Club Northwest All-Comers Track Meet: Firefighter Runs World Record

On Wednesday night athletes of all different levels and ages showed up to participate in the 2^nd Club Northwest All-Comers Track & Field Series meet of the season. Most of the athletes wore colorful racing singlets, athletic shorts and some form of fancy footwear on their feet, but not Tony Robinson. Robinson, who is an Edmonds Firefighter, showed up in what could very well be the most gear you could wear to race a mile; he wore a helmet, a heavy firefighter jacket, thick firefighter pants and some very, very, very big boots.

In an attempt to raise awareness and funds for Camp Eyabsut-a camp that benefits burn-injured youth, Robinson chose Shoreline Stadium on Wednesday to take a shot at breaking the Firefighter Mile Record. In order to break the record, he would have to run under 10 minutes for a full mile with his firefighter gear on. As he took to the starting line, Robinson was cheered on by a very enthusiastic crowd which included participating athletes, meet officials, staff and campers from Eyabsut, a few dozen firefighters from the Shoreline Department and some family members.

  

Unfazed by the cheering and the announcement of his forthcoming attempt that trumpeted throughout the stadium, Robinson looked extremely focused and set off like a man on a mission at the crack of the starters pistol. Running beneath the weight of his cumbersome gear, he clicked off laps well ahead of the pace need to break 10 minutes. With each passing lap, the 10 minute mark fell away and the only question would be how much he would break the record by. Part of the fundraising effort for the evening was for donors to put forth $1.00 for every second he ran under the record. Though any donation would be accepted, Tony was certainly maximizing his effort to insure a successful fundraising event.

As the final lap sounded, the man in the firefighter gear started to pick up his heavy boots at a faster rate: he dug deep and pumped his arms powerfully from within his bulky jacket while making an urgent rush towards the finish line. When Tony crossed the line people were cheering, a woman was crying, kids were smiling and the only thing that stood unmoved was the clock, at 8 minutes and 4 seconds. The record was his.

In the end, Tony’s time was just a series of numbers that would fail to capture the effort, heart and good will that a firefighter displayed last night for 1609 meters. Each week the Club Northwest meet officials choose an Athlete of the Meet, I've got a feeling it might have been the guy in the very, very, very big boots.

Weekend Race Round Up: Washingtonians in Idaho, Magnuson Series, Soaring Eagle Park 50k and the Mazama 10k

On Sunday a group of runners from Washington ran great at the Coeur d’Alene Marathon in Idaho as Adrian Ramirez of Vancouver was 2^nd in 2:47:36 in the men’s race and Adria Biasi of Cheney was 3^rd in the women’s race in 3:23:50. Bill Condon of Seattle ran 2:48:34 to finish 3^rd on the men’s side, while Andrea Bonaccorsi, also of Seattle, was 4^th in the women’s race in 3:27:55. Additionally, Bonaccorsi was the first female masters finisher. Full results can be found here.

In Seattle on Saturday, the Magnuson Series kicked off the Memorial Day weekend with a 5k, 10k and 15k at Magnuson Park. Ben Ward of Portland won the 5k in 17:55 and Isaac Armitage of Tacoma, who is only 15, won the women’s 5k in 21:43. 129 runners competed in the 5k. Moving up to the 10k, Andrew Walls of Seattle claimed the top spot in 40:56. On the women’s side Larissa Whipple of Mercer Island won the women’s 10k in 52:33. In the long race, Michael Engelbert of Seattle completed the 15k course in 57:13 for the victory, while Brooke Maddox took the women’s title in 1:13:01. The Magnuson Series, which offers races each month to test your fitness, will have its next race on Father’s Day Weekend, so mark your calendar for Saturday June 16^th at 10am. There will be a 5k, 10k, 15k, a team 2 person team race(5k each) and a kids dash schedule that Saturday to celebrate dear old dad. Full results can found here.

Moving to the longer stuff, Mac McClure who won the Seattle’s Best 15k last weekend moved up to the 50k distance at Soaring Eagle Park in Sammamish on Saturday and posted another victory. McClure’s time of 4:34:31 gave him the win over Tony Eckel and Thomas Gillette who finished 2^nd and 3^rd in 4:48:15 and 5:09:12. Wendy Wheeler-Jacobs of Sammamish had an impressive run in winning the women’s race by over an hour in 5:26:23. There was also a 5 miler, 10 miler and Marathon held on Saturday, full results can be found at Evergreen Trail Runs who hosted the race. The next Evergreen Trail Runs race will be held on the evening of Tuesday June 5^th at 6pm in Issaquah at Grand Ridge Regional Park.

Over in the Methow Valley, Jason Gulley of Bellingham took to the trails and covered the hilly Mazama 10k in 40:01 for the victory. Following Gulley across the line in 2^nd and 3^rd were John Durkee of Omak in 41:23 and Bill Fitzner of Mead in 41:37. Leslie Hall of Winthrop topped the women’s filled in 45:51 and was followed by Keri Fezzey of Coupeville in 47:21 and Carmen Johnson of Wenatchee in 50:06. For more information about the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association, which hosts many scenic events throughout the year, visit their website here.

Trail Running: Ravenna Trail Series Race #2

Thursdays are usually the non-descript, boring day of the week that is sandwiched between hump day and TGIF, but this past Thursday Eric Bone and his crew from Northwest Trail Runs brought a little pre-weekend excitement to Ravenna Park in Seattle with race # 2 in their 3 race series. The Ravenna Trail Series is new this year and is a low key event with runners mingling about and enjoying the park and then suddenly deciding to take to the starting line and race the trails. Runners were not only presented with a beautiful evening but a dynamic warm-up presented by Bronsa  Swint from On the Ball Fitness  and some raffles from the Balanced Athlete and RoadID.

Eric de Place and Annie Paker were the top finishers in the men’s and women’s 4.1k(1 loop) race with times of 18:02 and 21:46. In the 8.2k(2 loops) race Kelly Woolms and Amye Hadley claimed top honors with very close times of 34:20 and 36:24 respectively. Taking on the longest of the three races on the night David Miller claimed a course record at 8.1k(32:56) on the way to the new 12.3k record of 49:22. Susan Pevovar raced to victory on the women’s side in a very evenly run 59:49.

HS Track: 3200 Meter Races Sizzle, Records Fall

The first night of the 2A, 3A, 4A Washington Track and Field Championships at Mt. Tahoma High School in Tacoma was filled with great races, as the 3200 meter finals were run under clear and calm skies. The races themselves were far from clear and calm as they featured thunderous kicks, record breaking performances and an upset.

The action got underway with Sanne Holland(Cheney) and Brittany Gappa(Squalicum) battling it out for not only the state title, but who would break the 2A Meet record. Holland prevailed in the end and broke Shannon Porters record of 10:50 from 2007 with a 10:48.40. Both Gappa, who ran 10:51.07 for 2nd, and Holland are juniors so last night’s record may not last beyond next year.

Gappa’s teammate Patrick Gibson(Squalicum) took on perhaps the biggest distance name at the meet as he would battle Marcus Dickson(White River) for the 2A Boys title. Dickson, who has the 2^nd fastest 1600 meter time in the US, would be attempting a run to 4 state titles this weekend. Gibson, who is junior and hopes to run under 9:00 in the next 12 months, took off at a swift clip, kept the pace honest and forced Dickson to the edge of his range. Dickson, who was out matched, finished 2^nd after Gibson picked up the pace in the last 1600 meters. Both athletes were under the 2A Meet record of 9:05.88 by Kris Kwiatkowski from 2007 with Dickson at 9:04.9 and Gibson, who slashed close to 6 seconds off his personal best, at 9:01.86 to claim the state record, the win and in many eyes the upset victory.

Club Northwest Summer All -Comers Track & Field Series Starts Tonight

Grab the kids, grab your spikes and head to Shoreline Stadium(NE 185^th St/5^th Avenue NE) tonight as Club Northwest kicks off its 44th year of hosting summer all-comers track and field meets. There will be 12 meets this summer as the series run through August 8^th. In their 44^th year Club Northwest will roll out an on-line entry system that you can find on their website. Entry fees can still be paid for at the meet and will be collected at the gate($6 adults, $5 students, $4 youth/seniors and $3 for CNW members).

Weekend Race Round Up: Seattle’s Best, West Seattle 5k, Capital City Marathon, Rhody Run and Fast Track Stuff!!!

Kicking off a big weekend of racing, Mac McClure and Amber Taylor won the 2nd Annual  Seattle’s Best 15k on Saturday. McClure and Taylor toured the course that starts and finishes in Gasworks Park and circles Lake Union in 54:21 and 1:04:34. The race had 369 finishers and featured a unique BAREFOOT Division.

Sunday’s West Seattle 5k at Alki Beach saw Kelly Spady(16:56) outdistance Joe Sheeran and Joe Creighton for the win as they both finished ten second behind Spady in 17:06. Lana Lacey won the women’s race with a little room to spare in 18:14. Allison Camp and Daniela Zeman rounded out the Top 3 in 19:11 and 19:28.


Going long on Sunday was no problem for the Stevick’s as Jesse and Jenny of Olympia picked up matching marathon wins at the Capital City Marathon. Jesse won a close race against Joshua Klimick of Lacey with a 2:35:33 clocking, only slightly faster than Klimick’s 2:35:40. Masazumi Fujioka of Redmond was 3^rd and the 1^st masters runner in 2:43:05. Jenny claimed the women’s title with a run of 3:07:26. She was  followed by Oregonians Jennifer Seibel(West Linn) and Anika Janson(Portland) in 2^nd and 3^rd with times of 3:09:24 and 3:10:27 respectively. The Stevick’s own 8 Capital City Marathon victories between them(Jesse 6, Jenny 2). Check out the race photo gallery from The Olympian.


The Rhody Run 12k in Port Townsend is usually one of the most competitive races on the Spring calendar, this year was no different as both the men’s and women’s races attracted some speedy racers. Kristi Houk of Port Orchard beat a challenging course and her competitors with a time of 45:53, which gave her the victory by over 90 seconds. Trish Stiedhl of Seattle followed Houk with a time of 47:27. Karen Steen who finished 3^rd in 49:38 was also the top masters finisher on the women’s side. Joseph Gray won the men’s 12k in 38:51, which allowed him to collect his 4^th consecutive Rhody Run title. Brett Winegar held off Bereket Piatt for 2^nd place with a time of 39:05 to Piatt’s 39:18. A total of 2141 runners completed the hilly Port Townsend course.


Before the weekend even started several track athletes posted some impressive performances Friday night at USATF Oxy High Performance Meet in Los Angeles, Ca.  Lois Keller of Club NW ran 10:03.42(11^th overall) in the 3000 meter Steeplechase.  Kevin Hicks, who runs for S.E.T.A., was 26^th overall in a very deep 800 meter field with a time of 1:48.97. Brie Felnagle(adidas) was 12^th in the women’s 1500 meters in 4:08.80. Sarah Porter of Zap Fitness was 6^th in the women’s 5000 meters in 15:59.95 and Jake Riley ran 13:32.82 to finish 12 in the men’s 5000 meters.

Dan McLean and Claudia Copeland Win at Beat the Bridge

Dan McLean of the Tacoma City Running Club and Claudia Copeland of Club Northwest took to the streets surrounding Husky Stadium this morning with about 5,000 other runners to help support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation(JDRF) and to Beat the Bridge. McLean, who completed the 8k course in 24:13, not only beat the bridge but he beat a top flight field that included many elites from the Seattle-Tacoma area. Copeland, who had a slightly larger margin of victory than McLean, turned back an equally impressive women's field with a winning time of 26:51.

The Tacoma City Running Club which is a new addition to the running scene in 2012 had an impressive showing behind McLean in the men’s race with Gregory Leak(24:20) in 3^rd place and Ben Mangrum(24:38) in 5^th place. Teshome Kokebe(Club NW) who is still recovering from his 2^nd place at the Eugene Marathon last month, ran strong in the closing miles to secure the runner-up spot in 24:18. Eric Garner, who ran for UW and holds a mile best of 3:58.93, was just off the pace with a 4^th place finish in 24:28.

On the women’s side, 13 runners broke 30:00 for the 8k course compared to only 7 in 2011. Backing up Copeland in the Top 5 were her Club Northwest teammates Lois Keller(2^nd) in 27:08, Rose Wetzel(4th)in 27:46 and Megan Heuer(5^th) in 28:02. Kailey Campbell, who was a cross country and middle distance track standout at UW, broke up the Club Northwest contingent with a 3^rd place finish in 27:45.

According to the JDRF website over $815,000 was raised through fundraising efforts at the 30^th Annual Nordstrom Beat the Bridge in 2012.

HS Track: Izaic Yorks blazes US # 1 at 1600 with 4:04 at District III Champs

Izaic Yorks from Lakes High School ran 4:04 for 1600 meters at the West Central District III Championships today at Mt. Tahoma High School to win by over 10 seconds. Not only did he win but he achieved a US #1 rankings at 1600 meters and moved fellow Washingtonian Marcus Dickson back to # 2 in the US with his 4:05 clocking from a few weeks ago.

The video of the race is here, as it was posted on FLOTRACK.

HS Track Photos: 2A Northwest District 1 Meet- Day 1 @ Cedarcrest High School

The Boys and Girls 1600 Meters were the only Finals on Wednesday as the meet concludes Friday with athletes attempting to qualify for next week’s State Championships. Squalicum High School had two outstanding performances from Patrick Gibson and Brittany Gappa who both won tactical outings in the 1600 to qualify for state meet. Gibson’s final time was 4:21.52, with him not pulling away for the win until the last 100 meters. Gappa, who also didn't take the lead until late in the race, used a strong finishing kick with 300 meters to go to grab her victory in 5:07.03. Click below to see final results in the 1600 Meters and view meet photos.

Weekend Race Round Up: Sunflowers, a Lost Lake and a Mother's Day Half Marathon

Sunflower Marathon(Mazama/Winthrop) 5/12- Starting in Mazama at 1900 feet, 105 finishers climbed up and over several peaks, topping out at 2600 feet(around 20 miles) and then dropping down into Twisp for a downhill finish at the 2012 Sunflower Marathon. The course, which looks more than challenging, was quickly traversed by men’s and women’s champions Chad McBride of Wenatchee in 3:24:42 and Kayleen Uibel of Kalispel, Montana in 3:49:00. Eric Brooks of Winthrop was close in 2^nd place at 3:26:18, while Peter Findlay of BC completed the Top 3 in the men’s race in 3:35:03. Susan Fairchild of Seattle and Althea Shaw of Alberta were the 2^nd and 3^rd finishers in the women’s race. The next event put on by the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association(MVSTA) will be on May 26^th as they host the Mazama 5k and 10k, which according to their website features the “World Famous Mazama Pancake Breakfast”. 

Gray, Deprey and King County Parks Win at Cougar Mountain

On Saturday Joseph Gray won his battle with a tough 5.14 mile course at the SCOTT Cougar Mountain Trail Series race # 1 and set a course record in the process. Mona Deprey, 45, won her battle with the youngsters on the same course, as she held off three runners at least 10 years younger than her with all four runners finishing within 28 seconds of each other. The biggest winner on the day however, as reported by the Northwest Trail Runs website, may have been King County Parks with the race raising $3700 for them.

Gray of Lakewood, who broke the course record of 30:58 set in 2011 by Peter Samuels with a time of 30:19, looked smooth and relaxed from the start. He was followed by Lance Thompson of the Seattle Running Club in 31:07. Thompson’s time ranks him as the 3^rd fastest ever over the challenging course and beats his previous best at 5 miles on Cougar Mountain by 90 seconds. Dominic Smargiassi rounded out the Top 3 with a time of 31:19. The first masters runner on the day was Michael Smith in 31:52.

“It’s a great series and close to home. It will help me get ready for some of the more technical trails I will face in some of the bigger international races,” Gray remarked about the SCOTT Cougar Mountain Trail Series and its tough course.

The women’s winner, Deprey, who ran 39:03 had just a moment to catch her breath after crossing the finish line as Ellie Hendrickson, who is only 15, was right on her heels at 39:09. Amanda Reich finished 3rd only three seconds later in 39:12. Rounding out a very competitive and close Top 4 on the women’s side was Iliana Sach in 39:31.

The first race of the 5 race series had 250 finishers on Saturday and will move to 8 miles on June 16^th. Runners or walkers looking to take to the trails and support King County Parks and Recreation can sign up online at Ultra SignUp or mail in their entry.

Full Results

(Note:  Joseph Gray will look to defend his North American Central American Caribbean Mountain Running title in 2012 when the championships are held at Cypress Mountain just outside of Vancouver, BC on July 21. The Championships rotate between the US, Canada and Mexico)

Trail Running: SCOTT Cougar Mountain Trail Series 5 Mile

The 2012 SCOTT Cougar Mountain Trail Series got underway this morning with beautiful blue skies and hundreds of eager runners taking to the trails for the 1^st of 5 races that will traverse all that Cougar Mountain has to offer. The 5 miler today was an introduction to the trails for many and perhaps a stepping for others as the series progresses through distances of 8, 10, 13.1 and 31.1 miles(50k) over the next few months. 


Presented by the Seattle Running Club and King County Parks and Recreation, several other sponsors like The Balanced Athlete, the North Face and SCOTT Shoes were on hand to offer support and show off some trail running goodies.  The North Face raffled off a $250 shopping spree and Joseph Gray was on hand at the SCOTT Shoes table to show off some of the gear he uses when training for and winning mountain races near and far.

2012 Girls HS Track: Amy-Eloise Neale Top 3 from 800 to 3200 Meters

The 2012 WIAA State Track & Field Championships are little more than 2 weeks away and the seasonal Top 10 lists are populated with names like Alexa Efraimson, Maddie Myers, Katie Knight and of course Amy-Eloise Neale.  This year it may be hard to decide who is the best of the best until the state meet as several athletes listed in the Top 10 in the state, are also ranked nationally.

Neale who is junior at Glacier Peak High School owns times that rank her in the Top 3 statewide in three different events. Her 800 meter time of 2:10.00 is currently the 8^th fastest time in the US. Myers also finds herself with a US ranking, she is 8^th at 1600 meters. Efraimson, who is only a freshman is ranked in Top 10 in three events within the state, but finds her 800 meter near the top of the US list, as her 2:08.92 ranks 3^rd. Knight of North Central is ranked 3rd nationally at 3200 meters with a time of 10:21.11.

Haggen to Haggen 2012: Fast Times at Squalicum High, Gibson Wins

The Haggen to Haggen 5k, with over 1000 finishers this year, is starting a new trend. High school domination. Last year, the Top 3 finishers in the men’s 5k were high school athletes, with Oliver Bear Don’t Walk winning in 15:07. He was closely followed by David Elliot and Patrick Gibson in 15:08 and 15:09. The women’s race was also won by a high school athlete in 2011 as Brittany Gappa, 15, ran 17:54 for the victory. This year Gibson and Gappa again carried the flag for the high schoolers as they raced to convincing victories and some of the fastest times in race history.

Gibson separated himself from a very deep field when he attacked “early and hard”, according to his coach Peter Oviatt, as he ran the fastest time in the last 10 years, crossing the finish line at the Meridian Haggen in 14:36. Though his closest rival was his brother in 15:03, his blistering pace from the sound of the gun must have inspired those behind him as nine other runners ran 16:00 or faster. Gibson, who is only a junior, was a mere 16 seconds off the course record of 14:20 set in 2001 by Paul Kinser. Danny Gibson and Iain Davidson ran 15:03 and 15:06 to grab the final two podium spots on Saturday.

Weekend Race Round Up: Bloomsday, Tacoma City Marathon, Vancouver International Marathon, Cinco De Mayo Half Marathon

Cinco De Mayo Half Marathon(Snoqualmie) 5/5-Jesse Williams and Megan Heuer took the top honors in the men’s and women’s half marathon on Saturday with times of 1:10:17 and 1:20:24. To show the increasing depth of the masters division in Seattle area races, 6 masters runners finished in the top 11 places and all broke 1:20. The masters pack was led by Jeff Hashimoto(1:12:47), Chris Fendrich(1:13:21) and David McCulloch(1:14:38).

Tacoma City Marathon(Tacoma) 5/6- There were several impressive performances at this year’s race, but leading the way was Mike Lynes in winning his 6^th TCM title in as many years with a time of 2:44:54 and Allison Linnell who won the women’s race in a very fast 2:48:04. Linnell, who was a strong performer for the University of Washington Women’s Cross Country team was third overall in the marathon on Sunday as she only a few minutes behind Lynes and Andy Henshaw who both ran the same time. Rounding out the Top 3 on the men’s side was Eric John in 2:54:29. In the women’s race Sabine Pullins was 2^nd in 3:14:25 and last year’s champion Merita Trohimovish was 3^rd in 3:18:09.

2012 Boys HS Track: Marcus Dickson Paces US with # 1 at 800 and 1600 Meters

The 2012 WIAA State Track & Field Championships are less that 3 weeks away and the seasonal Top 10 lists are starting to get fast. Marcus Dickson of White River leads both the 800 and 1600 meter lists with top times of 1:49.45 and 4:05.83. Two weeks ago Dickson just missed the state record for 800 meters at the Shoreline Invitational when he ran his 1:49.45. Though he missed the state record of 1:49.41 that was set in 1997, Dickson did post the fastest HS time in the US for the event. Dickson’s 1600 meter time is also a US #1. Izaic Yorks of Lakes and Nathan Weitz of Shadle Park are the only athletes to appear in the Top 10 at 800, 1600 and 3200 meters. 

Fast 5Ks: Haggen to Haggen Preview

The 3^rd of 4 featured Fast 5ks throughout the state gets underway tomorrow at the Haggen to Haggen 5k in Bellingham. Expecting more than 1300 runners and walkers, a bit of sunshine and an annually competitive field, the race is ready for its first year with chip timing. Known for its serpent-like and primarily downhill course, the race is a mainstay on the Bellingham racing calendar and nets most runners a fast result.

The 5k starts tomorrow morning at the Sehome Village Haggen(8:00 for walkers and 8:30 for runners) and blasts down a few hills before weaving its way through downtown Bellingham and then climbing a little bit over the last mile to finish at the Meridian Haggen. As far as point to point courses go, the Haggen to Haggen course is exceptional as it connects a few different neighborhoods, highlights downtown-if you can slow down enough to enjoy it and brings the whole community together for a fun event.

Runner of the Month: Uli Steidl

RUNRACEWA is excited to announce its first ever Runner of the Month. In April we saw some great performances on both the road and on the track. With so many athletes running well across different distances and against varied levels of competition, it can make it hard to single out one runner as the best of the month; however, Uli Steidl took his talents and his fitness to the biggest stage in the world for marathoning and he ran like a champion. In case you didn’t know, Uli who is now 40, ran 2:23:08 on a day that saw temperatures in the 80’s and runners staggering to water stations along the course. Uli was 15^th overall and was the 2012 Masters Champion. So thus, Uli Steidl is our premiere Runner of the Month.

2012 Eugene Marathon: Teshome Kokebe 2nd in 2:24:16

Teshome Kokebe of Lynnwood finished 2^nd at the 2012 Eugene Marathon on Sunday. His time of 2:24:16 led a group of Seattle-area runners and Club Northwest teammates that finished in the Top 5. Spencer Walsh and Phil Olson, who both ran personal bests, finished 4^th and 5^th with times of 2:25:02 and 2:26:11.

Olson, of Lynnwood, ran to his second Top 5 finish on Sunday. He also finished 5th in 2011, but was over two minutes faster with this year's effort. Walsh was the steadiest of the top marathon finishers as he negative split the race, going out in 1:12:40 and coming  back in 1:12:12.

Kokebe, who was outdistanced by Michael Wisniewski of Corvallis, Oregon(2:20:41) for the win, is showing a positive trend in his marathon racing lately as his last 3 marathons have been run in 2:30:53, 2:27:13 and now 2:24:16.