NEWPORT MARATHON It is always a treat for my wife Lenore to attend a marathon in which our friend Annie Thiessen, 37, a Marathon Maniac (MM) from Tacoma is a participant and she can give her a finisher’s medal and a hug. Invariably, Annie is a front runner in the women’s race and often is the winner. She had four wins in 2007, and before the Newport Marathon on May 31, 2008, she had four victories in 2008. These were at the Yakima River Canyon Marathon, Whidbey Island Marathon, Tacoma City Marathon and Capital City Marathon at Olympia……all in Washington State. With the exception of the Whidbey Island Marathon, we were privileged to be at the other three events. We were co-directors at Yakima, and I ran three of these four races with her. When I saw Annie in the starting area and on the course at the Newport Marathon, she looked great. She finished with a time of 2:56:12, 13th overall, to win the Newport Marathon women’s race by three minutes and give herself a new PR (Personal Record). What a great accomplishment to go with her five consecutive wins! The “icing on the cake” is this: she completed her 100th marathon that day!! As co-directors of the 100 Marathon Club North America, Lenore and I welcome Annie to the club as a new member. Wendy Hagle, 35+, of Bonney Lake, WA, finished in second place with a 2:59:29. Close behind was Carrie Woodward, 35+, of Murrieta, CA, in third place with a 2:59:53. Our friend Mary Hanna, 46, MM of Maple Valley, WA, came in fourth with a 3:02:46. She was the first Women’s Master Finisher and won her 45-49F age division. As I ran on the initial 2+ mile loop in Newport from the Yaquina State Park and historic lighthouse by a beachfront community, the eventual winner, Sean Sundwell, 35+, of Snoqualmie, WA, passed as he was running swiftly in the opposite direction. He was already running alone as he would be later when I saw him returning on S.E. Bay Boulevard by the Yaquina Estuary with a motorcycle escort. He set a new course record when he crossed the finish line at the Embarcadero Resort race headquarters. His time was 2:22:47 as he preceded a field of 637 runners and walkers. His average running pace was 5:45 per mile. Sean, who ran in the U.S. Olympic Trials in November 2007, gave the 2008 Newport Marathon high marks in comments to Marathon Guide. There was a close race for second and third places as Billy Borhus, 35+, of West Linn, OR, finished with a 2:41:38 for second, and Mike Tyler, 40+, of Salem, OR, was close behind with 2:41:57 for third place. It had been four years since I ran my other Newport Marathon, and I enjoyed my second outing as much as the first one. The course is scenic and mostly flat with only a few minor hills. The road by the Yaquina Estuary and River has a smooth asphalt surface. There are views of the Pacific Ocean in the first few miles. Then the course goes through a historic bayfront village and commercial section before reaching a rural area that has bluffs, hills, forest and sparse housing as one runs by the estuary shore. On race day, the sky was overcast with temperatures from the mid 40’s to 58 degrees during the marathon. After the 15.5 mile turnaround, there was some moderate wind that was tolerable. It was nice to be with runners the whole way and to greet others who were going in the opposite direction on the out-and-back section of the course. The aid stations provided friendly service and adequate food and drink for the runners at frequent intervals. They did a good job. In the last 10K I caught up with Ultra Al Miller, a long-time running friend who has run over 200 marathons and ultras. We visited awhile, and then I followed him to the finish. I ran down a hill in the last quarter mile to cross the finish line in 5:18:51, 580th of 637 runners and, at age 78, the only 70+ male. Of the six marathons that I’ve run in 2008, each has been faster than the one before for an hour improvement since the Easter Marathon last March. Lenore was waiting for me at the finish. She gave me a hug and a finisher’s medal and provided me with a jacket and a chair for a quick rest. I appreciated visiting with a group of Marathon Maniacs who were in the recovery area where I picked up my finisher’s T-shirt and goodie bag. There were good refreshments that included hot clam chowder and a cold beer! The runners and walkers are certainly given good treatment at this fine marathon. The night before the race there was a reasonably priced, great pasta feed at the Newport High School where we were able to visit with quite a few runners. Among them were long-time friend Eb Engelmann from Salem, Oregon, and David Nemoto, an MM from Houston, Texas. We met David’s friend Wonedwossen Goshu from Ethiopia who resides in Katy, Texas. It’s always great to meet a first-time finisher. Congratulations to Rachel Seignuer, 18, for running her first marathon with her mother, Cornelia, 40+. They finished together with a time of 5:04:24. Thanks to race director Tom Swinford, his committee and the many volunteers who made this class event possible. Lenore and I hope to return often to this well-organized marathon. …………………………………Written by Bob Dolphin NEWPORT MARATHON, Partial Results – May 31, 20082:22:47 Sean Sundwall, 35+, Snoqualmie,WA, FIRST OVERALL, Age Group First 5:04:24 Cornelia Seigneur, 40+, West Linn, OR |