Race Information: Crater Lake Marathon

For a week or two before the Crater Lake Marathon of August 8, 1998, I had misgivings about the air temperatures for the event. In the week before the race 100+ temperatures were noted east of the Cascades in south central Oregon. My concerns were unnecessary, as cooler conditions prevailed by race day. The field of 498 runners for three concurrent races (6.7, 13.0, and 26.2 miles) ran with a temperature of 55′ at the 7:30 a.m. start to the mid 70’s at the marathon finish. Under clear skies with an intermittent ten mile wind, the running was almost pleasant as we looked down on Crater Lake below the cliffs and promontories of the rim. The nearby mountains, forests, meadows, and snow patches added to the beauty of the setting.

Although this marathon is often won by some young fellow who lives at a high elevation, it isn’t always the case. This year the winner was Larry Abraham, 48, from Tacoma, WA. He finished his first Crater Lake Marathon in a time of 3 hours, 12 minutes, and 5 seconds–over seven minutes ahead of Spencer Schaffner who had a 3:19:44. In her Crater Lake Marathon debut, Ruth Michler, a math professor at the University of North Texas, won the women’s race with a time of 3:37:14. She was twelfth overall.

The 60-69 male division was won by Martin Balding, 61, of Susanville, CA, with a time of 3:28:35. He was the sixth finisher overall and really impresses me.

Our friends and acquaintances ran well. David Olsho, 47, of Seattle, WA, was 31st overall with a 3:59:05. Dick Stones, 61, of Portland, OR, was third in the 60-69M division with a 4:07:13. Lynne Werner, David’s wife, finished in 4:31:41. Ed Hansen, 51, an Oregon mega- marathoner, had a 4:40:00. Jimmy Smith, 57, who lives in Bremerton, WA, and runs one or two races every weekend, had a 5:53:34. Don Benberg, 61, a dedicated marathoner from Seattle finished last in 6:55:26 to win a special “I Did It” plaque.

My run went better than usual, I adjusted my approach to the race (hydration and pacing) and had my fastest time there in five years. I finished with a 4:33:11, ten minutes better than last year, 67th of 106 finishers, and fourth of six in the 60-69M division. Usually when I finish, I tell Lenore, “Never again!” But this time I felt fine and am looking forward to the next Crater Lake Marathon.

As always, the race directors, Bob and Beverly Freirich, did a great job and were assisted by many conscientious volunteers.

Written by Bob Dolphin