FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Winitz
(650) 948-0618
LUNDSTROM AND COORDT VICTORS AT NAPA VALLEY MARATHON
NAPA, Calif. - March 6, 2005 - A collegiate cross country coach and a
nutritionist headed the men's and women's races in a field of
approximately 2,200 runners today at the 27th Annual Napa Valley
Marathon. Chris Lundstrom, 28, of San Francisco won the men's race in a
time of 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 43 seconds, duly impressing the distance
runners he coaches at San Francisco State University. Mary Coordt, 35, of
Elk Grove, CA topped the women's contingent in 2:51:50. Coordt's
community college students, to whom she teaches nutrition courses, will
take a lesson in eating for high performance.
The wins earned Lundstrom and Coordt titles as the 2005 Road Runners Club
of America (RRCA) National Champions. The event served as RRCA's National
Marathon Championship event. For their victories, the overall winners won
their own weight in fine Napa Valley wine donated by the Napa Valley's
Silverado Trail Wineries Association.
In spite of an uncharacteristically gray and rainy winter, California
unveiled a morning punctuated by periodic patchy fog, blue skies, and a
temperatures of 41 degrees at the 7:00 a.m. start. Participants had near
ideal conditions to negotiate the Calistoga-to-Napa course resplendent
with panoramic views of the valley, and dormant vineyards carpeted with
golden mustard fields.
Lundstrom, a first time entrant in this race, was determined neither to
let the undulating, slightly downhill early miles draw him out too fast,
or allow the scenery to lure him into complacency. The former track and
cross country competitor at Stanford University who owns a 2:18 marathon
personal best was practicing pacing for next month's Boston Marathon.
"That was kind of my plan," said Lundstrom, "to run a steady long run for
about 18 miles or so, and then run a few hard miles at the end."
After negotiating 10 miles in 55 minutes behind Pieter Vermeesch
(Stanford, CA), Lundstrom, as planned, pulled into the lead at 18 miles
as he lowered his pace to 5:30 per mile. Despite a quick portable toilet
stop a mile later that briefly cost him the lead, Lundstrom was in
control again by 21 miles and pushed home to victory.
Byrne Decker, 37, of Yarmouth, Maine overtook Vermeesch to capture second
place in 2:26:32. Vermeesch, who placed second last year, hung on for
third in 2:30:05.
Lundstrom, a Minnesota native who moved to California to attend Stanford,
joins another native Minnesotan as a Napa Valley Marathon men's champion:
Dick Beardsley (Detroit Lakes, MN) who won the 1987 race in 2:16:20, a
men's course record that still stands.
In today's race, Beardsley, 48, successfully defended his masters
(runners age 40 and over) men's title in 2:43:41.
Said Lundstrom about Beardsley, one of the fastest American males ever at
the marathon distance: "Dick was certainly an inspiration to me growing
up in Minnesota. I've always followed [Minnesota's] Grandma's Marathon,
where he also holds the course record [of 2:09:37 set in 1981]. I talked
to Dick at the starting line, which gave me a big boost."
In the women's race, Coordt used her familiarity with Napa's course to
forge a dominating win. Coordt also won here in 1997, and has run the
race four times. She decided to run the 2005 race only the night before
after speaking about runners' nutrition at the Napa Valley Marathon's
"Marathon College" on Saturday.
"It was just too beautiful weather to pass up," said Coordt, a two-time
U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier. "I haven't been doing much speed
work, so I thought I'd just start out at 6:50 pace and just have fun. But
soon I was feeling so good that I just couldn't slow myself down anymore."
Coordt took the lead at about seven and a half miles and never looked
back. Sarah Hallas, 25, of Two Rock, CA finished second in 2:57:42,
almost six minutes behind the winner. Jasmine Green, 24, of Morgan Hill,
CA grabbed third place in 2:57:50.
Roberta McGraw (Antioch, CA), 43, won the women's masters race in 3:06:40.
Among senior competitors, multiple age-group record holders John Keston
and Helen Klein recorded standout races. Oregon's Keston, 80, finished in
3:51:07. Klein, of Rancho Cordova, CA concluded in 4:57:12, a U.S.
women's single-age best for 82-year-old women.
Full race results are available on the event's website at
www.napa-marathon.com.
All proceeds from the Napa Valley Marathon (a non-profit organization)
are donated to local charities in the Napa Valley.
The Napa Valley Marathon appreciates generous sponsor support from
Calistoga Mountain Spring Water, Gatorade, ASICS America Corporation,
Silverado Trail Wineries Association, Marathon & Beyond, Road Runners
Club of America, USA Track & Field, Marathon Photo, Napa Valley Marriott
Hotel & Spa, CBS 5 and UPN Bay Area, GU, KVYN/99.3 The Vine, KVON 1440,
Comcast, Wines Central, MRC Delivery Solutions, Pacific Union College,
Napa Running Company, and Queen of the Valley Hospital.
Top Results:
(See www.napa-marathon.com for full results.)
27th Napa Valley Marathon
Napa, CA, Sunday, March 6, 2005
MEN
1) Chris Lundstrom, San Francisco, CA, 2:23:43
2) Byrne Decker, Yarmouth, ME, 2:26:32
3) Pieter Vermeesch, Stanford, CA, 2:30:05
4) Justin Henkel, Hoffman Estates, IL, 2:31:03
5) Matte Pulle, Nashville, TN, 2:33:14
MASTERS MEN (40+)
1) Dick Beardsley, Detroit Lakes, MN, 2:43:41
WOMEN
1) Mary Coordt, Elk Grove, CA, 2:51:50
2) Sarah Hallas, Two Rock, CA, 2:57:42
3) Jasmine Green, Morgan Hill, CA, 2:57:50
4) Erin Tracht, Shell Beach, CA, 2:59:47
5) Elizabeth McCleneghan, Stanford, CA, 3:06:28
MASTERS WOMEN (40+)
1) Roberta McGraw, Antioch, CA, 3:06:40
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