WEEKEND EVENTS FOR JUNE 29 - 30

There are no local races this weekend.  Local racing resumes next week with the City of Eldon's Firecracker 5K on July 4th.  (If you want a t-shirt, you must register before the end of Thursday.) 

Elsewhere:

Jefferson City:

Hope for Heroes 5K, Saturday

Columbia:

Zou-Mania, 2.8-mile run on Friday evening, and 1-mile/5K/10K races (with staggered starts) on Saturday morning (inaugural event)

Springfield:

Springfield Cardinals' Redbird Run 5K/9K, Saturday

Kansas City area:

Firecracker 4 & 8 Mile, Saturday

St. Louis and vicinity:

The Macklind Mile, Saturday
Firecracker 4 & 8 Mile, Creve Coeur Lake Park, Sunday

*   *   *   *   *

GRANDMA'S MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted June 24th)

Four former Camdenton Laker cross country runners reunited on Saturday to run Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota.  Grandma's is a very popular summer marathon because of its flat course and Duluth's cool weather.  (With 7,500+ finishers, I believe it's the largest summer marathon in the U.S.)  The race is one of the best summer options for those hoping to qualify for the 2024 Boston Marathon, whose qualifying window ends in mid September. 

Temperatures on Saturday were in the mid 50s, but the weather was marred by rain and 15-20 mph winds.

The top finisher among the former Lakers was 2023 graduate Ellie Webb, who just finished her freshman year at Truman State University.  Ellie ran an outstanding 3:29:16, and beat the qualifying standard for next year's Boston Marathon by 44 seconds.  (Note:  Beating one's qualifying standard does not guarantee entry into Boston; it merely allows you to submit a registration application.)   

Cambrie Kowal, a 2021 Camdenton graduate now running for St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, again came close to breaking four hours.  Cambrie finished this year in 4:02:31--less than a minute slower than last year's 4:01:16, and ten minutes faster than 4:14:09 in 2022, when she ran with her St. Cloud State teammates.

Georgi Carolus, who graduated with Ellie in 2023, finished in 4:13:28. Georgi ran for Drury University this past school year.

Clare Holmes ran her final cross country season at Missouri S&T this past year.  She crossed the finish line in 5:06:34.  (With that finish time, I can't help but think Clare was running with an injury, or had an unusually bad day.)

Complete race results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

Laz watch: Lazarus Lake's transcontinental hike reached a significant milestone on Saturday.  After 83 days and 1,716 miles, he pulled the plug on his transcon after reaching Foyil, Oklahoma--the birthplace of Andy Payne, the winner of the International Transcontinental Foot Race in 1928. 

At one point during the transcon, Laz was considering splitting it into two segments, but it looks like that isn't happening. Because his foot and ankle issues slowed him down, there won't be time to finish the hike in September, as he originally hoped.  (He needs to be home for Big Dog's Backyard Ultra in mid October.)  

*   *   *   *   *

CONCRETEMAN TRIATHLON (posted June 17th)

Jim McDermott won the 70-and-over age group (over three others) at Saturday's ConcreteMan Triathlon in Springfield.  Concreteman dates back to 1982, making it the oldest triathlon in Missouri, and probably among the oldest in the country, since In the sport of triathlon didn't originate until the early 1970s.

Jim did the sprint distance race, completing the 500-meter swim, 14-mile bike and 5K run in 1:27:20.  Here are his splits:

Swim:        18:15 
T-1:             1:58
Bike:          39:07  (19.9 miles per hour)
T-2:             2:01
Run:          26:01  
Finish:    1:27:20

Full results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

RUN FOR THE HORSES 5K/10K RUN/WALK (posted June 17th)

The five-member Stolzenbach family was about to head home to Chicago after spending their vacation fishing and cycling at the Lake, when they decided to compete at the Run for the Horses 5K on Saturday in Linn Creek.  It was a fruitful decision, as they took five of the top six places in the race.  Oldest daughter, Julia, was the overall winner, in 23:00. Julia's dad, Stephen, and one of her two younger sisters, Evelyn, both finished in 23:38.

A total of 32 human runners and walkers turned out for the race.  Representing the four-legged participants from the rescue were Chuckles, a miniature horse, and Shazam, the first full-size horse to appear at Run for the Horses.

Full race results can be found here.

Many more photos can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

2024 Archives
2023 Archives
2022 Archives
2021 Archives
2020 Archives
2019 Archives
2018 Archives
2017 Archives
2016 Archives
2015 Archives
2014 Archives
2013 Archives
2012 Archives
2011 Archives
2010 Archives
2009 Archives

*   *   *   *  *

CITY OF ELDON FIRECRACKER 5K RUN/WALK (posted June 13th)

The City of Eldon's Firecracker 5K Run/Walk will be held on Thursday, July 4th.  The race willl start at 7:30 a.m. at the Public Safety Building at 111 S. Oak St.   Race-day registration opens at 6:45 a.m.

The entry fee is $20 if you register by the pre-registration deadline of June 27th.   After that date, the fee is $25. T-shirts will only be provided to those who pre-register by June 27th. 

Click here for more information, and to register online.

*   *   *   *   *

CHRISTMAS IN JULY 5K RUN/WALK (posted June 5th)

The Tri-County YMCA's seventh annual Christmas in July 5K Run/Walk will be held at the YMCA in Osage Beach on Saturday, July 20th. To beat the July heat, the race will start at 7:00 a.m., with race-day registration opening at 6:00 a.m.

The entry fee is $30 through June 30th, and $35 thereafter. T-shirts can only be guaranteed to those who register by June 30th.

Online registration is available here.

Click for a mail-in registration form with additional race details.

*   *   *   *   *