday, December 18, 2005, I couldn't wait to walk/run the 26.2 mile course south and west of Millersylvania State Park to break a personal record. No, it wasn't a speed record, those records are in the distant past. The record had to do with the number of marathons run in a calendar year. I had run 22 marathons several times in a year, but this time I was going to make it to 23 after I finished the Christmas Marathon.
As Lenore and I drove from Renton to the Olympia area in the pre-dawn darkness on race day, everything looked favorable. It was cold outside, and the skies were clear. I was relatively free of injuries except for the lateral tilt that still affects my distance running and walking.
As in past years, the weather was a topic of discussion. When the ten early participants gathered at the starting line, we could look at nearby Deep Lake and marvel that it was coated with ice, a rare phenomenon. Bob Green, the race director of the six events of the day (marathon, half marathon, 10 miler, 10K, 5K and 1 miler) told us that the temperature was 17 degrees. Brrr!!!
Within half a mile, we left the park to run south on Tilley Road. It was sunny, but frost covered the fields and ice covered standing water in roadside ditches. As the race progressed, the air temperature rose to 40-45 degrees, but it seemed colder. There was a wind chill due to a 15 mile per hour wind for much of the second half of the race. However, there were a wood stove, heat lamps and hot food in the picnic shelter at the finish line which were most welcome for the runners, their families and the busy volunteers.
My run went well. I enjoyed running and talking with Jon Gissberg in the early miles, but eventually I dropped back until only one early starter, Tim Bruce, was in sight. I walked a minute at mile markers and on the steepest hills in the first half. Early in the second half I gave up on my slow shuffle and changed to brisk, continuous walking.
There were a lot of Marathon Maniacs on the course. The first regular starter whom I saw was Greg Walchli. Greg won the marathon with a fine time of 2:51:37. I walked with Maniac Sue Fauerbach in mid-race. She was running her 55th marathon of the year, an amazing record-breaking number. But she isn't done yet. She and Steve Yee, president of the Marathon Maniacs who has similar marathon completions for the year, have one more marathon to run in 2005. They plan to run the Last Chance Marathon at Bellingham on December 31st.
Jim Kunz had a pre-race hamstring injury, and I was concerned when I saw him walking in the 11th mile. To his credit, he persevered and completed the race. Lenore and I were at the finish line and were happy to see that he made it…..in good spirits.
While running or walking, I saw a lot of common bird species. Of interest was a Winter Wren foraging in the Douglas Fir forest at the starting area. In a farmyard on the race course there was a blue and white Scrub Jay, a southern species that has expanded its range northward in recent years. There was also a Raven perched on a telephone pole that croaked at me as I ran past it.
I finished the marathon in 5:37:50 with a 13 minute pace, 74th of 78 overall, 1st 75-79M, and oldest in the race. It was my fourth marathon in four weekends, each one slower that the one preceding it. (There is a message here, no doubt!) Obviously, my legs need a rest! At least I was 14 minutes faster than at the Valentine Marathon on the same course on February 13, 2005.
Congratulations to John Bozung of Orem, Utah for completing his 225th marathon. He is on a quest to run 52 marathons in the year following his 52nd birthday last March. He is on schedule at 47 events. For the third, consecutive weekend he ran doubles of a 50K and a marathon! The day before this race, he ran a 50K at Muir Beach north of San Francisco, CA. This was one of the Pacific Coast Trail Runs (www.PCTrailRuns.com). John is the race director of the Squaw Peak 50 Miler Race at Provo, Utah, offered next on Saturday, June 3, 2006 (http://www.squawpeak50.com).
Congratulations to Paul Fournier of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for adding Washington to his states list to become a FINISHER of running a marathon in all 50 states!! He'll receive an award from the 50 States Marathon Club recognizing this accomplishment and will be entitled to wear a Finisher T-shirt. Jim Boyd of Seattle was the only other 50 State Finisher in the race.
The surprise of the day was an unexpected visit by Lenore's nephew and his wife, Jim and Carol Kuhlman, of Winlock. Lenore quickly put them to work, and they were busy volunteering at the finish area for six hours. Good training for the April 1, 2006, Yakima River Canyon Marathon???
Thanks to Bob Green, his wife Kristina, his mother-in-law Monica, Lenore, the Kuhlmans, Bill Barmore, and all of the many volunteers who made the medley of races such a success……..and to Maniac Chris Warren, photographer of the day.
It had been a good day to get into the Christmas spirit. My early gift to myself, a new record for me of running 23 marathons in one year, made it extra special. Among our many blessings, we cherish the friendships we've made as a result of our participation in running events…….and we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Written by Bob Dolphin
CHRISTMAS MARATHON RESULTS - December 18, 2005
2:51:37 Gregg Walchli, 43, Seattle, Marathon Maniac (MM), First Overall
2:56:33 Matthew Hargleroad, 24, Bellingham, Second Overall
3:02:12 Doug Randels, 41, Eugene, OR
3:11:45 Tony Phillippi, 44, Tacoma, MM
3:13:35 Roland Considive, 19, Beaverton, OR
3:14:17 Ruben Contreras, 51, Stanwood, MM
3:20:13 Craig Hanela, 30, North Bend
3:20:27 Stanley Hup, 51, Northfield, MN
3:29:26 Scott Turner, 39,West Linn, OR
3:30:53 Denise Patterson, 28, Oak Harbor, First Female Overall
3:31:02 Gayle Zorrilla, 34, Tacoma, Second Female Overall
3:33:25 David Jones, 59, Seattle, MM
3:37:04 Erin Van Allen, 28, Anacortes, Third Female Overall
3:37:35 Cathleen Knutson, 23, Seattle
3:39:04 Christel Elliott, 27, Tacoma, MM
3:39:49 Keith Senzer, 34, Seattle
3:39:50 Karl Borgren, 35, Edmonds
3:42:02 David Anderson, 28, Portland, OR
3:44:39 Zachary Skerritt, 20, Brightin, NC
3:45:31 Jennifer Hulton, 33, Bozeman, MT
3:47:51 Glen Birkvold, 31, Everett
3:49:04 Lesa Overfield, 46, Tacoma, MM
3:51:33 Jon Gibbens, 35, Seattle
3:51:38 Steve Frederickson, 59, Kent, MM
3:52:05 Michael Shiach, 55, Bainbridge Island, MM
3:53:02 Ron Fowler, 58, Seattle
3:54:04 Paul Fournier, 54, Milwaukee, WI, Completed his 50th STATE
3:55:53 Mark Looi, 45, Issaquah, MM
3:56:48 Andre Mare, 42, Portland, OR
3:57:58 Greg Szoinoki, 36, Portland, OR
3:58:31 Suzie Banzer, 33, Bremerton
3:58:31 Mackenzie Gavery, 28, Seattle
3:58:31 Brock Gavery, 28 Seattle
3:58:36 Steve Yee, 46, Renton, MM
3:59:29 Katherine Barrett, 46, Portland, OR
4:01:52 Guy Yogi, 51, Seattle, MM
4:04:31 Branay Garton, 34, Enumclaw
4:04:37 Amy Howland, 28, Seattle
4:05:18 Brittany Rowan, 24, Oak Harbor
4:05:53 Greg Judge, 57, Renton
4:06:30 Diana "Slug" Robinson, 39, Bellingham, MM
4:13:33 Bret Henny, 46, Lake Oswego, OR
4:14:54 Robert Hester, 32, Bonney Lake, MM
4:14:54 Rick Haase, 60, Shoreline, MM
4:16:42 Kate Merrill, 43, Astoria, OR
4:16:52 Aaron Engle, 29, Seattle
4:20:10 John Bozung, 52, Orem, UT
4:20:12 Richard Dahl, 52, Spanaway
4:22:15 Jean Kelley, 36, Puyallup
4:23:40 Patricia Stimson, 43, Puyallup
4:23:45 Erick Lundquist, 40, Gig Harbor
4:24:26 Minn Dang, 47, Huntsville, AL
4:26:23 Jeff Hensen, 42, San Marcos, CA
4:27:02 Gail Phillips, 46, Lake Oswego, OR
4:27:18 Jim Boyd, 63, Seattle, MM
4:30:02 Susan Champion, 37, Seattle
4:31:39 Cheng-Looi, 45, Seattle
4:33:23 Walter Lee, 50, Olympia
4:35:00 Richard Holmes, 56, Durham, NC
4:37:53 Sue Fauerbach, 58, Renton, MM
4:39:05 Renee Irvin, 43, Eugene, OR
4:45:24 Kathy Hicks, 49, Tacoma
4:47:27 Janet Burgess, 44, Renton, MM
4:48:06 Debbie Moriarty, 50, Portland, OR
4:48:30 Rick Smith, 49, Camas
4:51:44 Mel Preedy, 72, Ravensdale, MM
4:58:31 Jon Gissberg, 62, Seattle, First Marathon as a MARATHON MANIAC
4:58:59 Pat Graham, 32 Seattle
5:01:30 Jennifer Vesey, 24, Seattle
5:02:41 Fenny Roberts, 53, Salem OR,MM
5:02:43 Jim Scheer, 63, Vancouver, WA,MM
5:21:22 Wolfang Huhn, 53, Gresham, OR
5:33:14 Timothey Bruce, 52, Sequim
5:37:50 Bob Dolphin, 76, Renton/Yakima, MM
5:45:12 Ellen Burnett, 50, Spokane
5:46:43 Eddie Hahn, 40, Fort Lewis, MM
5:53:14 Paula Montague, 34, Springfield, OR
6:10:23 Jim Kunz, 57, Seattle
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