Race Information: Silver State Marathon

On Sunday, August 22, 2004, I ran the Silver State Marathon near Carson City, Nevada, while my wife Lenore volunteered at the finish line. She enjoyed having a chance to visit with Les Wright, race director of the Lake Tahoe Marathon and with Rich Benyo, race director of the Napa Valley Marathon and editor of Marathon and Beyond magazine.

Following the Crater Lake Marathon on August 14th, we headed south for a visit with daughter Jan Stensland and son-in-law Simon Patton in Kensington, California, near San Francisco Bay. After a delightful visit we drove across the Central Valley and Sierra Mountains, skirting Lake Tahoe, to Carson City, Nevada.

The next day we drove 30 miles north to Reno to the massive Atlantis Casino Resort for the packet pickup/expo. I was surprised, honored and pleased to be assigned bib number ONE for the marathon. The expo was modest, but it had some merchandise from a local running store and a leftover T-shirt sale.

At the predawn staging area at Bowers Mansion Regional Park, 10 miles north of Carson City, we were pleased that we knew quite a few of the runners. It was a nice surprise to see Rick Worley and his wife Dee from the Houston, Texas, area. We had last seen Rick at the Oklahoma Marathon in Tulsa last November. He is the only megamarathoner whom I know of whose accomplishments are in the Guinness Book of World Records. From 1997-1999, in 159 consecutive weeks he ran 200 bonafide marathons, completed three 50 States & DC cycles and had a one-year completion of the Canadian Provinces and Territories.

It was also great to see Larry Macon again. He’s a 50 Stater and 100 Marathon Club North America member from San Antonio, Texas. He had been at Crater Lake the previous weekend, AND the day before this marathon he ran the Grizzly Marathon at Choteau, Montana!

The Silver State Marathon was an interesting race, and I was glad that I ran it to add “Nevada” to my 50 States list. The weather cooperated with temperatures in the 60’s at the 6:00 a.m. start and in the 70’s at the finish. Some cloud cover and light winds helped make it a good day for running.

The course was a loop around Washoe Lake, relatively flat with 4-5 minor hills. Most of the course followed asphalt roads in farm country or in sagebrush. Three segments, for a total of six miles, were trails in sage or by pastures. The trails had a sandy surface which affected the pace by about a minute per mile.

Other than running in the sand, I enjoyed the natural history in the sage. A coyote crossed the trail just 50 feet in front of me, and a group of about 20 white pelicans were resting on Little Washoe Lake. There were some plants in bloom to make the run in the sage interesting. Yellow-flowered gray rabbitbrush and white poppies were the most conspicuous.

My run went well. Running at 5,000 feet elevation, I expected to finish in about 5 hours. I was running with a group that missed a turn from pavement to trail in Washoe Lake State Park, and we ran an extra three minutes before we got back on track. In the last 10K we ran through a ponderosa pine area that was rolling and picturesque with old farmsteads. What had been a headwind until we changed direction was now a welcome 20 mph tailwind to asist the runners in the final miles. I finished with a 5:02:24, 65th of 82 overall, third of four 70+Male runners…….and, again, I was the oldest runner in the race!

Two of the Marathon Maniacs had superlative performances. Laura Bleakley, Vacaville, CA, won the women’s race for the second consecutive weekend. Last week she was the first woman at the Crater Lake Marathon in Oregon where she ran a 3:40:36 to win and place 6th overall. At the Silver State Marathon she ran a 3:30:27 and again was 6th overall.

Chris Warren, a Marathon Maniac founder, ran with Laura at Crater Lake (3:40:38), but in this race, he challenged Michael Cook, 30+, of Santa Rosa, California. Michael prevailed with a 2:58:59, and Chris was close behind with a 3:03:23.

David Knapp, 39, a Marathon Maniac from Englewood, CO, also ran at the Crater Lake Marathon and had a 4:16:45 at the Silver State Marathon……..as he continues his quest to run 40 marathons in 2004 to celebrate his upcoming 40th birthday.

Thanks go to race director Lon Monroe, the Silver State Striders, the race committee and the volunteers for putting on a fine marathon. I’ll recommend it to my running friends!!

Written by Bob Dolphin

Silver State Marathon Partial Results

(1)  2:58:59  Michael Cook, 30+, Santa Rosa, CA
(2)  3:03:23  Chris Warren, 37, Renton, WA
(3)  3:17:38  Gray Dawson, 30+, Bridgeport, CA

(1F)  3:30:27  Laura Bleakley, 30+, Vacaville, CA
(2F)  3:54:26  Chris Tomlinson, 40+, Brentwood, CA
(3F)  4:07:52  Jennifer Gonzalez, 20+, Reno, NV

4:03:15  Don James, 70+, Incline, NV
4:16:45  David Knapp, 39, Englewood, CO
4:22:09  Ethan Dupris, 50+, Hollister, CA
4:43:55  Paul Fouch, 70+, Klamath Falls, OR
4:57:04  Sheri Okamoto, 40+, Los Angeles, CA
5:02:24  Bob Dolphin, 74, Renton/Yakima, WA
5:15:31  Roberto Andreos, 62, Folsom, CA
5:21:38  Donald Littlefield, 50+, Folsom, CA
5:21:49  John Cantalupi, 19, Redwood City, CA
5:41:44  Rick Worley, 50+, Kingwood, TX
5:48:47  Janice "Kay" Moyer, 40+, Wellpinit, WA
5:49:24  John DeLeon, 30+, Arlington Heights, IL
6:02:43  Larry Macon, 50+, San Antonio, TX
6:10:06  Sheri Milone, 50+, Placitas, NM