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Coeur d' Alene Marathon
May 28, 2000
Race Report by Bob Dolphin
As co-directors of the inaugural Yakima
River Canyon Marathon (March 31, 2001), Lenore and I pay more attention
now to how marathons are organized than ever before and learn something from
each one that we attend. We found the Couer d' Alene Marathon to be
well-organized, and it's obvious that the race directors are making an effort
to improve the quality of the event. This is evidenced by the prompt posting
of accurate results and the new scenic course that runs by Lake Coeur d' Alene
and provides vistas of the lake, forests, and mountains.
As the marathon approaches its silver anniversary, the number of charter
runners who have run all 23 annual marathons has been reduced to four. As
usual, Sylvia and Pat Quinn of Spokane, WA, and Russ Akers and Mac Bohlman of
the Walla Walla area were on hand to run their 23rd consecutive Coeur d' Alene
Marthons. Regrettably, Harold Copeland, 80, of Richland, WA, who had run the
previous 22 marathons at Coeur d' Alene, couldn't participate this year due to
illness.
It was good to see many of our running friends on hand at the marathon and
the concurrent half marathon on race day, May 28, 2000. The race was won by
Uli Steidi, 28, a graduate student from Germany who is attending the
University of Washington in Seattle. He set a course record with a time of
2:26:09. Only three weeks earlier Uli won the Vancouver Marathon (2:18:53)
reflecting his ability to race often and well. Six months ago he was the
winner of the Seattle Marathon with a 2:30:05. Jacqueline Van Allen, 36, of
Spokane was the women's division winner with a 3:04:16.
With the long out-and-back section by the lake one gets to see the whole
race field in the second half of the event. Eventually, the front runners,
friends, acquaintances, and competitors all pass going in the opposite
direction. This adds to the interest of the event.
Friends and acquaintances whom I saw on the course or talked to in the
start/finish area are listed below:
Russ Akers, 67, College Place, 4:20:20
Will Aslin, 53, Spokane, 4:29:19
Charles Badldridge, 77, Garden Valley, ID, 6:26:35
Mac Bohlman, 65, Walla Walla, 4:32:01
Steve Burt, 48, Pasco, 3:21:52
Larry Carroll, 60, Liberty Lake, 3:11:40
Sharon Carroll, 57, Liberty Lake, 3:55:55
Yau-Ming Chien, 57, Bellevue, 4:30:59
Bill Close, 40, Spokane, 3:54:31
Dennis Clute, 47, Spokane, 3:42:44
Mary Ann Clute, 47, Spokane, 4:32:41
Bob Dolphin, 70, Renton, 4:05:57
Richard Friedrichsen, 57, Clarks, NE, 3:46:19
Ed Galiger, 61, Lynnwood, 5:51:00
Trish Hruby, 42, Everett, 3:29:41
Davey Jones, 54, Seattle, 4:49:01
Evan Jones, 44, Colville, ID, 4:49:01
Jim Kunz, 51, Seattle, 3:58:37
Steve Love, 46, Mansfield, 4:15:28
Steve Pierce, 38, Coeur d' Alene, ID, 4:24:52
Mel Preedy, 67, Ravensdale, 3:30:21
Pat Quinn, 66, Spokane, 5:00:15
Sylvia Quinn, 63, Spokane, 3:58:16
Monty Robbins, 52, Kennewick, 3:45:25
Dave Vent, 63, Spokane, 6:05:55
There were good representations of Marathon Achievers and of the 50 States
and DC Group. I talked with John Wall from New Orleans, LA, and Don Wither of
Mobile, AL, who were adding Idaho to their state list. Richard Friederichsen
is close to the required 20 marathon total to become a 50 States and DC Club
member. He and his wife Marlene came from Clarks, Nebraska. In three
consecutive weekends his running of the Capital City Marathon in Olympia,
WASHINGTON, on May 21st, Coeur d' Alene Marathon in IDAHO on May 28th, and the
Newport Marathon in OREGON on June 3 gets him to within one race of that goal.
Lenore and I stayed with Gunhild and Jack Swanson at their Spokane home and
had a delightful visit. Both are injured and ran the half marathon instead of
the full. Gunhild, 55, came in first for the 55-59 women with a 1:37:46. Jack,
66, finished second for the 65-59 male division with a 1:59:35. They have run
marathons all over the country, in Canada, and in Germany, Gunhild's native
country. She has run 104 26.2 mile marathons and 11 ultramarathons since
September 1980. Jack started running marathons in 1979 and has run 116 26.2
mile marathons and 13 ultras. While both have many age class awards, Gunhild
is the only woman whom I know personally who has been the overall women 5
winner in 26 marathons.. four times at Coeur d' Alene. . . and at the
inaugural (and very difficult) Columbia River Gorge Marathon in 1998. She also
has five first place finishes in the Masters' Division. Her age class
performances include an additional 35 first places. The impressive list goes
on and on!!! Her PR of 2:56:28 was registered at the Seattle Marathon in 1982.
What a runner and she still runs some sub- 3:20's every year!
My race went well in spite of losing time to a 15 mile per hour headwind
for part of the race. I finished with a 4:05:57 which was a few minutes faster
than my time a week earlier at the Capital City Marathon and my Coeur d' Alene
finish time a year ago. My finishing position of 177th of 342 was near
mid-field, and I was the only runner in the 70-74M division.
We enjoyed the race, and I hope to run it again next year to keep my
14-year string of Coeur d' Alene Marathons growing.
Written by Bob Dolphin
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