Race Information: Easter Marathon Runoff

The surprising feature of the fourth annual Bob Green’s holiday marathons and shorter events (1 mile to half marathon and duathlon) are always fun events and good training. Millersylvania State Park (race headquarters, start & finish areas) become quite familiar if one runs three or more events there each year on single or double out-and-back courses.

At the Easter Marathon on Saturday, April 10, 2004, the day before Easter, it was “heat training” for the runners. The temperature was in the 50’s at the 10:00 a.m. start as the combined field of half and full marathoners left the shaded park and were on sunny Tilley Road a few minutes later. The sun was unobscured by clouds, and the temperature rose through the 60’s and to 76 degrees before the end of the race. I was thankful for the double out-and-back because there was more shade from the Douglas firs, and the 15 mph winds were cooling.

In the first half I was running with many runners, but they all finished their half marathon at the park and only twenty of us went on to do a second out-and-back for the marathon distance. In the second half the only runners whom I saw were those going in the opposite direction.

The winner of the marathon, Neil Wakelin, 56, of North Vancouver, BC, ran his 99th marathon that day in a time of 3:24:07. Our YAKIMA RIVER CANYON MARATHON the previous Saturday had been #97 with a time of 3:15:30. The next day he ran the Whidbey Island Marathon. That was THREE marathons in SEVEN days…..to make it possible for the Vancouver Marathon on May 2nd to be his 100th marathon!

Steve Yee, 44, of Renton, one of the founders of Marathon Maniacs, was second with a 3:33:43. Tied for third were Ron Fowler, 56, of Seattle and Greg Judge, 55, of Renton who ran the race together and finished in 3:55:59.

Connie Ridenour, 40+, of Spokane in seventh position overall won the women’s race with a 4:08:15. Herb Allen, 61, of Bainbridge Island ran a 4:11:40. Brenton Floyd, 19, of Harrison, Tennessee, (a new, adopted grandson) ran a 4:18:06. I (Bob Dolphin), 74, of Renton/Yakima ran a 4:43:10….13th of 20 and only 70+ male.

Evan Fagan, 67 of Victoria ran injured to a 4:48:20. Fenny Roberts, 51, of Salem, Oregon, and Jim Scheer, 62, of Vancouver, Washington, ran together to a 5:16:30. All of the above with the exception of Connie ran the YAKIMA RIVER CANYON MARATHON on the previous weekend. Many of these are Marathon Maniacs, and the rest would certainly qualify.

Since I was running slowly, I had the opportunity to admire the spring wildflowers. There were sweet cherry, plum, red elderberry, western dogwood, western bleeding heart, candyflower, tall buttercup, and woodland strawberry flowers to remind us that it was a nice, spring day.

Thanks to Bob Green and his volunteers (including Lenore Dolphin) for putting on another great marathon. I look forward to the next one that fits into our marathon schedule.

Written by Bob Dolphin