Race Information: Capital City Marathon

The Capital City Marathon on Sunday, May 20, 2002, at Olympia, WA, was as good as it gets! I have been running this marathon since 1985 and can never recall better running weather. At the 7:30 a.m. start in downtown Olympia, there was a light rain, and the temperature was in the low 50’s. With in the first hour of the race, the rain stopped, but the skies remained overcast, and the temperature did not exceed 58 degrees.

This race is always a social event for Lenore and me. We see more friends and acquaintances at this marathon than we do at any other. We visit constantly during the packet pickup on Saturday at Sylvester Park, continue visiting during the pre-race wait at the park, during the race, and at the post race wait for the awards ceremony. We meet new runners and their families, and our circle of running friends grows. This is reflected in the partial list of results at the end of this report.

I had a chance to talk with several runners on the course. Paul Fouch, 68, of Klamath Falls, OR, and I became acquainted at the Crater Lake Marathon last August and saw each other again at the Portland Marathon. He is recovering from a foot injury, so he was pleased with his time of 4:18:36. After the race we met his mother, wife, children and grandson Nicholas.

Lester Cummings, 34, (4:54:11) of Portland, OR, was running his first marathon as was his wife. They were celebrating their first wedding anniversary. His marathon was also preparation for his first ironman triathlon this summer. He will compete in the Canada Ironman at Penticton, BC, and want ed some experience at the marathon distance. He was enjoying the race and running well.

In many races there is an out-and-back section where one may see the leaders. In the Capital City Marathon there is a part of the course at the half-way mark in which the middle of the pack runners and the front runners share the same 1 1/2 miles of road….each group on different sides of the road, all going in the same direction. At any rate, it was a thrill to have the pace car pass and precede Andy Wedam, 25, of Portland, OR as he sped along at a 5:45 pace. After he went out of sight, I realized that he was in his 21st mile and 8 miles in front of me. He was at the finish line before I reached the 16 mile marker (extending his lead over me to 10 miles). Now that is humbling!

Andy Wedam finished in a time of 2:30:43. Dave Steffens, 42, of Seattle was the second finisher and the first masters runner with a 2:40:55. Forrest Kimbler, 39, of Olympia was third finishing with a 2:46:58.

Karen Steen, 37, also of Olympia was 5th overall with a sub three hour to win the women’s race in a time of 2:56:13. Shelley Hack, 29, of Sammamish, WA, was second with a time of 2:57:57. She was followed by Amanda Havens, 24, of Olympia who ran a 3:09:39.

Congratulations to Ray Wold, 64, of Lebanon, OR, wearing bib #100 as he ran his 100th marathon! He intends to join the 100 Marathon Club North America, and Lenore and I welcome him to the club.

Congratulations also to Frank Fleetham, 59, of Seattle for running all of the Capital City Marathons. He ran the inaugural event in 1982 and continued until the present one for a cumulative total of 21 marathons at Olympia. In running her 149th marathon at the Capital City Marathon 2002, Carol Dellinger, 39, is almost at her 150th milestone. She will reach that goal next month at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN. She is a charter member of the 100 Marathon Club NA, a long time Marathon Achiever, and a 50 State and DC Marathon Group member.

My race went well, and I felt great throughout. My formula of doubling my half time (2:02:30) and adding 10 minutes didn’t work again. Instead of finishing with a 4:15:00, I ended with a 4:08:01….only 18 seconds slower than the previous week. My last 10K was at 58 minutes which I consider close to my potential at that stage of the race. I finished 228th of 417 and first of two 70+ males.

Thanks go to the race director, her committee and to all of the volunteers for putting on a well-organized event with ample water and sports drink at the aid stations, a T-shirt free of advertising, and pizza and other amenities at the finish area.

Written by Bob Dolphin