Race Information: Easter Marathon Runoff

Running the Easter Marathon is always a holiday treat, almost like going on an Easter picnic. The runners who ran Bob Green’s medley of events gathered at Millersylvania State Park south of Olympia, WA, the day before Easter….Saturday, April 14, 2001. At the park we picked up our runners’ packets in a picnic shelter and then had time to visit with running friends and acquaintances before the activities of this pre-holiday gathering started.

On hand were Robert and Grace Reed and Sally, Erick, and Jay Lindbergh most of whom were there to run the 5K. Participants from our YAKIMA RIVER CANYON MARATHON two weeks earlier were David Whedbee, Greg Gormley, and Mel Preedy, all from the Puget Sound area. Walter Prescott of Derry, NH, Ruth Morrow of Wichita Falls, TX, and Beth Davenport of Santa Fe, NM, members of the 50 States and DC group, were interesting to visit with about marathoning. They had traveled the farthest to add Washington to their state lists

At the 8:00 a.m. start the temperature was in the high 40’s with a thin cloud cover overhead…..good running weather. This course is an out-and-back that I really enjoy. The hills are few and minor in difficulty, and the rural and forested scenery is interesting. There were about 80 runners in the combined field for the half marathon and the marathon. We ran together for a quarter marathon, and then most of the runners did a 180 degree turn. This left the group of marathoners to continue on to the next turn-around.

As I left this turn, only three runners were in sight. I caught up with them in the eighth mile and went on ahead. From then on for miles I couldn’t see any runners. It was like a training run with aid stations. Finally in the 11th mile, the front runners were coming back, and I felt like I was in a race again. However, when I made my halfway turn, all of the runners in front of me were out of sight again. I greeted the runners behind me going in the opposite direction and then ran on. Finally in the 21st mile I could see a runner ahead. It was Ryan Peterson. Due to a knee injury, he was walking instead of running. I gave him some Advil and ran on. A mile later I could see another runner up ahead. It turned out to be Mel who had run the 50 mile Mt. Si Race the week before. As always happens in these instances, Mel picked up the pace as we neared the finish, and I couldn’t respond. He finished in 4:00:50, and I was at the line in 4:01:49.

At the finish line Lenore (who was volunteering there) welcomed me back. Retiring to the picnic shelter, the chili and the other food and drink provided to the runners were welcome. The finishers’ medals and age class trophies were classy. Lenore and I will return to the park in December for Bob Green’s Christmas Marathon to renew this running experience. Thanks to Bob and his volunteers for putting on these holiday races.

Written by Bob Dolphin

Race Results

  Wheelchair Division
  2:56:40  David Whedbee, 33, Seattle 
  2:59:03  Neil Gelblum, 49, Lake Oswego, OR 
  3:00:23  Takeisa Suzuki, 39, Redmond, WA 
  3:03:37  Ron Hayden, 45, Kennewick, WA 
  3:08:52  Jim Rucker, 52, Walnut Creek, CA 
  3:18:29  Shannon Hodge, 27, Port Coquitlam, BC 
  3:29:54  Kevin Shanley, 35, Lakewood, WA 
  3:30:41  Inre Sorban, 50, Breckendale, BC 
  3:32:25  Thomas Sutton, 29, Lacey, WA 
  3:44:44  Moe Codino, 28, Portland, OR 
  3:46:16  Dave Kurtz, 48, Everett, WA 
  3:49:20  George Spence, 47, Olympia, WA
  3:52:05  Greg Gormley, 45, Puyallup, WA 
  4:00:50  Mel Preedy, 68, Ravensdale, WA 
  4:01:49  Bob Dolphin, 71, Renton, WA 
  4:06:17  Beth Davenport, 40, Sante Fe, NM 
  4:12:56  Ryan Peterson, 22, Bremerton, WA 
  4:16:23  Rich Holmes, 51, McLean, WA 
  4:16:40  Richard Kronich, 43, Portland, OR 
  4:17:48  Michelle Hall, 32, Seattle, WA 
  4:28:18  Scott Taylor, 41, Puyallup, WA 
  4:29:16  Linda Beltz, 38, Columbus, OH 
  4:29:16  Clifford Beltz, 42, Columbus, OH 
  4:29:31  Walter Prescott, 47, Derry, NH 
  4:32:12  Allie Freitas, 27, Seattle, WA 
  4:32:56  Madelin Chatlain, 43, Hiltonhead, SC 
  4:45:06  Steven Spitze, 35, Reno, NV 
  4:49:15  Rachel Throolin, 20, Lake Forest Park, WA 
  5:03:28  Ruth Morrow, 45, Wichita Falls, TX 
  5:07:40  Jared Blum, 24, Lake Forest Park, WA 
  5:56:05  Mirek Malinowski, 61, Woodlands, TX