Here's a summary of what Lake-area runners accomplished in 2014, along with a brief mention of the year's highlights.

Click on one of the thumbnails below to view it.

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RUN FOR THE RANCH MARATHON & HALF MARATHON (posted December 28th)

Congratulations to Lawson Barclay, our frequent visitor to the Lake of the Ozarks who hails from Macomb, Illinois, for braving cold and wet conditions at the 15th annual Run for the Ranch Marathon & Half Marathon (Facebook page) on Saturday (December 27th) in Springfield.  Lawson finished the half marathon in 2:15:38, almost eight minutes faster than last year.  He placed 7th (of 13) in the male 60-69 age group.

Full results can be found here.

Participation took another double-digit drop from the previous year, with 16% fewer finishers this year than last.

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LAKE AREA RUNNERS REINDEER RUN  (updated December 14th)

Fifty-four runners came out to Linn Creek on Saturday for the Lake Area Runners Reindeer Run. The race was a hastily-arranged opportunity for Todd Raney to reach a milestone of 400 miles raced for 2014.  It also served as a fund-raiser for the Citizens Against Domestic Violence's (CADV) Christmas Program, in which the Lake area community is asked to "adopt" families in need this Christmas season.  The unseasonably mild and dry weather, with calm winds and temperatures in the mid to upper 40s, helped to make the event possible.

The starting line.  Twenty-two runners did the 10K, and 32 did the 5K.   You'd never guess from the photo that it was taken in the middle of December.  (Click on photo for a larger image.)

Going into the race, Todd had raced a total of 393.8 miles in 2014--exactly a 10K shy of 400.  This special race allowed him to hit that 400-mile mark (without having to travel to an out-of-town race), and to add to his record of the most miles raced in a year's time by a Lake-area runner.  (Last week, Todd surpassed his record of 367.8 miles set in 2013 by finishing the Tucson Marathon.)

The event qualified as an official race for the mileage totals, but the "racing" was pretty lackluster.  When race leader Nigher Alfaro took 25:30 to complete the first half of the 10K, you knew something was odd.  (Apparently, the decision not to record finish times contributed to a lot of slacking on the course.) Still, Todd finished, and now holds a record total that is probably only his to beat for years to come. 

After nearly a decade of doing mostly 5Ks, Todd completed his first marathon at Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas two years ago.  (That race didn't go well, and took Todd just over five hours to finish--his slowest marathon to date.)  In 2014, Todd ran eleven marathons, one ultramarathon, and one marathon-relay.  He's now checked off 15 states in his quest to finish a marathon in all 50 states.  Congratulations, Todd!  

As a result of this event, just over $2,000 (including voluntary donations by two of our runners) will be donated to CADV to adopt families in the Christmas Program.  We hope the donation will alleviate some of the pain that those troubled families are feeling, and let them know that others care about them.

A sincere thanks goes to all who came out.  Due to the short notice for the race, some weren't able to join us due to other commitments.  Illness kept still others away.

A special thanks goes to those from distant cities who came out to join us, especially Randy and Melissa Hart from the St. Louis suburb of Ballwin.  Randy and Melissa are fairly new runners, and struggled a bit on the course.  (I hope they don't show think all of our other local 5K courses are this flat.  Thank goodness we didn't hold this at Tan-Tar-A.)

Melissa and Randy Hart.
If you're from St. Louis, the answer to the the uniquely St. Louis question of "Where did you go to high school?" is: Randy went to DeSmet; Melissa to Lindbergh.

We had a number of runners from areas north of the Lake join us for the first time in Linn Creek.  Ron Bentch and Jason Zolecki came from Versailles, April and Corey Boicourt came from Barnett, and Heather Doyle came from Tipton.  April, Corey and Heather made the drive after running in the FFA Candy Cane 5K in Russellville earlier in the morning. 

Jason Zolecki and Ron Bentch

April Boicourt, Heather Doyle, Todd Raney and Corey Boicourt

More photos from the race can be found here.

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HOT CHOCOLATE 15K/5K ST. LOUIS  (posted December 14th)

Six Lake-area runners/chocoholics competed in downtown St. Louis on Saturday (December 13th) at the Hot Chocolate 15K/5K.   St. Louis was just the most recent stop on this nationwide series of events that has the Ronald McDonald House as its national charity partner.  A total of 8,406 chocoholics participated, including 3,486 for the 15K and 4,920 for the 5K. 

Here are the results for our local runners.   (Full results can be found here.)

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KIAWAH ISLAND HALF MARATHON  (posted December 13th)

Two of our Lake-area runners, Ashley Pryor and Lacy Davis, started off 2014 by running the Walt Disney World Marathon (which was also Lacy's first marathon) in Orlando in January, and ended the year by running the Kiawah Island Half Marathon in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, on Saturday (December 13th).  The temperature was a chilly 37 degrees at the 8:00 a.m. race start, but warmed to 53 by 10:00 a.m. under beautiful, clear skies.

Ashley, who suffered an Achilles tendon injury at the Des Moines Marathon in October, has been wearing a walking boot since undergoing an MRI about six weeks ago.  You might think that Ashley would take it easy after being released to run, but apparently she couldn't contain herself.   She ran her fastest half marathon of the year (of a total of three) and, as far as we can tell, a new personal record, by a margin of just two seconds.  Ashley finished in 1:44:47, placing 25th (of 268) in the female 30-34 age group.  (Her previous half marathon best appears to be the 1:44:49 at the 2013 Route 66 Half Marathon.)

Lacy Davis finished in 2:13:04, placing 137th in the same age group.  There was no PR for Lacy.   She was a few minutes behind her finish time at the Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis Half Marathon in October.

Full results can be found here.

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TUNNEL TROT TRAIL RUN  (posted December 8th)

The fourth and final race of the year in the new race series introduced in 2014 by the Missouri State Parks to showcase the state's recreational trails was held on Saturday afternoon (December 6th) on the Katy Trail in Rocheport.   The Tunnel Trot Trail Run--named after the iconic train tunnel on the Katy Trail--brought out 40 runners in the 5K, and another 29 for the 12K.

Willard Haley was our lone Lake-area runner in the race.  Willard finished the 5K in 26:52, placing fifth (of five) in a very competitive 50-59 age group.  (The 59 year-old winner of the age group finished in an impressive 19:52, and took second place overall.) Willard says that this marked his 30th race of the year.

A familiar name in the results was that of 70 year-old Jim O'Dell of Fayette, Missouri.  Jim has participated in many of our Polar Bear Struts over the years.  He finished the 5K on Saturday in 32:03.

Full results can be found here.

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TUCSON MARATHON  (updated December 8th)

The Lake area's most prolific runner, Todd Raney, was in Arizona this weekend to compete in the Tucson Marathon.  The Tucson Marathon course is a runner's dream, being nearly all downhill, with a total elevation drop of 2,200 feet from start to finish.  Despite the downhill course and great weather, Todd reports that he suffered from calf cramps starting around mile 14, erasing any hopes of a new PR.  (If you Google "calf cramps from running downhill", you'll see that calf cramps are indeed a common occurrence in races with lots of downhill running, including at the Boston Marathon.)

Todd finished in 4:27:58, placing 43rd (of 66) in the male 45-49 age group.  Arizona became the 15th state in which Todd has completed either a marathon or ultramarathon. 

Full results can be found here. If you search for Todd's results, you'll be able to see a video clip of him crossing the finish line by clicking on the video tab.

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ST. JUDE MEMPHIS MARATHON  (posted Decembe th)

Congratulations to Jim McDermott for his 4:23:00 finish at Saturday's (December 6th) St. Jude Memphis Marathon.  That placed Jim 16th (of 39) in the male 60-64 age group.  It was also his fifth marathon of 2014.

Full race results can be found here.

St. Jude's is a very popular race, with 2,656 marathon and 7,110 half marathon finishers.  The total of those two is larger than that for the three largest half and full marathons in Missouri--GO! St. Louis, Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis, and Waddell & Reed Kansas City.

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LAKER 5K TURKEY TROT (updated December 1st)

The Laker 5K Turkey Trot brought out a near-record 145 runners and walkers to Camdenton High School on a chilly Thanksgiving Day.   (The record is 151, set in 2012.)

The starting line.
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

The top male and female runners both claimed their second overall victories in the Turkey Trot's five-year history.  David Prather topped all runners with an 18:46 finish time, nearly a minute faster than his winning 19:42 finish in 2012.  Former CHS cross country runner Victoria Robinson led all women, finishing in 21:36.  Victoria was the overall women's winner in 2013 with a 21:47 finish time.

   
Overall male and female winners
David Prather and Victoria Robinson.

The full results can be viewed by clicking on one of the options below:

By order of finish (.xlsx or .jpg)

By age group (.xlsx or .jpg)

Ten contestants competed in the pie-eating contest.  It was close, but Todd Pasley took home the victory. Watch the short video by clicking here.

Todd Pasley wins the pie-eating contest.

A big thanks goes to race organizer Dave Weber and his able assistants Lynn Weber, Gary Thompson, Tessa Weber, Blake Jesse, and others, and to the race sponsors who helped make this a successful event.  Proceeds and food donations from the event will go to local food pantries.

Left to right:  Lynn Weber, Gary Thompson and Dave Weber. 

The race photos (there are 333 of them in total) have been divided into two galleries, based on the number of subjects in the photos.  

Solo photos

Group photos

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TURKEY TROTS AROUND THE STATE (updated November 29th)

Below you'll find results for Lake-area runners at non-local turkey trots. If I missed anyone, please let me know. Some of the races didn't list the cities in which the participants live, making it almost certain that I missed someone.

JEFFERSON CITY:

Full results can be found here.

SPRINGFIELD:

Erin Oswalt walked the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K alongside her (I presume) sister, mom and dad, and all crossed the finish line together in 1:17:56. 

KANSAS CITY:

Katie Crosby and son Steve Crosby of Osage Beach ran the Thanksgiving Day 5K & Family Stroll.  Katie finished in 49:18, placing 138th (of 173) in the female 45-49 age group. Steven finished in 27:44, placing 111th (of 310) in the male 17 & under age group.

STATEWIDE TOTALS:

Here are the total number of finishers at this year's largest turkey trots in Missouri, with a comparison to 2013 totals for those races.

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TREESGREENVILLE TURKEY DAY 5K (posted November 28th)

Denny Gillen took it up another notch at this year's TreesGreenville Turkey Day 8K in Greenville, South Carolina, on Thanksgiving Day.    Dressed in a pigrim costume, Denny finished in 46:10, placing sixth (of 20) in the male 60-64 age group.  Last year, Denny wore a turkey hat and finished in 50:42.   Denny's son, Kevin, who's obviously immune to embarrassment, ran and finished alongside his dad both this year and last.  

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BUSHY PARK 10K (posted November 25th)

Congratulations to Trevor Dowdney for his 48:15 finish at the Bushy Park 10K, held on Sunday (November 23rd) at Bushy Park, located about ten miles southwest of central London. Trevor placed 81st overall among the 272 competitors. (They apparently don't report results by age group.)  His finish time was a tad slower than his 46:17 at another Bushy Park 10K race on January 19th.  Full results can be found here.

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THE WILLIAMS ROUTE 66 MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted November 23rd) 

Runners at Sunday's (November 23rd) Route 66 Marathon & Half Marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma, no doubt rejoiced at the better weather for this year's race.  It was 57° at the start--a stark contrast to last year's 23°, with a wind chill of 13°.

The Lake area had three runners at the race.

Cameron Pryor of Roach finished the marathon in 4:26:55, placing 52nd (of approximately 108) in the male 30-34 age group.

Scott Gladden of Lake Ozark ran the half marathon, crossing the finish line in 2:04:54 and placing 90th (of 210) in the male 40-44 age group.  Scott knocked an impressive nine minutes off his Bass Pro half marathon finish time three weeks ago.

Karen Snyder of Richland finished the half marathon in 2:52:52.  Karen was 275th (of 357) in the female 40-44 age group.

If I missed anyone, please let me know.

Full results can be found here.

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GORE-TEX PHILADELPHIA MARATHON (posted November 23rd) 

Congratulations to Denny Gillen for finishing Sunday's (November 23rd) Gore-Tex Philadelphia Marathon.  Denny finished in 4:39:18, obviously taking it easy after a minor arthroscopic knee procedure last month that limited his training since.  Denny placed 72nd (of 135) in the male 60-64 age group.

This concludes a very busy year for Denny.  He finished four marathons, the Ironman Boulder Triathlon, the half-iron distance REV3 Knoxville Triathlon, and an assortment of shorter races.  Well done, Denny!

 
Denny Gillen, unable to resist the urge to imitate Rocky Balboa (left), and after finishing the marathon.  Click on a photo for a larger image.  (Photos provided.)

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WHITE RIVER MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted November 23rd) 

Congratulations to four Lake-area runners who competed in the rain at Saturday's (November 22nd) White River Half Marathon in Cotter, Arkansas.  

Our fastest local finisher was Don Sechrest, who finished in 1:50:31. Don was fifth (of 13) in the male 45-49 age group.

Rob Kucsik crossed about a minute later, in 1:51:58, placing sixth (of 19) in the male 40-44 age group.

Next up was Aaron Koeppen, who ran a personal best 1:53:17, easily beating his goal of finishing in under 2:00:00 in his second-ever half marathon.  Aaron was fifth (of 13) among 35-39 males.

Sherrie Hamner ran her fastest half marathon of the year, crossing the line in 2:05:21 and knocking over a minute off last year's finish time.  Sherrie placed 11th (of 30) in the female 35-39 age group. 

The full results can be found here.  

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FORT LEONARD WOOD TURKEY TROT 5K/10K (posted November 23rd) 

Congrats to Lake-area runner Randy Holtmeyer for a 52:44 10K finish at Saturday's (November 22nd) Turkey Trot at Fort Leonard Wood.   Randy took second to the only other runner in the 40-44 age group.   Full results can be found here.

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ADVENTUREMAX SPRINGFIELD HALF MARATHON, 10K, AND FAMILY TRAIL RUN (updated November 23rd) 

Three Lake-area runners competed at the second annual AdventureMax Springfield Trail Run (Facebook page) in Highlandville, Missouri, on Saturday (November 22rd). 

Scott Page was our first finisher, crossing in 2:17:12, and placing tenth (of 20) in the male 40-44 age group.

Todd Raney and Mark Kempf ran and finished together, in 2:28:53.  Todd was fourth (of 7) in the 45-49 age group, and Mark was 14th (of 20) among 40-44 males.

In what has to be a disappointment to the race organizer, Ultramax Events, participation at this year's race was down 38% from last year.  

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LONGVIEW HALF MARATHON (posted November 15th)

Congratulations to our three Lake-area runners who competed at the inaugural Longview Half Marathon in Kansas City on Saturday (November 15th).

Doug Kueker of Lake Ozark finished in 1:40:06, placing ninth (of 77) in the male 30-34 age group.

Alysia Maschino finished in 2:02:56, placing 38th (of 165) in the female 40-44 age group.

Desiree Milburn crossed the line in 2:30:08, placing 67th (of 106) in the female 45-49 age group.

Full results can be found here.

A suprisingly large total of 1,523 runners participated in this first-time event.  It no doubt explains at least some of the drop in participation at last weekend's Gobbler Grind, which had 139 fewer finishers than last year (855 versus 994). 

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HAULIN' BASS 8K/15KTRAIL RACE (posted November 15th)

Three Lake-area runners competed in the inaugural Haulin' Bass Trail Race on Saturday (November 15th) at Stockton State Park near Dadeville.  A total of fifty runners competed in the 8K, and 38 in the 15K.

In the 8K, Kenny and Vicki Neal of Brumley finished in 57:00 and 57:28, respectively.  Kenny placed third (of four) in the male 40-49 age group; Vicki was fifth (of 13) in the female 40-49 age group.

Randy Holtmeyer of Iberia competed in the 15K, finishing in 1:39:41.  That placed Randy fourth (of five) in the male 40-49 age group.

Full results can be found here.

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IRONMAN 70.3 ST. LOUIS TRIATHLON (posted November 18th)

Ironman 70.3 St. Louis (the name is just supposition at this point) has gone from rumor to near certainty.  Documents from the City of Wildwood, which is located in far west St. Louis County, contain recommendations that the city council approve a resolution in support of the race, which is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, June 7, 2015.  The city council is expected to vote on a resolution on November 24th.

The swim (1.2 miles) and run (13.1 miles) would be at Creve Coeur Park, with the bike course (56 miles) heading south and west.  The swim and run courses would be great.  The bike course, though, would be tough, with some major hill climbing at the far reaches of the course in Wildwood.

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HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY TO TREVOR DOWDNEY (posted November 17th)

We want to wish a happy birthday to Trevor Dowdney, who on Monday (November 17th) became the youngest member of the male 50-54 age group.   Literally and figuratively, Trevor's one of the old-timers in the Lake-area sports scene.  When a local relay team (that included cyclist Tim Gobber and runner Robert Luna) lost their swimmer due to injury soon before the Ultramax Triathlon in 2003, Trevor stepped in to do the 2.4-mile swim (in 1:23:00) on virtually no training.   (I trained hard and only managed to outswim Trevor by a minute.)

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THE SKIPPO TRAIL RACE (posted November 12th)

Congratulations to our local running phenom Lizzy Handschy for her overall women's win in the 20K at The Skippo Trail Race on Sunday (November 9th).  The Skippo is a very popular and competitive race held at beautiful Castlewood State Park along the Meramec River in suburban St. Louis.  Just under 900 runners finished one of the three distances (10K/20K/30K) offered.

Lizzy finished in 1:30:46 (a pace of 7:19 per mile), beating her nearest female rival by a comfortable five minutes.  She was tenth overall (of 292 finishers), and first (of five) women in the 20-24 age group. 

If you haven't heard of Lizzy before, she's a 22 year-old recent graduate of Washington University now living in Eldon.  She ran on the cross country team at Wash U, and is quite literally one of the fastest women runners in the state of Missouri.  She's not far behind another former college cross country runner, Kimi Reed of Brookline, Missouri, who's been virtually unbeatable the past few years.

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AMERICA'S 1st PRO-LIFE HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted November 11th)

Congratulations to Lake-area runner Amy Snelling, who finished her very half marathon on Sunday (November 9th) at the inaugural America's 1st Pro-Life Half Marathon & 5K in Jefferson City. The race was produced by the Vitae Foundation and LIFE Runners.  The races were held on the pancake-flat Katy Trail and the short spur from the North Jefferson City Pavilion. 

Amy finished in 2:19:24, placing 12th (of 20) in the female 30-39 age group.

The inaugural event had 98 half marathon and 153 5K finishers.

Click for half marathon, 5K run, and 5K walk results.  (The results didn't show participants' cities, so I may have missed results for Lake-area runners whose names are unfamiliar to me.  If I missed anyone, please let me know.)

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FREEZIN' 5K FUN RUN/WALK & CHILLIN' FOR CHILI COOK-OFF (updated November 8th)

The Freezin' 5K starting line.
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

Enjoying chili on a chilly day at the Chillin' for Chili Cook-Off.

About 30-35 runners and walkers turned out Saturday (November 8th) for the Freezin' 5K, the fifth annual run/walk in memory of Camdenton police officer Floyd Sanders and two others--Mike Marshall and Iris Carnahan--whose lives were cut short by pancreatic cancer.   Following the run/walk, the Chillin' for Chili Cook-Off competition featured about six teams vying for bragging rights for cooking up the best chili.  The two events raised $2,100 for the Lustgarten Foundation, which supports research for a cure for pancreatic cancer.

Well, she's baaaaaack!   Heather Kuhlmann, who hasn't been seen at our local races since being the top female finisher at the Moonshine Half Marathon in September 2012 (in a remarkable 1:30:54, by the way), is now married with a baby girl.  Now using her married name, Heather Oddo returned to racing today, and looked as fast as ever.  She was the overall winner, finishing in 19:50.  She also set a new course record, smashing the previous record of 20:54 set by Kristen Glassmaker at the Jaxattack 5K in 2010.

Overall winner Heather (Kuhlmann) Oddo has a
commanding lead approaching the two-mile mark.

 
Left photo: Don Sechrest was the top male finisher.   Right photo:  Desiree Milburn and Mary, who was doing her very first 5K, cheered on by her husband and six-month old twin boys--and she did great!

Many more photos can be found here.

Thanks go to Linn Creek police officer Matt Burns and all of the volunteers, participants and sponsors who supported the event and the cause. Substantial progress has been made in treating and curing many forms of cancer, but pancreatic cancer, unfortunately, is not one of them.  It's still a very bad form of cancer, with exceedingly low survival rates.  Hopefully, research will change that.

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MISSOURI STATE HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS (posted November 8th) 

Congratulations to our four Lake-area high school cross country runners who competed at the state championships in Jefferson City on Saturday. Their results are posted below.

The full race results can be found here.

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LOTO HALF VIRGINS (posted November 11th)

(I first learned of this group last Saturday, and think it's a great way to help runners looking to take on the challenge of doing their first half marathon.  Even if you've already lost your half virginity, please take a look at the group and, if you know of someone who might be interested, pass the news along to them.)

A new Facebook group was created last month to support and encourage runners planning to make next March's inaugural Bridge & Dam Half Marathon their very first half marathon.  The LOTO Half Virgins group consists of newbies with that goal in mind, as well as former virgins willing to help them get to the finish line with training and advice.

A half marathon is a challenging, but certainly doable, distance requiring only a modest amount of training.  Thus far in 2014, we've had at least eight runners complete their first half marathon, including Abigail Cunningham, Casey Wehmeyer, Aaron Koeppen, Jennifer Newman, April Boicourt, Rachel Russell, Carrie Case and Amy Snelling.

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GIVE 'EM THE BIRD 5K RUN, 1-MILE WALK & KIDS FUN RUN (updated November 5th)

A total of 117 runners and walkers shook off the cold temperatures and took to the streets of Versailles on Saturday morning (November 1st) for the fourth annual Give 'Em The Bird 5K presented by Versailles Total Fitness and KS95.1.  The race raised $7,000 for Food for Morgan County, which will use the proceeds to help local families in need during the upcoming holiday season.

Runners and walkers gather at the starting line.
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

Once again, race organizer Tara Grantham went all-out in putting on the 5K with the biggest "wow" factor of any in the Lake area, giving it another year of bragging rights as the Super Bowl of local 5Ks.  Thanks go not only to Tara, but to J.T. Gerlt of KS95.1 for the live radio broadcast, Rev. Robert Ross for the invocation and singing of the national anthem, Rev. Ross' choir group for singing for us along the course, the DJ's for providing great music near the courthouse, the Versailles High School cheerleaders for being out there cheering us on, and the numerous volunteers and police, fire, and EMS officials for giving us a perfectly safe course. 

This year's race had two first-time winners of the event.  After finishing second to Casey O'Connor last year, Julio Juarez led all the men this year, with an 18:43 finish time.  For the women, Ashley Pryor crossed the finish line first, in 22:13, despite nursing an Achilles tendon injured while completing two marathons the previous weekend.

 
Overall male and female winners Julio Juarez and Ashley Pryor.

Complete race results can be found here.

Check out the photos below and 154 others taken at the event by clicking here. 

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TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON (posted November 2nd)

Congratulations to our two Lake-area finishers of Sunday's (November 2nd) TCS New York City Marathon.   Terry Atteberry crossed the finish line in 4:50:26, placing 1,426th of 2,643 competitors in the female 45-49 age group.  Angela Martin crossed in 5:06:28, placing 1,739th in that same age group.

There were some interesting stories at the front of the race.  The women's race was the closest in race history, with the top two finishers separated by three seconds.  The men's race was won in 2:10:59--the slowest winning time in 19 years, thanks to windy conditions that included gusts to 30 mph.

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BG26.2 MARATHON (posted November 2nd)

Congratulations to Todd Raney for completing Sunday's (November 2nd) BG26.2 Marathon in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 3:58:39, placing fifth (of 19) in the male 45-49 age group.

Todd Raney after the finish. (Photo provided.)

This was Todd's third marathon finish in eight days, after finishing last weekend's Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon (in 3:55:17) and Des Moines Marathon (in 4:11:54), and despite knee pain in the ensuing week.

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BASS PRO OUTDOOR FITNESS FESTIVAL (updated November 13th)

The Lake area has never had so many runners accomplish so much--or done so well--at a single event as they did at Bass Pro in Springfield on Sunday (November 2nd). It may be years before we see anything that tops this.

First and foremost, we crowned at least three first-time marathon finishers: Denise Baker, Tania Maschhoff and Erin Oswalt. (Lee Ann Shipman may also be a first-time finisher.)   Denise, Tania and Erin ran and finished the race together, in 5:12:20.

Two brand-new half marathon finishers were also crowned.  Rachel Russell of Iberia crossed the line in 2:09:11, and finished 55th (of 188 competitors) in the female 30-34 age group. Carrie Case finished in 2:24:11, good for 89th (of 172) in the female 35-39 age group.

Shawn Wood and Nigher Alfaro ran the fastest half marathons among Lake-area runners this year.  Shawn beat Nigher to the finish line by a mere ten seconds, finishing in 1:33:38.  They placed sixth and seventh (of 100 competitors), respectively, in the male 40-44 age group.  

Besides Shawn and Nigher, a number of our other runners placed very highy in their age groups, including Cambre Thrasher, David Sperling, Sondra Ellis and Pete Leyva.

Sondra Ellis' 1:39:13 was the fastest finish among Lake-area women--not only at Bass Pro, but for 2014 as well.

Sometimes, there are things other than speed that are worthy of recognition. Such is the case with Amy Manes, who paced and watched over 13 year-old Preston Robertson of Springfield as he completed his second Bass Pro half marathon, in 2:06:34.  Preston is an asthma sufferer who must carry his potentially life-saving inhaler while running. 

Congratulations to everyone who ran at Bass Pro this year.  When the size of our group and the results they achieved are taken together, the Lake area has never been better represented at an out-of-town race.

Here are the results for our Lake-area runners.  If I missed anyone, please let me know.

Click on the thumbnail below to view the report on the Lake Area Runners cheering zone at Bass Pro.

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HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY DISTRICT AND SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (posted November 2nd) 

Listed below are results for Lake-area high school runners at the Class 4 Sectionals in Nixa and Class 3 Districts in Moberly on Saturday.

Qualifiers from these championships will advance to the state champtionship a week later.

The full race results can be found here.

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NIGHT GLOW COSTUME CRAWL FUN RUN/WALK (updated October 26th)

The weather gods blessed the first annual Night Glow Costume Crawl fun run/walk with phenomenal weather on Saturday night (October 25th).  It helped to bring out about thirty runners and walkers, plus some costumed characters, to Bob Shore Stadium for a benefit for Camdenton High School's Pride of the Lake Marching Band.  Everyone d a ghareat time.

Click on photo for a larger image.

The top male and female finishers of the two-mile race around the high school track were Nigher Alfaro (in 10:30) and 8 year-old Isabella Vitelli (in 16:00).  Behind them were:

Karen Bowen (16:02)
Jonas Johno (18:30)
Eric Newman (18:42)
Sara Van Dam (19:23)
The Alfaro Sisters (21:03)
Patti Reed (24:26)
Evan Welch (26:53)

 
Left photo:  Nigher Alfaro leads the rest of the Alfaro clan around the track. Right photo: Costumed characters from one of the greatest movies of all time,The Wizard of Oz.

Many more photos can be found here.

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ROCK ISLAND TRAIL (updated October 29th)

An advisory committee for the City of Eldon held a public meeting Monday night (October 27th) to introduce the proposed Rock Island Trail project to a group of 50-60 interested citizens, property owners and others in attendance.

A few months ago, this proposed hiking/biking trail on the unused Rock Island railroad line that passes through Eldon and Versailles, and extends across most of Missouri, looked like it might never happen. Ameren Missouri, which owns the railroad line through a subsidiary, was considering selling it, essentially guaranteeing that a recreational trail would never be built on it. Instead, Ameren decided to abandon the line and turn it over to the Missouri State Parks for construction of a trail. Ameren's plan requires approval by the federal government and, if approved, Ameren will then have to remove the track and ties before trail construction can begin. If all goes according to plan, trail construction could begin in about two or three years.

The rail line is 145 miles long. Building a trail of that length could take 10 years or more, depending on funding. It's likely to be completed in segments, with the most difficult and expensive segments built last.

After following developments with the proposed trail these past two years, the biggest surprise from Monday's meeting is that it looks like this trail will indeed be built. The small communities like Eldon, Versailles and many others that grew up mostly because of the Rock Island rail line--and which then suffered as rail service was discontinued--are now looking to the conversion of the abandoned rail line to recreational use as a stimulus for economic development. They are pushing the project heavily, and the state representatives for the districts in which these cities are located are helping it along. (A number of state representatives, as well as a member of Sen. Claire McCaskill's staff, were at Monday night's meeting.) There's a lot of momentum for the project, politicially speaking.

There's still a long way to go and lots of hurdles to overcome, but I think there's a very good chance that in the next five years we'll see a segment of the Rock Island Trail completed near the Lake area. The best bet would be the 18-mile stretch between Eldon and Versailles.

This really is great news.

Here's the Lake Sun's take on the meeting.

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ROTARY ROUTE 66 RUN OF LEBANON (updated October 25th)

Congratulations to our four Lake-area runners who competed in the Rotary Club of Lebanon's third annual Rotary Route 66 Run on Saturday (October 25th) in Lebanon. 

Paula O'Connor was our top female finisher, in 26:09, and won the women's 51-59 age group over five other competitors. Curtis Wehmeyer took third place (of eight competitors) in the male 31-40 age group with a 22:42 finish. Jayna Gray ran a 28:30, and placed second (of four) in the female 31-40 age group. Finally, Scott Gray crossed in 43:23 and finished eighth (of eight) in the male 31-40 age group.

Full results can be found here.       

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CLASS 4, DISTRICT 5 HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS (posted October 25th) 

Camdenton High School had six boys and five girls competing in the Class 4, District 5 cross country championship at Ha Ha Tonka State Park on Saturday (October 25th).  The top male and female finishers were seniors Cole Roam and Faith Scheidemantle, who finished in 19:13 and 20:38, respectively.  Results for all runners are shown below. 

For finishing among the top 30 runners, Faith Scheidemantle will advance to the Class 4 sectionals on Saturday, November 1st, in Nixa.  Qualifiers at the sectionals will compete in the state championships to be held on Saturday, November 8th, in Jefferson City.

Osage, Eldon and Versailles will be competing in the Class 3, District 5 championship on Saturday, November 1st, in Moberly. Qualifiers from that championship will also advance to the state champtionship a week later.

The full race results can be found here.

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I-35 CHALLENGE (updated October 25th)

The I-35 Challenge is a partnership between the Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon and the Des Moines Marathon, that offers 50 marathon and 150 half marathon runners the opportunity to participate in both races and earn a special medal and finisher's t-shirt for finishing. 

Results have been posted for the two-race finish times for participants in the challenge.  Ashley Pryor had the fastest combined finish time among the 25 women who completed the marathon challenge, with a combined 8:03:55.  Todd Raney had a combined marathon time of 8:07:11, which was ninth among the 21 men who finished. 

The full results can be found here. (Please note that the title incorrectly says "Half Marathon".)     

*   *   *   *   *

AVON WALK FOR BREAST CANCER (posted October 23rd)

Congratulations to our local We Bleed Pink team of Kari Salsman, Holly Thomas (a four-year, cancer-free survivor) and Jayna Gray for finishing the two-day, 39.3-mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in New York City last weekend (October 18-19). The walk capped off a year in which the team raised over $6,500 (through the Ta-Ta Trot 5K and other fund-raisers) for those battling breast cancer.

Jayna reports that they managed to avoid blisters thanks to periodic use of Body Glide on their feet during the walk.

They're planning to do the Avon Walk in Santa Barbara, California, on September 12-13, 2015. 

Next year's Ta-Ta Trot 5K will be on May 9th. 

*   *   *   *   *

ROCK 'N' ROLL ST. LOUIS MARATHON & HALF MARATHON (updated October 28th)

The Lake area had twenty runners participating in the fourth annual Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis Marathon & Half Marathon on Sunday (October 19th). 

Most notable of all of our finishers was Beth Coulter, who completed her very first marathon, in 4:54:10.  Beth finished 52nd (of 94) in the female 35-39 age group. 

Pete and Anita Leyva were our fastest half marathon finishers in 1:40:31 and 1:48:00, respectively, and were just minutes behind their near-PR finish times last year. Both finished in the top 5% of their age groups.

Another high age-group finisher was Cindy Wismer of Camdenton.  Cindy completed the half marathon in 2:00:03, placing 11th (of 174) in the female 55-59 age group.

Listed below are results for all of our local runners.  If I missed anyone, please let me know.

Complete race results can be found here.

It's worth noting that participation at this year's race fell from last year, a trend that's now continued each year since the inaugural race in 2011.  This year's race had a total of 7,560 solo marathon and half marathon finishers.  That's down 16% from last year, and a whopping 58% from 2011.  The organizers have to be wondering what they can do to stop the bleeding.

*   *   *   *   *

DES MOINES MARATHON (posted October 19th)

Twenty-one hours after completing the Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon on Saturday, Ashley Pryor and Todd Raney were at the starting line of the Des Moines Marathon, hoping to become finishers of not only that race, but the I-35 Challenge as well.  A field limit of 50 runners were registered for the I-35 marathon challenge, and another 150 for the half marathon challenge.

Ashley finished in 4:00:08, placing 35th (of 113) in the female 30-34 age group.  That was about four minutes faster than her finish the day before.

Todd wasn't as fast on Sunday as he was on Saturday, but he still finished in 4:11:54.  That was good for 62nd place (of 122 competitors) in the male 45-49 age group.

*   *   *   *   *

DOGWOOD CANYON 15K/25K/50K TRAIL RUNS (posted October 19th)

Congratulations to Jim McDermott for taking home second place (of six competitors) in the male 60-64 age group at Sunday's (Ocotber 19th) Dogwood Canyon Trail Run in Lampe, Missouri, near Table Rock Lake. This was Jim's first trail run, and he completed the 25K (15.5-mile) course in 2:48:51, a pace of 10:53 per mile.

Congratulations to Sherrie Hamner, as well.  Sherrie also finished the 25K, in 4:21:47, placing 29th (of 37) in the female 35-39 age group.

*   *   *   *   *

PERFECT 10 ROGAINE (posted October 19th)

The Lake area team of Jim Jackson and Josh Schrock competed in Saturday's (October 18th) Perfect 10 Rogaine orienteering race in the Lake of the Ozarks State Park, and finished eighth (of eleven) in the male-open division.  The nature of the race is to accumulate as many points as possible by orienteering to all of the checkpoints within the time limit of ten hours.   

*   *   *   *   *

BEAR CREEK RUN (posted October 19th)

The inaugural Bear Creek Run trail half marathon in Columbia on Saturday (October 18th) attracted 193 participants, including one from the Lake area.  Sharon Shepherd of Eldon finished in 3:03:14 and placed fourth (of six in the female 50-54 age group.  

*   *   *   *   *

TOUGH PUNKIN 1-MILE FUN RUN & 5K (updated October 19th)

A great time was had by all at the Tough Punkin 1-Mile Fun Run & 5K on Saturday (October 18th) at Heritage Elementary School in Lake Ozark. The run/walk kicked off the school's Pumpkin Festival put on by the Heritage Elementary PTA.  Three BIG slides and bounce houses were stationed at various parts of the courses, and the kids--including a few older ones-- had a blast playing on them.

Check out many more photos by clicking here.

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WADDELL & REED KANSAS CITY MARATHON, MARATHON RELAY, HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted October 19th)

The Lake area was represented by ten runners at the Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon & Half Marathon on Saturday (October 18th)--the largest number that we've ever had participate in that event.

Two of our runners competed in the marathon.  Todd Raney finished in 3:55:17--his fastest marathon so far this year, and just 1:36 slower than his personal best that was set at this race last year.  Ashley Pryor finished in 4:03:47, placing 23rd (of 108) in the female 30-34 age group. 

Congratulations to April Boicourt for completing her very first half marathon.  April finished in 2:08:45.  She passed along some photos, including one showing a great t-shirt for a race:  "If found on ground, please drag over finish line".

    
Left photo: April Boicourt (left) with Kansas City friends Jamie Simpson (middle) and Laura Kitzmann before the race. Middle photo: Jamie, Laura and April after the race. Right photo: April proudly wearing her first half marathon finish medal. 
(Click on a photo for a larger image.)  (Photos provided.)  

It's interesting to note from the race results that the margin of victory in the half marathon was just three seconds.  The winner crossed the line in an incredible 1:08:25.

Participation in this year's race totaled 6,942 runners, down 23% from the all-time peak of 8,912 set last year.  Waddell & Reed Kansas City bucked the downward trend in participation experienced by most other big races last year, but now they appear to have fallen in line.  This year's total takes them back to 2009 levels. 

Here are the results for Lake-area runners.  Please let me know if I missed anyone.

*   *   *   *   *

OLD GLORY COAST-TO-COAST RELAY (updated October 17th) 

The Old Glory Coast-to-Coast Relay run is on schedule, and will be arriving in Kansas City on Saturday. The run is being organized by Team RWB (short for "Red, White & Blue"), a non-profit organization whose mission is "to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity".  (You can also read more about them on Facebook.) 

The run began at the VA hospital in San Francisco on September 11th, and will end on November 11th at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

On Monday, the run will start in Arrow Rock, Missouri (about 10 miles northwest of Boonville), and jump onto the Katy Trail in New Franklin. It stays on the trail for the next 50 miles, and ends at the Capitol in Jefferson City. The total distance is 71 miles. Here's Monday's course map.

Tuesday's course starts at the Capitol, heads back to the Katy Trail, and follows the trail all the way to Marthasville--a total of 69 miles.

I believe they would welcome runners to come out and join them, if only for a short distance.  I'm not sure who's coordinating Monday's or Tuesday's runs, but if anyone's interesting in joining them, I'll try to find out.

Live tracking of the run can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

RACE TO THE DOME (posted October 15th) 

It was a chilly, gloomy day, but well over 100 paddlers, including five from the Lake of the Ozarks, showed up to compete in the fifth annual Race to the Dome on the Missouri River last Saturday (October 11th). The race started in Providence for those doing the 26.6-mile option, and in Hartsburg for those doing 15.8 miles. Both races ended in Jefferson City.

Here are our locals' results:

Full results can be found here.

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PRAIRIE FIRE MARATHON (posted October 12th) 

Denny Gillen has an arthroscopic knee procedure coming up later this week, but that didn't stop him from running hard at the Prairie Fire Marathon in Wichita, Kansas, on Sunday (October 12th). Denny finished in 4:13:18, and placed fifth (of 14) in the male 60-64 age group.

Congratulations on another fine race, Denny, and ~~~~ healing vibes ~~~~ to help speed up recovery from the upcoming procedure.

*   *   *   *   *

THE GREAT GO! ST. LOUIS HALLOWEEN RACE (posted October 12th) 

Our phenomenal local runner Lizzy Handschy had an outstanding race on Sunday (October 12th) at The Great GO! St. Louis Halloween Race in downtown St. Louis.  Lizzy won the female 20-24 age group (over 75 other competitors) in the 10K by finishing in a blistering 38:25.  That was fourth fastest among all 1,016 female finishers, and 11th among all 1,427 competitors.  It's also now the fastest 10K finish for a Lake-area woman in 2014.

Not to be overlooked, Alison Keppel of Linn Creek finished the half marathon in 2:09:23, placing 43rd (of 79) in the female 20-24 age group.

If I missed anyone, please let me know.

It's hard not to notice a significant drop in participation at this year's race.  The total number of finishers for all three races was 3,247, down 30% from last year's 4,606.

*   *   *   *   *

CHICAGO MARATHON (posted October 12th) 

Congratulations to our two Lake-area finishers of the Chicago Marathon on Sunday (October 12th).

Nigher Alfaro completed his first-ever marathon, doing so in 3:41:13.  That's the fastest marathon finishing time for Lake-area men in 2014.  (Nigher already has the fastest 2014 finish in the half marathon.)

Here are Nigher's splits.  You can see he hit the proverbial "wall" around the 35K mark.  

Jesse Shields finished in 3:52:22, just a bit behind last year's 3:41:48.   His wall also came around the 35K mark.

Searchable results are here.

*   *   *   *   *

2 DAM DAYS PADDLE MARATHON (updated October 8th)

The fifth annual 2 Dam Days Paddle Marathon was held at the Lake of the Ozarks last weekend (October 4-5).  We had a few locals participating in the two longer-distance races. 

In the Extreme Solo class, Kevin Sellers took third place, finishing the 82.4-mile, two-day race in a total of 15 hours and 45 minutes.

He's not listed in the official results, but Trevor Dowdney finished the 15.5-mile Sweet 16 race in 3 hours and 1 minute on a paddleboard.  Anthony Arauz also raced on a paddleboard, and no results were posted for him, either. 

Full results can be found here. (If you find the results hard to comprehend, join the club.  The 2 Dam Days website and results are among the worst I've ever seen.  Sorry for the rant.)

*   *   *   *   *

MO' COWBELL MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & 5K (updated October 10th)

Two weeks after Lizzy Handschy ran a remarkable, record-setting 5K, another local woman has done something truly extraordinary.

At Sunday's (October 5th) MO' Cowbell Marathon in St. Charles, Kellee Young of Camdenton turned in what is probably the fastest marathon ever run by a Lake-area woman.  Kellee finished in 3:28:55, and placed fourth among the 47 competitors in her 30-34 age group. Her finish time is also, by nearly 30 minutes, the fastest marathon time by a Lake-area runner this year.

Kellee's finish time meets the qualifying standard for entry into the Boston Marathon. (The standard for 18-34 year-old women is 3:35:00.)   Registration is closed for the 2015 Boston Marathon, so Kellee would have to wait until September 2015 to register for the 2016 race.

There were several other notable performances turned in by our locals:

Pete Groce apparently had a tough day, but finished his very first marathon, in 6:02:33.

April Leonard finished the marathon in 4:19:33.  That's April's second fastest marathon (of a total of eleven) that she's run since early 2009. 

Willard Haley finished the half marathon in 2:01:12, which (as far as I can tell) is a new personal record for Willard.

Two couples decided to run and finish together, and forego the chance to claim household bragging rights.  Emmy and Jeremy Zimmerman finished the half marathon in 2:01:57, and Sue and David Barry in 2:05:39.

Results for our Lake-area runners can be found below. If I missed anyone, please let me know.   Full results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

FROG HILL HALF MARATHON (posted October 5th)

1.6 seconds.  That was the margin of victory at the inaugural Frog Hill Half Marathon in Waynesville on Saturday (October 4th).  Matvey Vikhrov of Savannah, Georgia, took the overall win by finishing in 1:24:40, just barely ahead of Elijah McMahan of Rolla, who crossed the line in 1:24:41.6. They had the race to themselves, as no other competitor finished within five minutes of them.

The women's race was easily won by Meike Kuester of Fort Leonard Wood.  She finished in 1:35:23, more than six minutes ahead of her nearest competitor. 

A total of 187 solo runners and 7 teams finished the race.

Congratulations to our nine Lake-area finishers.  Most notable is Jennifer Newman who, in her very first half marathon, finished in 2:07:03 and placed second (of 11 competitors) in her 40-44 age group.  Jennifer also earned bragging rights in the Newman household by handily beating husband Eric, who finished in 2:18:22.

Full results can be found here.

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RUN FOR THEIR LIVES CHARITY 5K RUN & 1-MILE MEMORY WALK (posted October 5th)

Six Lake-area runners and walkers participated at Sunday's (October 5th) Run for their Lives Charity 5K Run & 1-Mile Walk at Atchley Park in Lebanon. The event was a benefit for Pathways Community Health.

Pete and Anita Leyva were the overall male and female 5K winners.  Pete finished in 21:48; Anita in 23:59.   Walkers included Anita Fels of Osage Beach, Christie Webb and Roxanna Waldon of Camdenton, and Chris Waters of Macks Creek.

Full results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

SHOW-ME BBQ 5K & 1-MILE RUN/WALK (posted October 5th)

(I apologize for not finding these results earlier.)

Congratulations to Curtis Wehmeyer and Randy Holtmeyer, who took first and second place, respectively, in the men's 40-49 age group at the Show-Me BBQ 5K on Saturday, September 27th, in Lebanon. Curtis finished in 23:19, and Randy in 23:59. There were seven competitors in their age group.

Full results can be found here.

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TURKEY TROT & STRIDE FOR PRIDE 5K RUN/WALK (posted August 19th)  

Spectacular weather was accompanied by an equally spectacular performance at the Turkey Trot & Stride for Pride 5K Run/Walk in Eldon on Saturday (September 27th).  Approximately 100 runners and walkers turned out for an event that produced what's believed to be the fastest women's 5K finish time in Lake-area history. 

Lizzy Handschy, a recent Washington University graduate and WU cross country runner now living in the Lake area, finished the 5K in an incredible 18:25. That was over two minutes faster than the previous course (and Lake-area) record of 20:33 set by Shelby Lile at the Independence Day 5K in 2010.  Shelby shared the Lake-area women's record with Jill Durnin, who ran a 20:33 at the St. Patrick's Day 5K in 2012 on the other Eldon 5K course.

An 18:25 5K finish time places Lizzy among the fastest female runners in the state.   By way of example, at the Bass Pro 5K last November, that finish time would have placed her second among all 648 female finishers.  Only the phenomenal Kimi Reed finished faster than that.

Lizzy easily took the overall victory.  The top male runner was Ryan Bennett, who finished in 18:51.

   
Overall winners Lizzy Handschy and Ryan Bennett.

Results for top finishers are normally posted within a few days on the Eldon Parks & Recreation webpage. I'll link to them once their available.

Here are a few more photos from the race.  Many more can be found in the gallery.

 

 

*   *   *   *  *

ST. ANTHONY'S RUN FOR HOPE 5K RUN/WALK (updated September 28th)

Everyone had a wonderful time at Saturday's (September 27th) Run for Hope sponsored by St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Camdenton.  Proceeds from the event will benefit five local charitable organizations, including Helping Hands Homeless Shelter; Lamb House food pantry; Habitat for Humanity; Medical Missions for Christ; and Citizens Against Domestic Violence (CADV).

 
The top four finishers, in order (left to right):  Nigher Alfaro (who found the post-race hamburger so good, he declined to share it with his daughter, leaving her to munch on her thumb), Blake Dymond (25:24), Ethan Folks, and Johnathan Scars (29:30).

Below are just a couple photos from the event.  Many more photos can be found here.

Thanks go to Dr. Maria Bernabe and all of the other folks at St. Anthony's for putting on such a fun event, and the Knights of Columbus for coming out to cook hamburgers and hot dogs for us. Combined with all the baked goods offered for a nominal donation, this was one event where you likely consumed more calories than you expended, but it was well worth it.

Even the Knights of Columbus got into the party atmosphere.  Click on the photo below to view a short video clip.

Finally, it was nice that Virgina Mueller, the mayor of Linn Creek, came out to welcome us, and for police chief Trevor Dowdney to paint a welcome to St. Anthony's on the street. Sadly, in the Lake area, it's virtually unheard of for city officials to appear at a race in their town.  

*   *   *   *  *

ROOTS 'n BLUES 'n BBQ HALF MARATHON & 10K (posted September 28th)

The Lake area had six runners who finished Saturday's (September 27th) Roots 'n Blues 'n BBQ Half Marathon in Columbia. Their results are shown below.  

The results weren't searchable by city, making it tough to find Lake-area participants.  If I missed anyone, please let me know.

*   *   *   *   *

GO GIRL RUN KANSAS CITY HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted September 28th)

Just two Lake-area runners (if I missed anyone, please let me know) competed at the Go Girl Run Half Marathon & 5K in Kansas City on Sunday (September 28th).  That was down sharply from fourteen in 2013, when the race was held in May. 

Moving the race to September apparently helped to increase overall participation.  This is one of the few races with a noticeable increase over 2013 in the number of finishers. 

*   *   *   *   *

QUAD CITIES MARATHON (updated September 28th)

Congratulations to our four Lake-area finishers at the Quad Cities Marathon in Moline, Illinois, on Sunday (September 28th).  (I have a feeling there was some disappointment with their results, except perhaps for Scott Page.)

*   *   *   *   *

OMAHA MARATHON (posted September 21st)

On Sunday (September 21st), Todd Raney and Denny Gillen checked off Nebraska on their lists of states in which they've completed a marathon by finishing the Omaha Marathon.

Denny finished in 4:07:20, placing 5th (of 21) in the male 60-64 age group. Todd finished in 4:08:17, placing 20th (of 46) among 45-49 males.

*   *   *   *   *

AZALEA HALF MARATHON, 10K & 5K (posted September 14th)

Congratulations to our two Lake-area finishers at the Azalea Half Marathon in Nixa on Saturday (September 13th). Shayla Viele of Camdenton finished in 2:20:55, placing 19th (of 31) in the female 30-34 age group, while Kayla Little of Eldon finished in 2:48:15, placing 16th (of 19) in the female 25-29 age group.

Full results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

PLAZA 10K (posted September 14th)

The Lake area was represented by four runners at the Plaza 10K in Kansas City on Saturday (September 13th).  This is the largest 10K in the state, with 3,317 finishers at Saturday's race, and it attracts an amazingly fast field.  The overall male winner crossed the line in 30:05--a pace of 4:51 per mile--with the next two males crossing 5 seconds later.  The overall female winner was Kimi Reed, in 35:16--just one second ahead of her closest competitor.  (Kimi won last November's Bass Pro 5K.)

Jayna and Scott Gray before the race.
Jayna's 10K finish time of 59:46 was a personal best. 
  Click on photo for a larger image. (Photo provided.)

Full results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

9/11 FREEDOM RUN 5K (updated September 26th)

The firefighters of the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District put on a wonderful 5K on Saturday (September 13th) in Lake Ozark.   The first annual 9/11 Freedom Run was a tribute to the 343 New York City firefighters who lost their lives in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The event raised over $3,400 for the firefighters' "Shop With a Fireman" program, which takes underprivileged kids shopping for school supplies and Christmas gifts in a fire truck.

The event started with a short ceremony honoring those who died.  In addition, every runner and walker was given a badge containing the name and photo of a fallen firefighter to wear during the event.

 
Left: Members of the Magic Dragon Pipes & Drums played a tribute to the FDNY firefighters. Right: One of the badges worn by each of the runners and walkers during the event.
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

Fifty-five runners and walkers, including four firefighters who walked while dressed in full gear, participated in the event.

Pre-race instructions being given to the participants.


Four firefighters and their mascot who walked the 5K course in full gear.

The inaugural race gave us two first-time Lake-area 5K winners. Scott Page led the men and finished in 22:39, and took home the most original and memorable race award in memory--a replica fireman's helmet emblazoned with the race logo.  On the women's side, Jennifer Newman crossed the line (in her cool-looking brand-new pair of Reeboks) in 27:22. 

   
Top male and female runners Scott Page and Jennifer Newman. Right:  The overall winner's award.

Many more photos can be found here.

Full results can be found here.

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MAKE THE BREAK 5K RUN/WALK (updated September 14th)

The fourth annual Make the Break 5K Run/Walk, benefiting the Citizens Against Domestic Violence (CADV), brought out about 50 runners and walkers to Linn Creek on Saturday (September 13th).  This year's event was held in memory of Brandi Mathews, who lost her life as a result of domestic violence.

The starting line. (Click on photo for a larger image.)

The overall male and female winners were Curtis Wehmeyer (Curtis' first-ever overall victory) and Anita Leyva.  Curtis finished in 21:00; Anita in 22:31.

 
Curtis Wehmeyer and Anita Leyva.
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

Many more photos from the event can be found here.

*   *   *   *  *

BROADWAY BRIDGE RUN (posted September 7th)

One Lake-area runner competed at the Broadway Bridge Run half marathon, 10K & 5K in Kansas City on Sunday (September 7th). Angela Libby of Osage Beach finished the 10K race in 58:58, placing 22nd (of 90) in the female 25-29 age group.

A total of 388 runners finished the half marathon, down from 446 last year, but up from 260 in 2012 when the half marathon distance was first offered.

Full results can be found through the KCRunningCompany.com results page.

*   *   *   *   *

SIOUX FALLS MARATHON (posted September 7th)

The Lake area's two most prolific racers, Ashley Pryor and Todd Raney, traveled to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, over the weekend to compete in the Sioux Falls Marathon.

Ashley finished in 3:55:48, placing 9th (of 32) in the female 30-34 age group.  For Lake-area women, that was the fastest marathon finish for 2014, and the fastest since 2011. (As far as I know, only two other Lake-area women--Laura Davis and Stacy Turner--have gone sub 4 hours.) It was also a personal best for Ashley as she beat by nearly five minutes her previous best of 4:00:27 at the (now-defunct) Mother Road Marathon in 2012.

Todd's pre-race thoughts of a possible PR attempt (his current best is 3:53:41) had to be discarded late in the race, and he crossed the line in 4:08:26, placing 20th (of 29) in the male 45-49 age group. That marks a marathon finish in eleven states for Todd as he continues his 50-state quest.

Full results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

SPLASH PEDAL DASH YOUTH TRIATHLON (updated September 7th)

Despite cool temperatures and a light rain that lasted just until the end of the event, the second annual Splash Pedal Dash Youth Triathlon organized by the Eldon Career Center went on as scheduled on Saturday (September 6th).  Thirty-eight kids, ranging in age from grades K-8, braved the chilly water temperatures at the Eldon Aquatic Center, and then went on to bike and run to the finish line. Many of the kids participating at this year's event competed at last year's inaugural event, but for many others, this was their very first triathlon.

A group photo following the awards ceremony. Due to the chilly conditions, some of the competitors left early.
(Click on a photo for a larger image.)

 

 

 

 

Check out many more event photos by clicking here.

Kelli Engelbrecht and her able crew of volunteers did another outstanding job of putting on a fun event. It's unfortunate that the weather was cool and rainy (incredibly, this was only the second time all year that a Lake-area race was rained upon), but everyone still had a great time.

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RUN THE BURG HALF MARATHON, 10K & 5K (posted September 6th)

Congratulations to Pete Groce of Eldon, who ran a personal best of 1:49:37 at Saturday's (September 6th) Run the Burg Half Marathon in Warrensburg. Pete placed third (of four) in the male 50-54 age group.

Full results can be found here.  The most incredible performance of the day belonged to the phenomenal, 48 year-old ultramarathon runner and triathlete Doug Assenmacher of Springfield, who won the half marathon in 1:24:17. 

Participation in the half marathon fell for the second straight year.  Here are the number of finishers for the last four years:

2011         53
2012       114
2013       100
2014         83

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HEART OF AMERICA MARATHON (posted September 2nd)

Congratulations to Jim McDermott for winning the male 60-and-over age group (over eight other competitors) at the Heart of America Marathon in Columbia on Labor Day (September 1st).  Jim crossed the line in 4:24:55.

This year's race had 179 finishers, down significantly from last year's 238, and the first total below 200 since 2008.  Last year, the Lake area had eight finishers at this race.

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TRI-LAKES K-LIFE 10K/5K/1-MILE RUN/WALK (posted September 1st)

The Sanders family of Linn Creek represented the Lake area well at Saturday's (August 30th) 9th annual Tri-Lakes K-Life Run/Walk in Branson.

John Sanders was the overall winner of the 5K, finishing ahead of 57 other runners, in 17:56.  Tiffany finished in 29:57, placing fourth (of four) in the female 30-39 age group.  The youngest Sanders--8 year-old Ellie, 6 year-old Audri, and 3 year-old Owen--finished the one-mile run in 9:47, 9:35, and 10:15, respectively.  (A three year-old completing a mile in 10:15? That's pretty impressive.)

Full results can be found here.

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LAKE MICHIGAN TRAIL MARATHON (posted September 1st)

Congratulations to Todd Raney for a 4:13:39 finish at Sunday's (August 31st) Lake Michigan Trail Marathon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Todd placed 8th (of 11) in the male 40-49 age group. This marks state #10 in Todd's quest to complete a marathon in every U.S. state.

Todd's official race photos can be found by searching at this page.

Full results can be found here.

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CHICAGO TRIATHLON (posted September 2nd)

Congratulations to Jim McDermott for an outstanding finish at the Chicago Triathlon on Sunday (August 24th). Jim finished the 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run in 3:00:37, placing 11th (of 33) in the male 60-64 age group. Here are his splits:

Swim:                         48:56  (3:15 per 100 meters)
T-1:                              3:50
Bike:                       1:08:16  (21.7 mph)
T-2:                              3:54
Run:                           55:38  (8:58/mile)
Finish:                     3:00:37

Results can be found here.

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ALOHA TRIATHLON & QUINTATHLON (posted August 24th)

The Aloha Triathlon & Quintathlon was held at Longview Lake in Lee's Summit on Sunday (August 24th).   Not only was this an inaugural event, but it appears (following a Google search) to have been the very first quintathlon--a swim/bike/run/bike/run--ever held.  (The few other "quintathlons" were track & field-type events that were more like pentathlons than triathlons.)

Denny Gillen competed in the quintathlon and was unchallenged in the male 60-64 age group.  (Indeed, he was the oldest of all 54 quintathlon competitors.)   Here are Denny's splits:

Swim (800 meters):    25:02  (3:08 per 100 meters)
T-1:                              2:15
Bike (18 miles):       1:01:26  (17.6 mph)
T-2:                              1:06
Run (5K):                   26:22  (8:30/mile)
T-3:                              1:34
Bike (10 miles):          39:13  (15.3 mph)
T-4:                              1:01
Run (2K):                   10:45  (8:59/mile)
Finish:                     2:48:38

In addition to the 54 quintathlon finishers, there were a total of 152 triathlon finishers.  Full results can be found here.

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RUN FOR THE FALLEN (updated August 18th)

The Lake of the Ozarks' participation in the national Run for the Fallen on Saturday (August 16th) brought out 163 runners and walkers, more than enough to represent each of the 141 Missouri soldiers (of a total of 6,832) who lost their lives in Iraq or Afghanistan.  Each participant was asked to run or walk at least a mile in memory of a soldier.

 
Trish Creach of the Camdenton Chamber of Commerce speaking to the run/walk participants at Camdenton Middle School's Little Theater.  Trish and her volunteers have organized the local event since it was first held in 2010. (Click on photo for a larger image.) 

Three of the 141 fallen Missouri soldiers for
whom the local tribute was held.

A few more photos from the event can be found here.

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THE MISSOURI AMERICAN WATER 340 (updated August 17th)

The Missouri American Water 340, a 340-mile paddling race from Kansas City to St. Charles on the Missouri River, concluded on Friday (August 15th) with 189 of the 283 boats that started the race finishing within the 88-hour time limit.

The Lake area had four competitors in this year's race.

Brian Brooks of Eldon, a race veteran who finished second in the solo men's division in 2012 and participated on a 3-4 person team last year, failed to finish this year.  Brian abandoned the race at Glasgow, about 130 miles and 16 hours into the race. 

Ben Apperson of Eldon finished in 66:18:00.

Bob Meyer of Camdenton finished in 74:18:00.

In the tandem division, the two-man Cheezeweasels team that included Justin Knott of Lake Ozark, finished in 80:30:00.

Full results can be found at raceowl.com.

There are lots of photos and stories posted on the race's Facebook page.

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RISE 'N' SHINE 5K RUN/WALK (updated June 10th)

Sixty-eight runners and walkers finished the inaugural Rise 'n' Shine 5K Run/Walk on Saturday (August 9th) in Osage Beach. The event raised $6,000 for Woman 2 Woman, a faith-based, non-profit mentoring, education and referral organization serving women in Camden, Morgan and Miller counties.

Runners get ready for the race to start.
(Click on a photo for a larger image.)

The big story of this race is that, for the most part, Lake-area runners got schooled and skunked on their home turf by faster runners from other cities.  This was the first race in the Lake area for most of these out-of-town "ringers", and they humbled the locals.

The overall male winner was 21 year-old Stephen Andrew, who finished in 17:33--more than a minute ahead of his nearest rival. While currently residing in Roach, Stephen is from suburban St. Louis.

The women's winner was Amy Meyer from St. Robert.  Amy finished in 20:23, which is believed to be fastest women's 5K finish time in the Lake area this year.  (Stephen Andrew's 17:33 was 2014's second fastest on the men's side.)

 
Overall winners Stephen Andrew and Amy Meyer.

Despite not taking the overall victories, some of our local runners nevertheless did very well and won their respective age groups.  Nigher Alfaro broke nineteen minutes and won the male 40-49 age group in 18:56.  Not too far behind Nigher,  Pete Leyva broke the twenty-minute barrier and won the male 50-59 age group in 19:53.  Among Lake-area women, 16 year-old Sydney Bickmeyer of Roach turned in the fastest finish time with a 22:51, winning her 13-19 age group uncontested.

Complete results, both by age group and order of finish, can be found here.  Links are also available for each finisher to download his or her finisher's certificate.

A group photo of the top finishers.

 
Pictured (left to right):  Randy Holtmeyer (from Iberia), Amy Meyer (St. Robert), Randy Acklin (Lebanon), Stephen Andrew (Roach) and Keith DuPont II (Waynesville).

Many more photos from the race can be found here.

While the out-of-town runners humbled those of us from the immediate Lake area, it was still great to see them come all the way from Lebanon, Rolla, Waynesville, Jefferson City, Tipton and elsewhere to race with us, and to help a local non-profit organization in the process.   Race organizers Curtis and Tami Wehmeyer worked hard in promoting the race to runners both in and out of the Lake area.  Hopefully, the visiting runners will return to race this and other Lake-area events in the future.

For more about the event, be sure to check out LakeExpo.com's article by Connye Griffin and photos by Al Griffin.

Congratulations and thanks go to Tami and Curtis Wehmeyer for doing an outstanding job of organizing this event, including the recruitment of a great group of volunteers to help them.  From a runner's perspective, everything went off without a hitch, and the chip timing (handled by Rolla-based Split Second Timing) was especially nice. 

For next year, a half marathon is expected to be added to the event, which may mean a rescheduling to a cooler time of the year.  

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LAKE AREA BUDDY PACK 1K/5K/10K RUN/WALK (updated August 11th)

Approximately 150 runners and walkers turned out Friday night (August 8th) for the Lake Area Buddy Pack 1K/5K/10K Run/Walk hosted by The Church at Osage Hills in Osage Beach.  The event was a benefit for the Buddy Pack program, which provides weekend nutrition for low-income elementary students throughout the Lake area. 

The starting line.
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

The overall 10K male and female winners were Nigher Alfaro and Anita Leyva.

      
Nigher Alfaro and Anita Leyva at about the 3.5-mile mark.

The 5K winners were David and Ashley Sperling.  (This appears to be the first time a husband/wife combination took overall wins at a local race.)

   
David and Ashley Sperling shortly after
the 5K turnaround at Nichols Road.

Some results are expected to be posted at the church's website. (I'll link to them when they're available.)

To view many more photos from the race, click here.

The event was a big success, owing primarily to the many large sponsors that stepped up to help the cause.  Karla McDuffey and the many volunteers deserve our thanks for a safe, fun event.   Running along Osage Beach Parkway after dark sounded a bit risky, but it proved to be very safe, with a coned-off lane of traffic, st

*   *   *   *   *

reet lights along the entire route, and cautious motorists.

Finally, a big "attaboy" goes to Logan (sorry, I didn't ask his last name), a School of the Osage seventh grader who was doing his first 10K, and who encountered knee pain early in the race.  Despite the pain, he kept moving forward and finished (nearly dead last, truth be told), cheered on at the finish line by his two buddies who had started with him, but who were sent on when his knee slowed him down.

     

   
Clockwise, from top left: Logan (#35) with his two buddies before the start of the 10K; Logan at the 2-mile mark; his buddies cheering him on near the finish line; Logan nearing the finish line.

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REPUBLIC TIGER TRI (posted August 10th) 

Congratulations to Amy Harrell for a fourth-place finish (of eleven competitors) in the female 25-29 age group at Saturday's (August 9th) Republic Tiger Tri (300-yard pool swim, 12.2-mile bike and 5K run).   Here are Amy's splits:

Swim:          6:35   (2:12 per 100 yards)
T-1:             1:44
Bike:         52:18 (14.0 mph)
T-2:             1:05
Run:          32:18 (10:26 per mile)
Finish:    1:34:01

Participation in the triathlon was down for the second year in a row.  There were 246 finishers of this year's race, versus 290 last year and 360 in 2012.   (The kids triathlon had 97 participants this, versus 95 last year and 97 in 2012.)  The full race results can be found here.

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WARRENSBURG TRIATHLON (posed August 10th) 

Jim McDermott was the overall winner at a triathlon held on Saturday (August 9th) in Warrensburg.  The event was organized by the Warrensburg Parks & Recreation Department.  Full results aren't available. 

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TALL OAK CHALLENGE (updated August 10th)

Congratulations to our local competitors at the Tall Oak Challenge    6-hour mountain bike race at Binder Park in Jefferson City on Sunday (August 3rd). Solo riders and teams raced to complete as many laps as possible, but couldn't begin another lap once the race clock reached six hours.

In the two-person division, the Schrock Shop team of Josh Schrock and Anatolie Juncu finished eighth overall (of 18 teams).

In the three-person division, the Lake area was represented by three teams. The Lake Trash team of Terry Kaufman (aka "Uncle Terry"), Aaron Tull (aka "A.T."), and Darren Matney finished in second place; the Phat Tire Hillbillies, consisting of Tony Neal, Scott Hofer and Baub Eis, finished in fifth place; and Team Jack Daniels, consisting of Dan Dougan, Chris Orr and Josh Clark, finished in seventh. Nine teams competed in that division.

Full results are linked on the race's homepage.

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COWBOY UP! TRIATHLON (posted August 5th)

Rona Schaefer had been planning for months to do her very first triathlon at Sunday's (August 3rd) Cowboy Up! Triathlon in Kansas City, but those plans were unfortunately derailed by bad weather.   Storms in the area forced cancellation of both the swim and bike, so the event was reduced to just a 5K run. Making matters worse, the weather caused an electrical short in the computer timing system, so the finish times of only the first 25 runners were recorded. (It was a very fast field, because the first 25 runners all finished in under 22:00.)

There are a number of triathlons coming up in the next month, so Rona has other opportunities to take on her first.

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IRONMAN BOULDER TRIATHLON (posted August 3rd)

Congratulations to Denny Gillen for an oustanding race at the inaugural Ironman Boulder Triathlon on Sunday (August 3rd) in Colorado.   Denny finished the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run in 13:00:27, easily beating his previous Ironman finishes of 13:58:13 and 13:29:31 at Louisville in 2011 and 2013, respectively. He placed 11th (of 35) in the male 60-64 age group.

Here are Denny's splits:

Swim:     1:34:34 (2:26 per 100 meters)
T-1:           12:07
Bike:       6:17:06 (17.8 mph)
T-2:            12:50
Run:        4:43:50 (10:49/mile)
Finish:   13:00:27

Searchable results can be found here.

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THE GREAT BAGNELL DAM DUCK DROP 5K RUN/WALK (updated August 3rd)

The best weather in the event's six-year history brought out about forty runners and walkers for The Great Bagnell Dam Duck Drop 5K Run/Walk on Saturday (August 3rd) in Lake Ozark.

The cool morning temperatures produced fog over Bagnell Dam and the Osage River--a rare sight at the beginning of August
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

We had a bunch of runners from outside the Lake area,      including a few from the St. Louis area, a couple from Chicago, several from Iowa, and one from Minnesota. It's always great to see new faces at our local events. Hopefully, the brutal hill on Valley Rd. wasn't enough to deter them from returning next year.

   
The starting line.

The overall male and female winners were Nigher Alfaro, in 20:12, and Peyton Blake, in 23:12.  Nigher was nursing a sore knee, but easily beat the rest of the field, as well as his second-place finish time of 20:26 last year.  (~~~~ Healing vibes for Nigher ~~~~)

 
Overall winners Nigher Alfaro and Peyton Blake. 
(I believe Peyton is from Iowa.)

Here are the winners of their respective age groups:

Of particular note is that Ryan Page's age-group winning time of 23:56 was a full minute faster than his other 5K finishes this year, and may have established a new personal record for him.

A jubilant and victorious Ryan Page re-enacts his
finish line crossing, aided by sister Reagan.

You can view many more photos from the event here.

Thanks go to Becky Panchot and other members of the Kiwanis Club of Ozark Coast for putting on another fun, safe event.

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SHOW-ME STATE GAMES (posted July 27th) 

Congratulations to Lake-area runners Denzil Calton and Willard Haley for great races at Sunday's (July 27th) Show-Me State Games in Columbia. In the 5K, Denzil finished in 21:48, crossing the line fourth overall and winning the male 50-54 age group. In the 10K, Willard ran a 56:29 and placed second (of two) in the male 50-54 age group.

Another familiar name in the results was that of Sharon Schaefer, a two-time finisher of the Run for the Children Half Marathon.  Sharon ran uncontested in the female 60-64 age group in the 10K, and finished in an outstanding 1:02:34.

Full results can be found here.

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WIN FOR KC WOMEN'S TRIATHLON (posted July 27th)

Congratulations to Eldon resident Meagan Carroll for finishing Saturday's (July 26th) WIN for KC Women's Triathlon (500-meter swim, 10-mile bike and 5K run) in Kansas City.   This event, which was first held in 2009, has grown each year to become the biggest triathlon in the state, with 892 finishers this year.  It also sells out months in advance.

Meagan finished in 1:53:54, three minutes faster than last year.  Here are her splits:

Swim:         12:28  (2:29/100 meters)
T-1:              3:45
Bike:           54:42  (11.0 mph)
T-2:              2:02
Run:           40:56  (13:12/mile)
Finish:     1:53:54  (24th of 28 in female 20-24)

Full results can be found here.

The results didn't allow a search by city, so if I missed any Lake-area triathletes while scrolling down the long list of finishers, please let me know.

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SHOW-ME STATE GAMES (posted July 23rd) 

Congratulations to our two Lake-area athletes who competed in the triathlon at last Sunday's (July 20th) Show-Me State Games. Jim McDermott and Robin Martonfi finished the 0.5-mile swim, 15-mile bike and 3-mile run in 1:32:09 and 2:10:33, respectively. Both finished second in their respective age groups--Jim in the male 60-64, and Robin in the female 35-39. Full results can be found here.

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KYLE BILLINGTON MEMORIAL 5K (posted July 21st)

Two of our Lake-area runners competed at the Kyle Billington Memorial 5K in Jefferson City on Saturday (July 19th).

Jim McDermott won the 60 & over age group over four other competitors by finishing in 22:34.

In a very competitive male 50-59 age group, Willard Haley's 25:08 was only good for a ninth place finish among the total of twelve competitors.

The race brought out some extremely fast runners.  The overall male winner--35 year-old Magnus Holmstrom--crossed the line in 15:21.  Thirteen other runners finished in under twenty minutes.

Full results can be found here.

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WIGGLE WAGGLE WALK (5K WALK/RUN) (updated July 20th)

A few dozen two- and four-legged runners and walkers turned out in Eldon on Saturday (July 19th) for the Wiggle Waggle Walk.  The 5K run/walk was a benefit for the Eldon Animal Control Center, and funds raised at the event will be used to support the Center's work in transporting, spaying, neutering, and providing medical and other needs for animals in the Eldon area.

"Shep" sports his medal for an age-group victory.
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

The overall male and female winners were Tony Pace and "Albert" in 28:03, and Sarah Amsinger in 37:56.   Top finishers in each age group are available here.

   
Overall winners Tony Pace and Albert, and Sarah Amsinger.

Despite a possible stress facture in her foot, April Leonard took one for the team and followed "Cubbie" all the way to the finish line.  ~~~~Healing vibes to April ~~~~~

   
April Leonard and "Cubbie", and April's booted left foot. 

More photos from the event can be found here.

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LAKE FREEBIRD TRIATHLON (posted July 13th) 

Congratulations to Jim McDermott for taking sixth overall (of 41 competitors) and winning the male 60 & over age group (over one other competitor) at Sunday's (July 13th) Lake Freebird Triathlon in Mountain Grove, Missouri. 

Jim finished in 1:22:22, handily beat last year's finish time of 1:29:00.  (I believe he crashed on his bike last year.)  Here are his splits for the 660-meter swim, 14-mile bike and 5K run, with 2013 times are shown on the right:

Swim:       14:45  (2:13/100 meters)  (   14:42)
T-1:            0:49                                (     1:52)
Bike:        41:54   (20.0 mph)            (   45:56)
T-2:            0:48                                (     1:43)
Run:         24:05  (7:46/mile)             (   24:47)
Finish:   1:22:22                                (1:29:00)

Full results can be found here.

Race photos can be found at the Mountain Grove Lions Club's Facebook page.   Click for Jim's photos on the bike, the run, and at the awards ceremony.  Also, check out this wild helmet.

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RUN WITH THE COPS 5K/10K RUN/WALK (updated July 12th)

Holy humidity, Batman!   You practically needed a pair of gills to breathe at the Run with the Cops, Not from the Cops 5K/10K Run/Walk on Saturday (July 12th) in Eldon.  The temperature at the 6:00 a.m. start was 75°, with a relative humidity of 83%.  (My quick rule-of-thumb is that, for temperatures above 70°, if the sum of the temperature and humidity exceeds 140, it's going to be tough going.   Add 10 more to the total if the sun is beating down on you.)

A post-race group photo. (Click for larger image.)

Despite the tough conditions (which will supposedly provide benefits for you in your fall races), about 18 turned out for the 10K, and about another 35 for the 5K.  The event was organized by the Miller County Sheriff's Department, and proceeds will go toward the medical and rehabilitation expenses for Tom McClelland, a 22 year-old deputy sheriff who went into cardiac arrest while on duty on May 16th. (You can read more about Tom's medical emergency here.)

The 10K runners getting final instructions from event organizer and Miller County Sheriff's Department deputy Sean Abel.

The results weren't immediately available, but should be posted at the event's Facebook page when they are.

Here are some photos:

  
Agent 007 (aka "Ethan") at the half-mile mark and the finish line.

   
A rare photo of Randy Holtmeyer (left), who's usually far ahead of me;
Paula O'Connor (middle), near the front of the 5K pack; and a Ghostbuster tries to beat the heat.

   
Bad behavior:  Lawson Barclay (left) tries to overturn the Sheriff's Department Humvee, while a younger vandal unscrews the lug nuts on a police car.

I didn't get very many other photos since the runners and walkers in the two distances were so spread out on the course.  (A few photos also came out poorly due to the lighting, so I didn't post them.)  You can find all the photos here.

Thanks go to Sean Abel and his volunteers for a great event. The weather made it challenging, but our challenges pale in comparison to those faced by deputy Tom McClelland. We hope and pray for his full recovery.

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OLD GLORY COAST-TO-COAST RELAY (posted July 16th) 

Similar to One Run for Boston, another cross-country relay run is coming up this fall. The Old Glory Coast-to-Coast Relay is being organized by Team RWB (short for "Red, White & Blue"), a non-profit organization whose mission is "to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity.  (You can also read more about them on Facebook.)  There are dozens of Team RWB chapters all across the U.S.

The run will begin at the VA hospital in San Francisco on September 11th, and end on November 11th at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

The course route crosses Missouri.  Day 40 (Monday, October 20th, by my calculation) starts in Arrow Rock, Missouri (about 10 miles northwest of Boonville), and jumps onto the Katy Trail in New Franklin. It stays on the trail for the next 50 miles, and ends at the Capitol in Jefferson City. The total distance is 71 miles.

Day 41 (Tuesday, October 21st) starts at the Capitol, heads back to the Katy Trail, and follows the trail all the way to Marthasville--a total of 69 miles.

Basically, a team captain "buys" a day (for $400), and recruits a relay team (of any size) that will carry the flag between the day's starting and ending locations.  Read the FAQs for more information.

Teams in Kansas City (Day 38) and St. Louis (Day 42) have already signed up to participate.  I don't see any teams yet formed for the mid-Missouri segments.

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16th ANNUAL ELDON INDEPENDENCE DAY 5K RUN/WALK (updated July 5th)

A total of about 120 runners and walkers turned out Friday (July 4th) for Eldon's Independence Day 5K Run/Walk.  Surprisingly, that was a smaller number than in past years, despite the best weather in memory for this event.

The starting line. (Click on photo for a larger image.)

   
Signs of patriotism at an Independence Day 5K: Margie Gunter, completely decked out in red, white and blue, and Pete Leyva, who ran while carrying the American flag.

The overall male winner was Greg Linhart of Kansas City, who finished in 18:29.  Greg also won in 2013, and finished second to Casey O'Connor in 2012. 

The big story of the day was in the women's race.  The overall winner was 15 year-old Danielle Mohrmann of St. Louis.  Danielle not only finished in a blistering 19:33, but she established a new women's course record, shaving a minute off of Shelby Lile's record of 20:33 set in 2010.  While no one knows for certain (due to many missing race results), it's quite possible that Danielle ran the fastest women's 5K in Lake-area history.  Danielle is a cross country runner at Marquette High School, and competed in the state championships last November as a sophomore.

Click to view race results in .docx or .pdf format.

Odds and ends:

Congratulations to Jayna Gray and Marie Pitts for setting new personal records. 

We always like to recognize "newbies", so congratulations also go to Bridgette Noonan for finishing her very first 5K.  Bridget crossed the line in 29:49.

 
Pictured (left):  Marie and Rebecca Pitts; (right) Bridgette Noonan

One of our runners was visiting all the way from Asheville, North Carolina.  We were chatting on the course, and he mentioned he'll be going for his fourth New York City Marathon finish this November. 

   
Sorry I don't have their names, but at left is our three-time New York City Marathon finisher, and at right is a proud dad with his daughter (in green) and daughter-in-law (in pink).

For lots more photos from the event, click here.

Finally, ~~~~ healing vibes ~~~~ to April Leonard, who's been sidelined with an ailing foot.

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FORGET-ME-NOT TROT 5K/10K RUN/WALK (updated June 29th)

Two ponies and approximately 30 humans turned out to run or walk on Saturday (June 28th) in the second annual Forget-Me-Not Trot 5K/10K Run/Walk, benefiting the Missouri Forget-Me-Not Horse Rescue & Sanctuary .    

"Tiny" and "Pixie" indulging in some pre-race nutrition.
(Click on photo for larger image.)


The two-legged competitors gathering at the starting line.

The top male 5K finishers were Chris Cox (21:46) and Bryan Cook (25:09). Chris was also the fastest 10K finisher (in 44:30), followed by Pete Groce (52:46). The overall female 5K winner was Paula O'Connor, in 27:28. Margie Gunter was the only female 10K competitor.

The results are in, and can be viewed in .docx or .pdf format.

       
Pictured (left to right): Chris Cox, Bryan Cook, Pete Groce, Paula O'Connor and Margie Gunter.

Lots of additional photos taken at the event can be found here. (You know your motivation to race is completely gone when you're willing to stop to take photos of wildflowers along the course.)

Thanks go to Connie Hendrix, Michelle Cox and all the other staff members and volunteers at the Missouri Forget-Me-Not Horse Sanctuary & Rescue for another fun event.  We hope the event met their expectations, and that it helps to continue their work in caring for abused, neglected and abandoned horses. 

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HALFMAX/QUARTERMAX/OCTOMAX TRIATHLONS (posted June 28th)

Congratulations to Amy Harrell of Eldon for completing the Quartermax Triathlon at Innsbrook, Missouri, on Saturday (June 28th). Amy finished the 0.6-mile swim, 28-mile bike and 10K run in 3:57:18, placing 9th (of 12) in the female 25-29 age group. Here are her splits:

Swim:        26:05  (2:29 per 100 yards)
T-1:             4:06
Bike:       1:58:09  (13.7 mph)
T-2:             1:45
Run:       1:27:17  (13:20/mile)
Finish:    3:57:18

Full results can be found here.

The race organizer, Ultramax Sports, has to be disappointed in the turnout.  This was Halfmax's return to Innsbrook after years of it traveling around the country in the hopes of turning it into a nationally-recognized championship event.  (It never came close to succeeding at that.)  Before the move, Halfmax would usually attract 400 or more competitors.  This year, there were just 115 finishers.  Participation in Quartermax and Octomax also fell sharply from the past several years.

*   *   *   *   *

MISSOURI 10 SERIES (posted June 19th)

A new series of running races will be coming to cities across Missouri in 2015. The Missouri 10 will be an eight-race series, with individual and team awards presented at the end of the series to those accumulating the most points.  Participation in at least three races is required to be eligible for awards.

The featured race distance is 10 miles, but a 5-mile option will be offered at each event. Registration will open October 1st.

Here's the tentative 2015 schedule:

Tara Grantham of Versailles Total Fitness is part of the team organizing the series.

*   *   *   *   *

TEAM HEALTHIER GENERATION (posted June 9th)

Terry Atteberry, one of our local runners from Eldon, has joined Team Healthier Generation, a group of athletes raising funds for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.   The Alliance is devoted to helping solve the serious problem of childhood obesity in this country.  As we all know, obesity is linked to many serious medical conditions striking adults.  When it starts during childhood, the implications are much more serious, and can lead to a lifetime of health problems.

By joining the team, Terry has committed to raising $5,000 for the organization, and will be representing the team through one of its entries in the New York City Marathon on November 2nd.  Terry doesn't just preach health and wellness to kids in Eldon schools--she practices it herself, and is passionate about this cause.

If you believe in the cause and can help Terry meet her fund-raising goal, please visit her fund-raising page here.  The page better explains Terry's interest in health and her reasons for participating in this program.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

*   *   *   *   *

7th ANNUAL NIGHT GLOW 5K RUN/WALK (updated June 17th)

The Children's Learning Center's 7th annual Night Glow 5K Run/Walk was its best ever, by a long shot.  On top of all the activities for the kids, this year's event included a DJ playing music and stirring up fun (including Michael Jackson dance-move imitations and line dancing by sixteen Army sergeants who came all the way from Fort Leonard Wood), goodies handed out all along the course, and on and on.  The icing on the cake was the best weather we've ever had for the event, including a beautiful full moon.

This also turned out to be the second-biggest 5K in Lake-area history, with a total of 392 registered participants, and 327 race finishers.  (Only the What's Your Color 5K in Osage Beach last year was larger, with 650 participants.) More importantly, the event raised over $8,000 for CLC.

For the second year in a row, (now former) Camdenton High School cross country runner J.J. Ryan was the overall winner, in 16:53.  That bettered his 17:12 finish last year, and established a new record for the Camdenton High School 5K course. Laura Davis led all women to the finish line, finishing in 23:40. (Normally I post photos of the winners but, for technical reasons, my only photos of J.J. and Laura were unfortunately blurry.)

Click for full results (in .xlsx format) by order of finish or by age group.

There were many, many notable stories from the event.  Here are just a few:

Heather Gardner, a part-time Lake visitor from St. Louis, wore her just-received (and apparently lucky) Lake Area Runners t-shirt at the event, and won the female 30-39 age group in 27:25.

The youngest male and female age-group winners (that being in the 10-and-under group) were two members of the Vitelli running dynasty--Michael and Isabella.  Both knocked over six minutes off last year's finish times, crossing the line this year in 24:59 and 26:06, respectively.

Speaking of running dynasties, the Pages--Scott, Ryan and Reagan--crossed the finish line together, in 24:54, give or take a few seconds.  Ryan and Reagan took home age-group wins.  Scott finished second behind Nigher Alfaro in the male 40-49 age group.  

One runner who gave it her all (I know, because we leapfrogged each other several times during the race) was Megan Rice. Megan had to skip last year's event due to the chicken pox, and finished this year in 32:08, placing second (behind Isabella Vitelli) in the 10-and-under age group.

To view the nearly 100 photos from the event, click here.

A big "thanks" goes to the staff of the Children's Learning Center for putting on another wonderful event.   The many sponsors, the volunteers, the soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood, race timer Gary Thompson (whose job was much more difficult this year because of the record number of participants), and all-around race honcho Dave Weber all deserve our thanks as well.

*   *   *   *   *

MARYVILLE MARATHON (posted June 16th)

Congratulations to Jim McDermott for finishing the Maryville Marathon in Maryville, Missouri, on Saturday (June 14th) in 4:19:22. Jim placed fifth (of nine) in the wide 50 & over age group.   Only one (of five) other 60 & over runners finished ahead of Jim.

Full results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

MARATHON TO MARATHON (posted June 15th)

Congratulations to Todd Raney for an outstanding marathon at Saturday's (June 14th) Marathon to Marathon . The race started in Storm Lake, Iowa, and finished in Marathon, 26.2 miles to the south/southwest.

Todd finished in 3:58:23. It was his fourth--and fastest--marathon (or longer) finish of the year, just barely beating his 3:58:55 at the Hogeye Marathon in March.

   
Todd Raney during the race, and after.
(Click for larger images.  Photos provided.)

What the results don't reflect is the true difficulty of the race.  The point-to-point course forced runners to face strong headwinds from the south for most of the course.  Here are the wind speeds from the 6:00 a.m. start until Todd's finish at 10:00 a.m.:

6:00 a.m.     16 mph
7:00 a.m.     17 mph (gusts to 23)
8:00 a.m.     22 mph (gusts to 31)
9:00 a.m.     24 mph (gusts to 31)
10:00 a.m.   23 mph (gusts to 31)

It's possible that, without the wind, Todd could have set a new a new personal record.  His current record is 3:53:41, set at the Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon last year.

By finishing, Todd also adds yet another state to his long quest of finishing a marathon in all fifty states.  Iowa was number nine for him.

*   *   *   *   *

RACE ACROSS AMERICA (posted June 16th)

From now until Thursday, June 19th, please watch out for cyclists--and their support crews--when driving on Highway 54. The Race Across America, a coast-to-coast bicycle race, will once again be making its way through the Lake area.

By the time they reach Camdenton, the racers and their crews have traveled about 1,800 miles, and everyone is suffering from some degree of sleep deprivation. That makes it all the more important to give them plenty of room.

If you see them, it would be a nice gesture to give them a friendly honk of the horn, a wave, or a thumbs-up.  They will greatly appreciate your support in this epic race.

RAAM 2014 trivia: Pippa Middleton, sister of Kate Middleton (aka the Duchess of Cambridge) and sister-in-law to Prince William, is racing on the eight-person Michael Matthews Foundation team.   People magazine reported on it on Sunday.

*   *   *   *   *

HOSPITAL HILL RUN (updated June 9th)

Seventeen Lake-area runners, plus part-time Lake visitor Miki Schroeder, raced in Kansas City last weekend at the Hospital Hill Run, making it the second most popular out-of-town race so far this year for local runners (after Race the Parkway Half & 5K in April). 

This year's race included a 5K on Friday night, and the 10K and half marathon on Saturday morning.  Some of our runners competed on both days. Those who raced on Saturday unfortunately had to deal with a storm system that hit the Kansas City area soon before the race started.  (Looking at the weather radar that morning, it appeared as though the race would have to be cancelled.  That same system brought heavy rain and lightning to the Lake area an hour later.) 

Our fastest finishers were Nigher Alfaro (1:41:27) in the half marathon, April Boicourt (59:00) in the 10K, and Scott and Ryan Page (24:36) in the 5K.

Congratulations go to associate circuit judge Aaron Koeppen, for finishing his first half marathon.  He crossed the line in 2:00:35.

Also noteworthy is ten year-old Julia Marriott's 1:01:51 finish in the 10K.  Julia may have become the youngest 10K finisher in the Lake area.

Friday evening, after the 5K (left to right): Cindy Page, Jayna Gray, Ryan Page (front), Scott Gray (back), Scott Page, Reagan Page and Bridgid Davis. (Click on photo for a larger image.  Photo provided.)

   
Saturday morning, after the half marathon and 10K.  Left photo:  Todd Raney.  Right photo:  April Boicourt (far right), with Kansas City friends Laura Kitzmann (left) and Jamie Simpson (middle). (Click on photos for larger images.  Photos provided.)

Here are the results for all of our runners.  (If I missed anyone, you know what to do.)

*   *   *   *   *

DIRTY KANZA 200 (posted June 9th)

Josh Schrock finished his second Dirty Kanza 200 on Saturday, May 31st. Josh finished the 200-mile bike race in east central Kansas in 15:12:11 (13.35 mph), placing 17th (of 38) in the male 30-34 division. That was just over three hours faster than his 2012 finish. Last year, Josh (as well as two other locals, Dan Dougan and Larry Allman) failed to finish, but only about half the field in this brutally tough race typically crosses the finish line.

*   *   *   *   *

BOOTS 'N DAISY DUKES 5K (posted June 1st)

We're always pleased to welcome "newbies" to our growing group of local athletes, and to highlight their accomplishments and commitment to fitness and health.  One of the Lake area's newest runners is Bridgid Davis, a Kansas City native who lives in Sunrise Beach.  On Sunday (June 1st), Bridgid finished the Boots 'n Daisy Dukes 5K in Independence, Missouri, in 46:43, placing 19th (of 27) in the female 40-44 age group.

Bridgid did the Horizon Bank 8K at the Carmel Marathon in Carmel, Indiana, in April, the Lake Regional 5K last month, and will be doing the Hospital Hill Run's UMKC School of Medicine 5K in Kansas City this coming Friday evening.

*   *   *   *   *

BLUE RIBBON 5K RUN/WALK (posted June 1st)

About seventy-five runners and walkers turned out for Saturday's (May 31st) first annual Blue Ribbon 5K Run/Walk benefiting Camdenton-based Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S).  We had a great time despite suffering through a warm and steamy late May morning.  We also had quite a few participants from St. Louis, Columbia and elsewhere who experienced running the flat, scenic course in Linn Creek for the first time.

The starting line for the solo runners.  (Click on photo for a larger image.)

Three competing police relay teams started before the solo runners, and the Columbia Police Department took top honors, finishing in 19:xx.

Dianne Bernhard, executive director of C.O.P.S. (and a retired Columbia police officer), with the winning Columbia Police Department relay team.

In the solo field, Blake Jesse and Anita Leyva were the overall male and female winners, in 20:06 and 25:11, respectively. Blake, who's a Camdenton High School cross country runner, was only a few seconds ahead of second-place finisher Nigher Alfaro at the two-mile mark, but pulled ahead to beat Nigher by 30 seconds at the finish line.  (Nigher was probably hoping for a victory after Andy Goessmann's impending move to Branson, but it was not to be.) 

   
Pictured (left to right): Blake Jesse, Anita Leyva and Nigher Alfaro.

I'll link to any results if and when they're posted.

Pictured below are two camera-shy runners at the event, Linda Addotta of Osage Beach (at left) and Jane Overton, a frequent Lake visitor from St. Louis. Both took home age-group awards.  For many more photos from the event, click here.  Captions for the photos, which you can open in a separate window while viewing the photos, can be found here.

   

Thanks go to C.O.P.S.' staff (including Dianne Bernhard, Carolyn Davinroy and Josh Neeley), Osage Beach police officer Pete Leyva, and all the volunteers and sponsors for a wonderful and successful first-year event.

*   *   *   *   *

SUNBURST MARATHON, HALF MARATHON, 10K & 5K (posted May 31st)

Congratulations to April Leonard, a part-time (but soon to be full-time) Eldon resident who had an outstanding day at Saturday's (May 31st) Sunburst Half Marathon in South Bend, Indiana.   April finished in 1:54:06 (8:42/mile pace)--significantly faster than last year's 2:08:34, and what appears to be her fastest half marathon finish in four years. That placed her fourth (of 80) in the female 45-49 age group. 

Full results can be found here.

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TWO RIVERS MEET 5K/10K/15K (posted May 27th)

Congratulations to April Leonard for posting an age-group winning time of 1:18:47 (8:28/mile pace) at the Two Rivers Meet 15K in Elkhart, Indiana, on Saturday (May 24th).

I don't post official race photos without permission, but you can click to view finish line and awards ceremony photos of April.

The full results can be found here.

Next up for April is next Saturday's Sunburst Half Marathon in South Bend, Indiana.

*   *   *   *   *

GO GIRL RUN COLUMBIA HALF MARATHON & 5K (updated July 5th)

Congratulations to our fourteen Lake-area finishers at Saturday's (May 24th) women-only Go Girl Run Half Marathon & 5K in Columbia.

The most notable result was that for 13 year-old Reagan Page, who eked out a sub 2-hour finish by crossing the line in 1:59:55.  (I can't help but think that Reagan was sprinting to the finish line, with at least one exuberant spectator counting down the seconds.) This was only Reagan's second half marathon (after last fall's Bass Pro, in which she finished in 2:08:22).  Reagan placed second (of four) in the 14-and-under age group. 

Ashley Pryor was our fastest local finisher, in 1:49:57, placing fourth (of 113) in the 30-34 age group, after knocking 2:34 off last year's finish time.

Five other local women--Stacy Turner, Stephanie Weaver, Jennifer Blevins, Amy Manes and Angela Martin--placed in the top third of their respective age groups.

Here are a couple photos taken and passed along by Scott Page.

   
Left photo, front row: Ashley Pryor and Reagan Page.  Back row:  Stacy Turner, Angela Martin, Jennifer Blevins, Stephanie Weaver and Amy Manes.  Right photo:  Reagan Page. 
(Click on a photo for a larger image.)

Looking through the race results finds that Marzena Tomicki, who won last year's Run for the Children Half Marathon in Eldon, finished fifth overall, in 1:40:42. Also, three men failed to get the memo that the half marathon was for women only.   Men were welcome to run the 5K, and thirty-one chose to do so.

If I missed anyone, please let me know.

*   *   *   *   *

RIVER TOWN RUN HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted May 18th)

The RiverTownRun , a brand-new half marathon and 5K, was held on Sunday (May 18th) in Washington, Missouri.  The race had 187 half marathon and 120 5K finishers, including two 5K finishers from the Lake area, Scott and Jayna Gray. Jayna finished in 30:15 and placed fifth (of 28) in the female 30-39 age group. Scott finished in 45:37, placing twelfth (of 13) among 30-39 males.

Full results are posted here.

Jayna and Scott Gray
(Click on photo for a larger image. Photo provided.)

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REVOLUTION3 KNOXVILLE TRIATHLON (updated May 18th)

Despite a knee scoping procedure that left him unable to run until March, and an April bike crash that kept a cast on his arm until last week, Denny Gillen knocked fourteen minutes off of last year's finish time at Sunday's (May 18th) Revolution3 Knoxville Triathlon (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run) in Tennessee.   Denny finished in 6:42:09, placing third (of four) in the male 60-64 age group.

Here are Denny's splits:

Swim:          46:21 (2:24 per 100 meters)
T-1:               7:52
Bike:         3:16:29 (17.1 mph)
T-2:                4:26
Run:          2:27:01  (11:13 per mile)
Finish:       6:42:09

Once again, Denny crossed Rev3's family-friendly finish line with his grandchildren.  Comparing this and last year's finish-line photos, the grandkids are sure growing up fast! 

Denny and the grandkids in 2014. (Click to enlarge.)

Denny and the grandkids on a cold and wet day in 2013.
(Click to enlarge.) Photos provided.

*   *   *   *   *

TA-TA TROT 5K RUN/WALK (updated May 11th)

The third annual Ta-Ta Trot 5K in Eldon was a bit smaller than the first two events, but with 253 registered participants, it was still the fourth largest 5K in Lake-area history.  And, for the third consecutive Saturday, the weather was perfect for running--a rare occurrence in Missouri this time of year.

The starting line. (Click on photo for a larger image.)

The overall male and female winners were Andy Goessmann, in 19:37, and Brynne Edwards, in 22:50. This was the first Ta-Ta Trot victory for both. The top three finishers among the men and women were: 

    Second- and third-place finishers.
Left photo: Scott Page and Denzil Calton. 
Right photo:  Reagan Page and Terry Atteberry.
(Click on a photo for a larger image.)

Below is just one of many photos from the event.  Click here to view all of them.

 

Thanks go to the "We Bleed Pink" team of Jayna Gray, Christi Morris, Kari Salsman and Holly Thomas for organizing another great event.  This was a fund-raiser for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, which the We Bleed Pink women will be supporting at the Avon Walk in New York City on October 18-19th.

*   *   *   *   *

RUNNING WITH THE COWS HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted May 10th)

Alysia Maschino wasted no time in taking advantage of her status as the youngest member of the 40-44 age group by competing in Saturday's (May 10th) Running with the Cows Half Marathon in Bucyrus, Kansas (a little south and west of Kansas City).   Alysia finished in a speedy 1:52:28, trailing only seven other women (of a total of 179) in her new age group. (That finish time would have only earned her twelfth place in the 35-39 age group.)

Our Platte City, Missouri, running friend Miki Schroeder finished in 2:10:07, placing 63rd in the same female 40-44 age group.

Half marathon results are posted here.  5K results are here.

Alysia and Miki took home one of the coolest finisher's medals (pictured above) that I've seen in years.

With a name like "Running with the Cows", you would expect the event to be a little quirky, and it appears to be just that.  In fact, judging from its Facebook page, it looks like a lot of fun, and has received nothing but great reviews from those who ran it.

Participation rose dramatically for the half marathon, from 1,127 in 2013 to 1,679 this year.  (The 5K was new to the event this year, with 587 participants.)  Some of the increase was probably due to the absence of competition from the Go Girl Run Half Marathons in Springfield and Kansas City. Those races were held around this weekend last year, but were moved to other months this year.      

*   *   *   *   *

JOPLIN MEMORIAL RUN (updated May 11th)

Congratulations to Jim McDermott for an outstanding half marathon at Saturday's Joplin Memorial Run. This was Jim's fifth half marathon of the year, and his second fastest, at 1:47:10. He placed second (of thirteen) in the male 60-64 age group.

Randy Holtmeyer of Iberia finished the half in 2:00:32, just a fraction slower than his finish time at the Run for the Children two weeks ago.  Randy placed 29th (of 54) in the male 35-39 age group.

Scott Gladden of Osage Beach competed in the 5K and finished in 29:29.  That placed Scott 21st (of 45) in the male 40-44 age group.

Full race results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

LACLEDE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE POWER RUN 5K/10K & 1-MILE RUN/WALK (posted May 10th)

Stephan and Vicki Hodges of Camdenton competed at Saturday's (May 10th) Power Run 5K in Lebanon. Stephan finished in 26:45, placing second (of five) in the male 31-40 age group, while Vicki finished in 28:45, placing seventh (of nine) in the female 31-40 age group.

The event had a total of 69 participants, including 35 for the 5K, 17 for the 10K, and 17 for the 1-mile.

Full results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

JAY DIX CHALLENGE TO CURE 5K/10K RUN/WALK (posted May 10th)

The Lake area had one participant at the twelfth annual Jay Dix Challenge to Cure 5K/10K in Columbia on Saturday (May 10th). Craig Morris of Camdenton finished the 5K in 40:13, placing tenth (of thirteen) in the male 35-39 age group.

There were a total of 428 participants, up from 282 in 2013. The full results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 5K RUN/WALK (posted May 10th)

The Kansas City Chiefs held a 5K benefiting the United Way of Greater Kansas City on Saturday (May 10th).  The course wound its way around the parking lot at Arrowhead Stadium, with the finish line located inside the stadium, on the 50-yard line.

It was not a timed event, so there are no results.  However, we had one Lake-area runner, Scott Gray of Eldon, participate with Michael Murphy and Ernie Timbrook from California, Missouri.  Scott passed along some photos.  Click on a photo to view a larger image or to begin a slideshow of all of them.

     

*   *   *   *   *

DIVAS HALF MARATHON & 5K (updated May 6th)

The Divas Half Marathon  national series of women-only events came to Branson on Sunday (May 4th), and it attracted a surprisingly large field of 1,425 participants from all over Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and other states. (To illustrate the popularity of this first-time event, last week's Go Girl Run Half Marathon & 5K in Springfield attracted only 1,051 participants.)

The Lake area was represented by thirteen runners at the event.   Especially noteworthy among their results was Ashley Pryor placing 13th overall among 900 competitors (and third in her age group) in the half marathon with a 1:51:13 finish time.

Lacy Davis (left) and Ashley Pryor.  Click on the photo to enlarge it and to see the "Diva" label on their race bibs.  Photo provided.

Here are the full results for Lake-area runners. (If I missed anyone, please let me know.)

Race results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

ROCKIN' WELLNESS WALK/RUN (posted May 4th)

Full results from Saturday's (May 3rd) Rockin' Wellness Walk/Run in Versailles haven't been posted, but the top three women in the 10K were (in order) Ashley Pryor, Heather Doyle and April Boicourt.

Pictured (left to right):  Ashley Pryor, Heather Doyle and April Boicourt.  (Click on photo for a larger image.)  Photo provided.

I'll keep an eye out for the results, and post a link to them once any are available.

*   *   *   *   *

TRIZOU TRIATHLON (posted May 4th)

Jim McDermott switched his racing focus to triathlon this weekend, and traveled to Columbia to compete in one of the state's longest-running triathlons, the TriZou Triathlon.

Jim placed third (of nine) in the male 60-64 age group.  Here are his splits for the 400-meter swim, 14-mile bike and 3-mile run:

Swim:               10:55 (2:29/100 meters)
T-1:                    4:28
Bike:                 40:09 (20.9 mph)
T-2:                    2:12
Run:                 22:48 (7:36/mile)
Finish time:    1:20:29

Another Lake-area triathlete, Amy Harrell, competed in the TriZou, and finished 28th (of 32) in the female 25-29 age group.  Here are Amy's splits:

Swim:               10:09 (2:19/100 meters)
T-1:                    5:00
Bike:             1:06:44 (12.6 mph)
T-2:                    3:48
Run:                 28:41 (9:34/mile)
Finish time:   1:54:20

Full results can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

OUTBACK IN THE OZARKS (updated May 7th)

Congratulations to our Lake-area runners who just completed the epic, second annual Outback in the Ozarks  team relay race in northwest Arkansas.  The 200-mile race among nineteen teams (of four to twelve runners each) started Friday morning (May 2nd) in Eureka Springs and took runners through backroads and six state parks to the finish line in Fayetteville on Saturday.

This was the longest relay race ever attempted by a Lake-area team of runners.

The Lake Area Runners team finished in 30:28:15, placing fourth among fourteen teams that completed the entire course as prescribed.

*   *   *   *   *

LAKE REGIONAL 5K FUN RUN/WALK (updated May 4th)

The seventh annual Lake Regional 5K Fun Run/Walk was the biggest and best in the event's history. Over 200 participants registered for it, with 76 competing in the 5K run. A new course was introduced this year, and it was the flattest--and best--we've had for this event.  The weather was the best ever, as well.

The starting line.  (Click on photo for a larger image.)

The record number of participants also helped to make this year's event the most fun of all.  Much of the credit for that goes to the large contingent of Target employees who came out to participate, as well as the church group that once again made the drive from Lebanon to run with us.

It wasn't hard to find the participants from Target.
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

The overall male and female winners of the 5K were Luke Martinez, in 21:26, and Melissa Martinez, in 23:00. 

   
Left photo:  Overall male winner Luke Martinez (#561) was paced by last year's winner, David Prather (in front), who wasn't competing this year.   Right: Overall female winner Melissa Martinez.
(Click on a photo for a larger image.)

The full 5K results can be found here.

Click here to check out lots of photos. 

A big "thanks" goes to all of the Lake Regional employees and volunteers who put on this year's event.  After years of facing course changes due to construction of the Expressway, and bad luck with weather, this event has finally found a new life.  They plan to stick with this year's course for future races, and that's really good news.

*   *   *   *   *

RUN FOR THE CHILDREN HALF MARATHON & 5K (updated April 28th)

The weather could not have been better for this year's Run for the Children Half Marathon & 5K.   It was perfect running weather, with clear skies (though they did turn cloudy later in the race), temperatures in the mid to upper 50s, and just a slight breeze.  (We deserved weather like this after the chilly, wet and breezy day we endured during last year's event.)

A total of 39 runners competed in the half marathon, and another 20 in the 5K that was added this year.

The overall male and female half marathon winners were Nigher Alfaro and Jane Barnes.  Nigher finished in 1:35:17, more than a minute faster than last year when he took second place overall.  (He now has the fastest half marathon time among Lake-area runners this year.)  Jane, who lives in Jefferson City, finished in 1:45:08--three minutes faster than last year when she was the third-fastest female overall.

Breathing down Nigher's neck near the finish was Shawn Wood.  Shawn, who lives in Eldon, finished 36 seconds behind Nigher, in 1:35:53.

On the women's side, Alisha Eldridge was the fastest finisher among Lake-area runners.  Alisha crossed the line in 1:47:24, two minutes faster than last year when she finished fourth overall.  She now has the fastest half marathon finish time among Lake-area women this year.

For the 5K, the overall male and female winners were Robert Hammel (in 24:55) and Jacqueline Dudek (in 28:09). 

To view the full race results, click:  Half marathon or 5K.

   
Overall half marathon male winner Nigher Alfaro and overall 5K female winner Jacqueline Dudek.  (The other overall winners, Jane Barnes and Robert Hammel, had to leave before the awards ceremony, so I don't have photos of them.  However, if you enlarge the starting line photo above, Jane is on the right, wearing purple shorts, and Robert is barely visible near the center, wearing bib number 562.)  (Click on a photo to view a larger image.)

Shown below is just one of literally dozens of photos taken at the race. Click here to view them. The last three "photos" in the gallery are captions to help identify who or what's pictured, and contain a little race commentary.

(Click on photo to view a larger image.)

Owing no doubt to the beautiful weather, there were far more spectators cheering us on this year than last.  It made the race so much more fun.  I hope they realized how much we appreciated their support.  

(Click on photo to view a larger image.)

A huge "thanks" goes to the Miller County Child Advocacy Council for organizing this race. They did another outstanding job. Of course, "thanks" also go to the sponsors, volunteers, and public safety officials who supported the event, and without whom events like this wouldn't exist.

If you have any comments about this year's race or suggestions for next year's (scheduled for April 25, 2015), Christy Kidwell at the Miller County Child Advocacy Council would like to have them. You can contact her through the Council's website or through the Run for the Children's Facebook page.

On a personal note, I felt some sadness for the organizers of the event as a result of the big drop in participation from last year.  This year's event was even better than last year's (with chip timing, Gatorade on the course, mile markers, etc.) and the weather was perfect for running, yet total attendance dropped from 90 last year to 59 this year.  With the amount of time, effort, and expense it takes to organize an event like this, and for tying up all the police, fire, emergency medical, and public works employees to assist with the event--not to mention the large number of volunteers that need to be recruited and positioned--it's hard (if not impossible) to justify such a massive effort for relatively few participants.  I hope that the turnout improves next year.  This is a great event for the Lake area, and I hope it exists and grows for many years to come. 

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TROLLEY RUN (posted April 27th)

Denny Gillen was there to race at Sunday's (April 27th) 26th annual Trolley Run in Kansas City, and left the rest of the family in his dust.   Last year, Denny ran alongside grandson Josh Gillen all the way to the finish line of the four-mile race, but left the family to fend for themselves this year as he sprinted to a 31:25 finish (7:52 pace), and placed tenth (of 87) in the male 60-64 age group.

Ten year-old Josh finished in 1:14:35, with five year-old brother Joseph, dad Tim, and grandmother Stella Gillen finishing a few minutes behind in 1:22:21, 1:22:53 and 1:22:54, respectively.

Amy Shatto of Osage Beach also competed.  Amy finished in 40:07, placing 201st (of 605) in the female 30-34 age group.

Please let me know if I missed anyone else.

Sunday's event had a total 5,708 finishers, down 17% from last year's 6,899.

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MERCY ME RUN 5K/10K (posted April 27th)

Paula O'Connor, who in a year's time probably does more 5Ks than any other Lake-area runner, drove down to Lebanon on Saturday (April 26th) and won her female 50-59 age group (over 16 other competitors) at the Mercy Me Run 5K. Paula finished in 27:16.

A total of 113 runners and walkers did the 5K, and another 25 did the 10K.

Click here for the full results.

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THE OZARK GRAVEL ROAD EXPEDITION (posted April 27th)

Congratulations to our Lake-area participants at Saturday's (April 26th) Ozark Gravel Road Expedition bicycle race. 

Josh Schrock and Chris Orr finished the brutally tough 150-mile race in 13:55:40 and 14:42:09, respectively, finishing 27th and 34th overall (amont 53 total finishers) and placing 8th and 11th in their division.

Tyler Cordia, who grew up at the Lake of the Ozarks and now lives in Columbia, took sixth overall, in 11:02:54.  Tyler was the overall winner at last year's inaugural race, but faced some new and very tough competition this year.

Louis Niewald, who lives in Joplin but spent several years at the Lake, finished in 14:46:37, placing 35th overall.

The final finisher of the race deserves a mention.  Carrie Sona, an outstanding athlete from St. Louis who's been a virtual fixture at the Bonk Hard Chill over the years, but who had to sit out last year's OGRE and other races due to injury, struggled all day in her racing "comeback". Carrie showed up at the final checkpoint (that I was manning) with just 24 minutes left to ride three very hilly miles to the finish line to beat the 18-hour (midnight) deadline.  With incredible determination, she rode off and beat the deadline, finishing in 17:53:45.  The lady's got guts.

Full results can be found here.

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FRISCO RAILROAD RUN (posted April 27th)

Two of our newest Lake-area runners finished their first half marathons at Saturday's (April 26ht) Frisco Railroad Run in Willard.   The Frisco Railroad Run, which is one of several races organized annually by the Ozark Mountain Ridge Runners club, offers 50-mile, 50K, marathon, half marathon 8K options.

Abigail Cunningham, who did her very first 5K on March 15th at the Shamrock 'n' Roll at Tan-Tar-A, completed her first half marathon in 2:38:31, placing 21st (of 25) in the female 20-29 age group.

Chris Kramer finished the half marathon in 2:13:56. He was 19th (of 27) in the male 40-49 age group.

Full results can be found here.

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ILLINOIS MARATHON (posted April 27th)

Congratulations to our frequent Lake visitor and friend Harold Selby for finishing Saturday's (April 26th) Illinois Marathon in Champaign-Urbana.  Harold finished in 4:38:35 and placed 39th (of 56) in the male 55-59 age group.

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GARMIN MARATHON (posted April 27th)

Another one of our frequent Lake visitors and friends, Miki Schroeder, finished the Garmin Half Marathon in Olathe, Kansas, on Saturday (April 26th).   Miki crossed the line in 2:09:46 and placed 56th (of 184) in the female 40-44 age group.

Garmin benefited greatly from this year's rescheduling of the Kansas Half Marathon to November 2nd.  Last year, when the two races were held on the same weekend, Garmin had 916 half marathon finishers.  This year, it had 2,199 finishers.  The increase almost exactly equals the 1,333 finishers at last year's Kansas Half. 

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BOSTON MARATHON (updated April 21st)

Congratulations to Jim McDermott for finishing today's Boston Marathon in 4:15:09, and placing 574th (of 1,100) in the male 60-64 age group.

Jim now joins Laura Davis and Denny Gillen as Lake-area finishers of this iconic race.

*   *   *   *   *

KENTUCKY DERBY MINIMARATHON (posted April 19th)

Congratulations to Jessica Beckmann of Eldon, who finished Saturday's Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon in Louisville, Kentucky.  Jessica crossed the line in 2:22:34, placing 358th (of 885) in the female 40-44 age group.

Full race results can be found here.

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GO GIRL RUN SPRINGFIELD HALF MARATHON & 5K (updated April 27th)

Congratulations to our nine Lake-area runners who competed at Saturday's (April 19th) Go Girl Run Springfield Half Marathon & 5K.  Here are their results:

Random race notes:

The overall winner of the half marathon was 39 year-old Amy Pinegar, who finished in 1:24:58--almost ten minutes faster than her closest competitor. (She also won December's Run for the Ranch Half Marathon in exactly the same time.)

Despite being a women-only event, twenty-six men participated, although most of those who ran the half marathon led pace groups.

Participation was down this year, perhaps due to the race being held on Easter weekend. (Last year's race was held the second Saturday of May.)  Here are the number of finishers for this year and last:

Half marathon:    655 (versus 843 in 2013)
5K:                      396 (versus 317 in 2013)

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BIG PARTY HALF MARATHON & 5K (updated April 14th)

Congratulations go to all of our Lake-area runners for their outstanding results at Sunday's (April 13th) second annual Big Party Half Marathon (known in its first year as the "World's Biggest Party Half Marathon) in Springfield. Every local runner and team finished in the top half of their respective age group or division.

Jim McDermott was our top finisher, crossing the line in 1:47:53 and winning the male 60+ age group over five other competitors.

Curtis Wehmeyer finished in 1:50:51, good for sixth place (of 26) in the male 30-39 age group.

Jordan Teeple, Scott Page and Todd Raney ran together and finished in 1:53:06.  This was a personal best for Jordan, and was four seconds shy of being the fastest half marathon finish for a Lake-area woman so far this year.

Tara Allman, whose name I don't recall seeing in any previous race results, finished in 2:16:03, placing seventh (of 15) in the female 19 & under age group.

Finally, the four-person half marathon relay team of Casey Wehmeyer, Charles Pitts, Chad Van Buren and Rick Boyce finished in 1:58:46, placing second among four teams in their division.

Here are some pre- and post-race photos passed along by Todd Raney.

   
Left photo (left to right): Jim McDermott, Jordan Teeple, Todd Raney and Scott Page.  (Click on a photo for a larger image.)

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ROCK THE PARKWAY HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted April 12th)

A surprisingly large contingent of twenty Lake-area runners traveled to Kansas City for Saturday's (April 12th) Rock the Parkway Half Marathon & 5K. (Last year, by comparison, there were only six.)   The race had a record number of half marathon finishers (4,930), making this one of the few half marathons in the state that's still consistently growing.

Laura Davis led all Lake-area runners in the half marathon, finishing in 1:53:03 and placing 18th (of 266) in the female 45-49 age group. Laura's finish time is now the fastest for Lake-area women this year.

One especially noteworthy performance in the 5K belonged to 13 year-old Eli Mangone, who won the male 14 & under age group (over 23 other competitors) with a 22:58 finish.

Here are the full results:

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CARMEL MARATHON (posted April 12th)

Chalk up another marathon finish for Todd Raney, coming just two weeks after his last one.  Todd finished Saturday's (April 12th) Carmel Marathon in Carmel, Indiana, in 4:16:47. That placed Todd 49th (of 84) in the male 40-44 age group.

Hopes for a personal record (his current best is 3:53:41) faded when a painful left foot forced him to back off.  Todd reached the halfway point in 1:52:24, and completed the second half in 2:24:23.

This marks Todd's thirteenth marathon finish, including two ultramarathons.  He's now completed marathons in eight states (Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, Nevada and Indiana).

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RUN FOR THE BEACH 5K & 1-MILE FUN RUN/WALK (updated April 12th)

The starting line. (Click to view a larger image.)

About forty-five runners and walkers turned out on a beautiful spring morning for the Kiwanis Club of Ozark Coast's ninth annual Run for the Beach 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk on Saturday (April 12th) in Lake Ozark. The event raises funds for the Kiwanis' effort to provide emergency assistance to children and families in the Lake area.

Nigher Alfaro and Osage High School cross country runner Daisy Ralston cruised to easy victories over their male and female competitors. Nigher finished in 20:58; Daisy, in 24:06.

   
Overall male and female winners Nigher Alfaro and Daisy Ralston. (Click on a photo to view a larger image.)

Here are the top two finishers in each age group:

Below is just one of fifty-six photos from the event.  To view all of them, click here.

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GO! ST. LOUIS MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & MARATHON RELAYS (posted April 8th)

Runners at Sunday's (April 6th) GO! St. Louis Marathon, Half Marathon and Marathon Relays enjoyed the best weather for the race in at least twelve years. (As fickle as April weather in Missouri can be, though, had the race been held one day later, the weather would have been among the worst.) Unfortunately, the great weather failed to stem the years-long decline in participation at the state's largest "long" running race.

In line with that downward trend, the Lake area had the fewest number of GO! St. Louis participants since the mid 2000s. Only six locals (not counting part-time Lake resident Harold Selby) participated this year, down from 18 in 2013, and a high of 38 in 2011.

The aforementioned Harold Selby turned in the best performance of the group, finishing the half marathon in 1:57:06 and placing 41st (of 161) in the male 55-59 age group.

The most noteworthy performance, though, belongs to Dawn Standley. Dawn has become a virtual fixture at GO! St. Louis, having participated there every year since 2007 (when it was known as the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon & Half Marathon). On Sunday, she completed her sixth GO! St. Louis half marathon (on top of two marathon finishes, in 2007 and 2012). She finished in 2:12:03, eight minutes faster than her previous best of 2:20:31 in 2008.

Here are the results for Lake-area runners.

The continuing decline in participation at this event defies explanation. It's a well-organized race--certainly much better than what it was when new in the early 2000s--and the management, course, volunteer support, etc., have all remained at a very high level. The new Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis Marathon & Half Marathon in October 2011 may explain some of GO! St. Louis' large drop in participation in 2012, but the decline has now continued for two years beyond that. (Note that Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis has also seen big declines in participation in 2012 and 2013.) If the trend is not reversed, or if sponsorship revenues are not able to make up for lower entry-fee revenue, the quality of this race may decline, too.

Three things that struck me most about this year's GO! St. Louis were (1) the absence of crowds and some long-time vendors--especially local St. Louis bike and sports retailer Big Shark--at the race expo, (2) a skimpier amount of race swag, and (2) noticeably fewer spectators on the course. The latter, of course, is often weather-related, and this year's race weather, while perfect for the runners, was the least spectator-friendly since 2009, when it rained throughout most of the race. Still, it seemed like spectator interest has waned over the years.

Here are some photos and one video clip from the event. Click on a photo to view a larger image.

The race expo, held at St. Louis University's Chaifetz Arena. Usually, the expo is crowded around noon on Friday. Not this year, obviously.

The view of the field from the back of Corral C. The race start is far less congested than it was a few years ago.

This house at the 15.2-mile mark brings back memories during every GO! St. Louis Marathon. My maternal grandparents bought this house in 1935, and made it their home for 43 years. Some of my earliest memories were made here, and from the late1960s to late 1970s I spent most Saturday mornings helping my elderly grandparents with chores around the house and yard.

Video Clip: Cheers from students at my alma mater, Washington University. (This short clip may take some time to load.)

On the Delmar Loop at mile 20.
Dawn Standley, did you claim your free kiss?

These volunteers were more than happy to strike a pose.

There's only one part of the course more desirable than this . . .

This.

Once the official race photos become available, I hope to add a very special photo (well, at least to me) to the above.

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CHICAGO LAKEFRONT 50K ULTRAMARATHON (updated April 10th)

Congratulations to the Lake area's newest ultramarathon finisher, Ashley Pryor. On Saturday (April 5th), Ashley finished the Chicago Lakefront 50K Ultramarathon. She finished in 4:54:21, placing fifth (of 28) in the female 30-39 age group, and 41st overall (of 154 official finishers). Ashley joins Scott Page and Todd Raney as the only Lake-area runners to have completed an ultramarathon (defined as any running race longer than 26.2 miles).

As its name suggests, the race course runs along Chicago's Lake Michigan shoreline on a flat, (mostly) gravel running path. In the past several years, the race has had about 200 finishers. Runners must must complete the course within seven hours to become an official finisher.

Ashley passed along some photos from the event.

   

   


Lacy Davis (pictured at left) made a surprise trip to Chicago to support Ashley. (They ran together in finishing the Walt Disney World Marathon this past January.) That's Ashley's husband, Ryan Pryor, on the right. (Click to view larger images of the first and last photos.)

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MAXTRAX DUATHLON (posted April 7th)

Our occasional Lake-area visitor, Harold Selby, had a busy weekend. Just as he did in the first weekend of April 2013, Harold did the MaxTrax Duathlon short course on Saturday (April 5th) in Columbia, and the GO! St. Louis Half Marathon on Sunday (April 6th). His results for MaxTrax were pretty much the same--a win (over two other competitors) in the male 55-59 age group. Here are Harold's splits, including a comparison of this year's versus last:

Randy Holtmeyer of Iberia was a couple minutes behind Harold, and finished fourth (of four) in the male 40-44 age group. Here are his splits:

Participation at MaxTrax has declined for five straight years. Ultramax Sports, which organizes the race, is usually quick to pull the plug on events that fail to meet its expectations, so you can't help but wonder if MaxTrax has a future.

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ONE RUN FOR BOSTON (updated April 14th)

Update #3:  The 2,025 runners who participated in One Run for Boston raised a total of $436,282 (at last count).

Update #2:  Check out the photos that Scott Page took Tuesday evening during Stage 189 of the One Run for Boston.

Update #1:  Check out an article that appeared at LakeNewsOnline.com: "Running for Boston . . . in Missouri".

One Run for Boston reached the southwest Missouri border Monday afternoon (March 31st), and will be crossing the state through Thursday before moving on to Illinois. This 337-stage, cross-country fund-raiser for the victims of last year's Boston Marathon bombing will end in Boston on Monday, April 13th, one week before this year's marathon.

We have a number of Lake-area runners participating in several of the mid-Missouri stages, including: 

Stage 189 (6:00 p.m. Tuesday; 11 miles; Phillipsburg to Lebanon): Jordan Teeple, Scott Page, Reagan Page and Andy Goessmann.

Stage 194 (4:55 a.m. Wednesday; 10 miles; Route 66 to Newburg): Curtis Wehmeyer, Casey Wehmeyer, Anita Leyva and Pete Leyva.

You can follow the Run's progress at its live map.

Any GO! St. Louis runners or others planning to be in St. Louis on Thursday morning can join in on the One Run for Boston's six-mile group run that starts at 6:15 a.m. in Forest Park. Forty-three runners are currently registered for it. Earlier that morning, the run will travel down Manchester Road from west county through Des Peres and points east until turning north toward the park.

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HOPE RAY DUNKLEE MEMORIAL RUN (updated March 31st)

The Hope Ray Dunklee Memorial Run in Versailles on Saturday (March 29th) was a smashing success.  Approximately 300 runners and walkers turned out--making it one of the largest-ever 5K events in Lake-area history--and it raised about $10,000 for its beneficiary, the Morgan County Caring for Kids Coalition () and its Back to School Health Fair. The event is named after Hope Ray Dunklee, an infant who succumbed prior to birth to an incurable genetic defect known as Trisomy 18.  

The overall male and female winners were Julio Juarez Ocho and Ashley Pryor, in 18:25 and 22:44, respectively.

Click to see the top-three age group finishers among the men and women.

Below are photos from the event passed along to me by Ashley Pryor.  (Click on a photo to view a larger image, or to start a slideshow of all the photos.)

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HOGEYE MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & RELAYS (posted March 30th)

Congratulations to Todd Raney for his 3:58:55 finish (9:07/mile pace) at Sunday's (March 30th) Hogeye Marathon in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Todd placed ninth (of 27) in the male 40-44 age group.   He now owns the fastest marathon of the year among Lake-area runners, and has taken the lead with the most miles raced--a lead he's not likely to relinquish for the rest of the year.

The full race results can be found here.

The results weren't searchable by city, so there's a chance I missed some Lake-area runners.  Please let me know if I did.

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TUSCUMBIA SENIOR CLASS SPRING 5K FUN RUN/WALK (updated March 31st)

Approximately sixty runners and walkers turned out in Tuscumbia for Saturday's (March 29th) Spring 5K Fun Run/Walk put on by Tuscumbia High School's senior class. The event was a fund-raiser for a trip by the sixteen members of the graduating class.

   

The overall male and female winners were Nigher Alfaro and Cat Standley.  This was Nigher's second overall victory of the year (the first being the Polar Bear Strut), on top of two second-place finishes.  As far as I can tell, this is Cat Standley's first-ever local 5K win.  (She's a former Camdenton Laker cross-country runner.)

The course was noticeably short (2.4 miles), so finish times aren't comparable to other races. 

Results are now available (.xlsx or .pdf).

Below are a few of several dozen photos from the event. Click here to view the entire gallery.

Margie Gunter crosses the finish line wearing her nearly-new Hoka running shoes.  (So far, so good; She likes them.)
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

   
Pictured (left to right): Willard Haley, Paula O'Connor and
Dawn Standley. (Click on a photo to view a larger image.)

Thanks go to the Tuscumbia High School senior class and faculty for a fun event. Class president Alexis Ash and her helpers worked hard to make sure everything went smoothly. It's always good to see younger people get involved in fitness-related activities in any capacity.  It's only a small step from being a volunteer to that of a walker or runner, and it can lead to a lifetime of interest in being healthy and fit. 

March 31 follow up:  I received a nice e-mail today from a Tuscumbia school teacher.   He sincerely apologized for the course being short at last Saturday's Spring 5K Fun Run/Walk in Tuscumbia. Their re-measurement of the course showed it to be 2.4 miles.

I replied by thanking him for acknowledging the error, and said that it really wasn't a big deal. (Frankly, I didn't hear a single complaint.) We had a great time and were there primarily to support the kids putting on the fund-raiser. Let's just chalk this up to "mistakes happen", and move on.

This incident got me to thinking that, with the GPS units that so many of us already own, and a little bit of volunteer time, we should be able to help local race organizers mark out very accurate 5K courses, or at least know in advance the exact distance of those courses.

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HIGHLINE RUN FOR SCOUTING HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted March 29th)

Congratulations to Boston Marathon-bound Jim McDermott for an outstanding race at Saturday's (March 29th) Highline Run for Scouting in Springfield. Jim finished the half marathon in 1:44:38, placing third (of ten) in the male 60-69 age group. That's now the fastest half marathon among Lake-area runners for 2014.

The 5K was won by one of the fastest runners in the state, Kimi Reed of Springfield, in 18:15.  You may recall that she won the 5K at Bass Pro last November, and the 2012 Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis Half Marathon.

There were 238 total finishers--119 finishers of both the 5K and half marathon.  Full results can be found here.

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SEDALIA HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted March 23rd)

Congratulations to our four Lake-area runners for outstanding finishes at Saturday's (March 22nd) Sedalia Half Marathon.

Jesse Shields led the pack with a 1:47:47, which is the fastest half marathon among Lake-area runners so far this year.  Next up was Curtis Wehmeyer, in 1:53:53.   Willard Haley eked out a new PR with a 2:07:40 finish--about two minutes faster than his 2:09:30 at last year's Run for the Children. Casey Wehmeyer crossed the line in 2:11:17, completing his very first half marathon. Click here for the full results.

There were 140 finishers of the half marathon--up from 127 in 2013, but down from 2012's 161.  

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RELAY & RUN FOR 21 (posted March 23rd)

Harold Selby, a part-time Lake resident who lives in Pacific, Missouri, ran a 2:01:39 half marathon at Sunday's (March 23rd) Relay & Run for 21 (as in 21K, or 13.1 miles) in St. Louis.   That excellent finish time only placed Harold tenth (of 19) in the male 50-59 age group. Even stranger is that the male 50-59 age group had more participants (19) than the male 20-29 (16), 30-39 (13), and 40-49 (17) age groups. The full results can be found here.   In total, there were 298 finishers.  (The race had 150 finishers in 2012, but wasn't held in 2013.)

A few months ago, Harold mentioned that he plans to run four half marathons before doing the Illinois Marathon in Champaign-Urbana on April 26th.

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IMPACT MEDICAL MISSIONS 5K/10K RUN/WALK (updated March 23rd)

The fourth annual Impact Medical Missions 5K/10K Run/Walk brought out forty runners and walkers on a chilly but sunny morning in Linn Creek yesterday (March 22nd).

The starting line. (Click on photo for a larger image.)

Among the women, Laura Davis finished first in both the 5K (25:05) and 10K (50:13).  On the men's side, Andy Goessmann and Nigher Alfaro were two seconds apart at the 5K mark (21:21 and 21:23, respectively), but Andy pulled ahead to win the 10K in 42:09.  Nigher wasn't far behind, finishing in 42:37.  Laura and Andy now claim the fastest 10K finishes thus far in 2014. 

The most notable performances were turned in by some of the youngest runners in the 5K.  Seven year-old Isabella Vitelli easily won her 7-12 age group by finishing in a remarkable 27:30.  (That's nearly five minutes faster than her age-group winning time at last year's Summer Night Stride 5K.)   Ryan Page faced no competition in the male 7-12 age group, and crossed the finish line in an impressive 24:58. 

Full results can be viewed in .xlsx or .pdf format.

Shown below is my favorite of 55 photos taken at the event.  To view all the photos, click here.

Tammara and Isabella Vitelli shortly after the 5K turnaround. 
(Click on photo to view a larger image.)

A big thanks goes to Dr. Angela Clay and her volunteers for putting on another fun event.  The event was a fund-raiser for an upcoming medical missions trip to the Dominican Republic, and we wish the best to those traveling there to provide much-needed medical care to some of the poorest people in this hemisphere.

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ST. PATRICK'S DAY 5K RUN/WALK (updated March 17th)

A rough estimate of 125 runners and walkers turned out for Saturday's (March 15th) St. Patrick's Day 5K in Eldon.

The starting line. (Click on photo for larger image.)

Overall male and female winners were Chris Barriger (19:18) and Alisha Eldridge (20:48).  Chris crossed the line just 11 seconds ahead of Nigher Alfaro, who took home second place for the second year in a row.  Alisha's margin of victory was 14 seconds over Pamela Stevens, who was the overall female winner in 2011 and 2013.  Alisha has been getting faster over the years, and came close to breaking Jill Durnin's St. Pat's 5K course record of 20:33 for a female runner, set in 2012. Here are Alisha's finish times since 2010:

2010:     23:15
2011:     23:08
2012:     21:29
2013:     21:50
2014:     20:48

Top walkers were Don Haley (39:07) and Sharon Shepard (42:44).

Results for the top finishers in each division are available in either .docx or .pdf format.

Here are some photos taken at the event.

A group photo of Johnson Controls employees before the race.
(Click on photo for larger image.)

 

(Click on any photo for a larger image.)

Megan Rice, pictured above wearing bib #18, pushed herself hard the entire race and finished in 29:06.  She ran much of it alongside Lacy Davis (#43), who congratulated her after reaching the finish line.

Scott Gray pushed himself to a new personal record by two minutes (leaving him breathless at the finish line), and is now looking to start running, instead of walking, 5Ks.  Scott may be following his wife's (Jayna Gray's) footsteps.  Jayna went from 5K walker to 5K runner a couple years ago, and has since stepped up to running half marathons.

This marked the first 5K for Eldon's new Parks & Recreation Director, Brandon Stark.  Brandon and his volunteers did a fine job, and managed to get us some great weather for a fast run (though some prefer it a bit warmer).

Eldon's Independence Day 5K is scheduled for Friday, July 4th.

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SHAMROCK 'N' ROLL 5K RUN/WALK & 1-MILE FUN RUN (updated March 16th)

The first annual Shamrock 'n' Roll 5K Run/Walk and 1-Mile Fun Run lucked out with absolutely beautiful weather.  A total of 33 runners and walkers turned out for the event, which was a fund-raiser for Kids' Harbor Child Advocacy Center (), an Osage Beach-based organization that assists abused and neglected children.

Liam Hill, Brandi Kincaid, Abby Cunningham and
Lawson Barclay at about the half-mile mark.
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

The course (mostly) used the cart paths along Tan-Tar-A's Hidden Lakes golf course, making it much like a trail run, but on nice, smooth asphalt.  While none of the course was flat, it had enough undulations to give you an occasional breather, unlike Tan-Tar-A's 5K "road" course, which has some seemingly never-ending climbs that offer no such relief. All in all, it was a good course that was unlike any other we have in the Lake area. It's most definitely not a course to pursue a personal best.

Winners of the 1-mile fun run were Bethany and Michael Kincaid, who finished in 8:22 and 8:35, respectively.

One-mile winners Michael and Bethany Kincaid.
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

In the 5K, the overall male and female winners were Andy Goessmann (21:23) and Abby Cunningham (30:51). Incidentally, this was Abby's very first 5K.

Overall 5K winners Abby Cunningham and Andy Goessmann.
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

Nigher Alfaro, who finished second at the St. Pat's Day 5K in Eldon two hours earlier, took home second place at this race, too. (Corinne Nielsen, Mike Toth and Lawson Barclay also did both races.)

Click for the full results (.docx or .pdf).

A huge "thanks" goes to Stacey Mosher, a trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and Cara Gerdiman, executive director of Kids' Harbor, for a wonderful event.  They pulled it off with only a few weeks of planning. 

Here are some additional photos.  Click on any photo for a larger image.

Cara Gerdiman (in referee jersey), Stacey Mosher and
Corinne Nielsen, with "Ronny" in front.

 
"Ronny", Kids' Harbor's service dog (and the most laid-back Labrador retriever you'll ever see).

 
The 5K starting line.

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BONK HARD CHILL (updated March 16th)

The Lake area's 4 for Him team of Rick O'Dell, Joey Denney, Tony Slack and Scott Angelo finished fifth (of six) in the four-person male division at Saturday's (March 15th) ninth annual Bonk Hard Chill adventure race at Ha Ha Tonka State Park.

Surprisingly, the Alpine Shop team of David Frei, Doug Nishimura, Jeff Sona and Emily Korsch--an adventure racing "dream team"--did not win the four-person co-ed division this year.  (Alpine Shop has been almost unbeatable at the Bonk Hard Chill.)  While the team was the first to finish, in 8:46:52 (over an hour ahead of the next finisher), they only collected 47 of the possible 50 points.  Since point totals are used first in determining placing, followed by elapsed time, Alpine Shop placed behind five other teams--including two others in their division--that collected all 50 points.  I couldn't find any explanation as to how they missed three points.

Another noteworthy item in the results is the third place overall, and first place two-person co-ed, finish by Jason and Laura Elsenraat.  Jason and Laura founded Bonk Hard Racing and the Bonk Hard Chill in the mid 2000s, and sold it to Gary and Ellen Thompson of Osage Beach several years ago.

Click here for the overall results.

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LUCKY 13.1 HALF MARATHON & 5K (posted March 15th)

Congratulations to Jim McDermott for an outstanding 1:49:21 finish at the Lucky 13.1 Half Marathon in Peculiar, Missouri, on Saturday (March 15th). Unfortunately, that only earned Jim second place (of three competitors) in the male 60-64 age group. Full results can be found here.

There were 115 half marathon finishers this year, down from 127 and 129 from 2013 and 2012, respectively.

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DUBLIN'S PASS SHAMROX 15K/5K (posted March 15th)

Congratulations to our four local finishers at Saturday's (March 15th) Dublin's Pass ShamRox 15K/5K in Springfield. Here are their results:

Ultramax Sports, which organizes the event, must be thrilled with the turnout.  The 15K and 5K had a total of 1,056 finishers, up sharply from 671 in 2013 and 361 in 2012.

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ST. PATRICK'S DAY RUNS AROUND THE STATE (posted March 15th)

The Lake area had a few runners participating in some of the St. Patrick's Day runs being held elsewhere around the state on Saturday (March 15th).

In Columbia, Trista Marple of Camdenton finished the 5K in 56:09, placing 32nd (of 32) in the female 30-34 age group.

At the 5-mile race in St. Louis:

Amy Knoernschild of Camdenton finished in 1:32:32, placing 524 of 530 in the female 40-44 age group.

Jackson Robbins of Sunrise Beach finished in 46:52, placing 55th (of 99) in the male 15-20 age group.

Kathleen Robbins of Sunrise Beach finished in 1:05:46, placing 298th (of 408) in the female 45-49 age group.

Becky Panchot of Eldon finished in 1:32:18, placing 168th (of 181) in the female 55-59 age group.

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LITTLE ROCK MARATHON, HALF MARATHON, 10K & 5K (updated March 4th)

March 4th update: The race directors posted a video message on the race's Facebook page this afternoon.   In it, they explain the reasons for the race stoppage and the actions they took.  They also instruct those affected by the stoppage how they can receive finishers medals.   As to be expected, some of the comments in response to the video show that many hard feelings remain.

If I may interject my own opinion here, while the miscommunication to the affected runners was indeed unfortunate, the race directors were caught in a very difficult, urgent situation--one that gives race directors nightmares. The decision to stop the race was a good one. Had they not done so, and a participant, volunteer, police officer or spectator been killed by a lightning strike, the race directors would be handling a much tougher set of questions today, with no good answers.

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Weather was a major issue at Sunday's (March 2nd) Little Rock Marathon (Facebook page).  Due to an approaching thunderstorm, race officials decided to close the marathon course at a location that was the 18-mile mark on the way out--and the 24-mile mark on the return--at around 11:00 a.m. (three hours after the race began).  Runners were to be given the option of taking a shortcut to the finish line, or boarding buses at a nearby Walmart store that would drive them to the finish.  As often happens in hectic situations, some of the instructions were miscommunicated and/or misinterpreted.  Some runners report being told the race was over and that they needed to go into Walmart to wait for a bus.  Others ignored the instructions and continued running to the finish line.  The confused situation has led to some hard feelings, especially by those who were on mile 24.  (Some of the Marathon Maniacs are particularly upset.)

Here's a story by a Little Rock television station: Confusion Surrounds Rerouting of Little Rock Marathon

The weather had been deteriorating all morning, with falling temperatures--dropping from 50° at the start to 37° at 11:00 a.m.--on top of 10-15 mph winds and light rain, mist and sleet. From the finish line webcam, it appeared that many runners were unprepared for the worsening conditions.

The marathon had sold out its 3,500 slots, yet only 1,810 finishers were listed in the results (compared to 2,446 in 2013).  That suggests a large number either failed to show up or didn't cross the finish line.  The results are a bit suspect, as well.  They show the final marathon finisher crossing the line in 5:34:24, yet there were many marathon participants who anticipated finishing in more than six hours and were allowed to start at 6:00 a.m.

It's sad to see a race disrupted by weather.  It leads to disappointment for athletes who have trained for months, and hardships for race officials, volunteers and spectators.  It's best to just accept it and move on.   

Despite the weather, it was a good day for Mark Chepses and 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials contender Leah Thorvilson (Facebook page).  They were the overall men's and women's winners, in 2:25:42 and 2:42:39, respectively.  This was Chepses' fourth consecutive Little Rock Marathon victory.  Thorvilson won her fifth.

Only one person from the Lake area participated in the event.  Cheryl Tillery of Eldon finished Saturday's 5K fun run/walk in 53:57.

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POLAR BEAR RUN (posted February 25th)

A belated congratulations to a few of our local runners who participated in the Polar Bear Run 5K/10K in Bolivar on February 15th.

Curtis Wehmeyer and brother Casey Wehmeyer finished the 10K in 50:19 and 53:00, respectively, placing 6th and 9th (of 14) in the male 30-39 age group.

In the 5K, Paula O'Connor took 3rd place (of 20) in the female 50-59 age group with a 25:50 finish.

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THE COWTOWN (updated February 24th)

Congratulations to Todd Raney and Pete Russo for finishing The Cowtown 50K (31-mile) ultramarathon in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday (February 23rd).

Todd finished in 5:38:32 (10:55/mile), placing 22nd (of 43) in the male 40-44 age group. This was Todd's second ultramarathon, after completing the Midnight Madness 50-Miler in Tulsa last summer.

Pete, who lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth suburb of McKinney, finished in 6:05:06 (11:46/mile), placing 32nd(of 47) in the male 45-49 age group.

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POLAR BEAR STRUT 5K RUN/WALK (updated February 24th)

Who would have guessed that, during the coldest winter in decades, the weather for Saturday's (February 22nd) Polar Bear Strut would turn out to be the nicest in the event's thirteen-year history?  With clear skies, calm winds, and a temperature of 50° at the start, we were truly blessed by the weather gods.  (It was only for a day, though.  The cold weather returns on Sunday.) 

A group photo taken moments before the start, with three of the hard-core Super Plungers posing next to the Special Olympics Missouri's mascot, "Shiver".  Click on the photo to see a larger image (and to spot first-time Strutter Jim McDermott (with hands raised) in the crowd.)

There were 129 registered participants in this year's Strut (up slightly from last year's 115), and they raised $11,523 for the Strut's beneficiary, Special Olympics Missouri.

Overall male and female winners Nigher Alfaro
and Tessa Weber with "Shiver". 
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

For the second year in a row, the overall male and female winners were Nigher Alfaro (20:14) and Tessa Weber (21:08). Nigher shaved 31 seconds off of last year's finish time; Tessa shaved 6 seconds. Historically, the Strut has rarely had repeat winners in the overall male and female categories.  This is the first time the Strut had the same overall winners two years in a row.

Here are the race results: 

By Order of Finish (.xls or .pdf)
By Division (.xls or .pdf)

Race photos:  To view a gallery of about 100 photos taken at the Strut, click here.

A huge thanks goes to Pete Leyva of the Osage Beach Police Department, his able assistants (including Anita Leyva and the race-timing crew of Gary and Ellen Thompson) and to Missouri Special Olympics for yet another wonderful event.  The Strut is not only one of the oldest local running events, but it's also consistently one of our best, due no doubt to Pete's leadership.  Pete is the only race director the Strut has had since it was first held in 2002.

One thing that makes the Strut special is the perennial return of many of its participants.  While new Strutters are always welcomed (indeed, encouraged!), it's great to see some long-time Strutters like Zim Schwarze (who's only missed one Strut, due to the flu), the Jolly Rogers gang, the Wood Elementary School group from Waynesville, Meredith Stith and "Riley" (aka "Rush"), and SOMO athlete Joel Moss, among others.

If you've never participated in the Strut, please make it a point to do so next year.

Odds and ends:

For at least two Strutters, Willard Haley and Jesse Shields, the Strut was their second 5K of the morning.  Both ran in the Takedown Team 5K in Eldon that started one hour before the Strut. Willard managed to earn age-group victories in both events.

We missed 70 year-old Jim O'Dell, a Strut regular, at this year's event.  We do know, however, that he's still running strong--he ran the Runner's Choice 10K in Columbia last month.

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ELDON TAKEDOWN TEAM 5K RUN/WALK (updated Febuary 22nd)

The Eldon Takedown Team held a successful, first annual 5K on Saturday (February 22nd) with over 100 participants. Nearly $1,400 was raised to help purchase equipment needed to host future tournaments.

The Team's Facebook page reports that the overall male and female winners were Dawson Brandt (20:31) and
Rachel Shadrick (20:42).   Dawson was in the male 15-and-under age group; Rachel was in the female 21-30 age group.   After a quick review of past race results for Eldon 5Ks, it appears that Rachel's finish time was the fastest for a female in at least the last four years, by about 20 seconds.

Top age-group finishers are also shown on the Facebook page.

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PSYCHO WYCO "RUN TOTO, RUN!" TRAIL RUN (posted February 8th)

Congratulations to our two local, and one not-so-local, women runners who braved the cold and a snow-covered course at the Run Toto, Run! Trail Run in Kansas City, Kansas, on Saturday (February 8th).  All three women competed in the 10-mile race.  The event also included 50K and 20-mile races.

Ashley Pryor of Laurie finished in 3:01:00, Amanda Allen of Versailles finished in 2:41:41, and Miki Schroeder of Platte City, Missouri, finished in 3:30:21.  The results didn't show age-group placings.  The full results can be found here. 

Ashley Pryor and Amanda Allen.
(Click on photo for a larger image.)

While the official race photos are copyrighted and thus can't be posted here, you can find photos of Ashley here and here, Amanda here, here, here and here, and Miki here.

A total of 392 runners crossed the finish line, down 29% from the total of 551 who finished last year.   Weather was certainly a factor in the lower number of participants this year.  It was much warmer at last year's race, and the course was free of snow.

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THE CHILDREN TLC GROUNDHOG RUN (posted January 27th)

Angela Martin and Miki Schroeder (the latter of Platte City, Missouri), our two most prolific racers in 2013, started off their 2014 seasons on Sunday (January 26th) at The Children TLC Groundhog Run in Kansas City.  This race is held underground at the Hunt Midwest SubTropolis in comfortable 65-70 degree temperatures.  It's a big race, with 1,801 participants in the 5K, and another 1,427 participants in the 10K.

Angela and Miki both competed in the 10K.  Angela finished in 56:26, placing 23rd (of 121) in the female 40-44 age group.  Miki finished minutes behind, in 58:57, placing 32nd in the same age group.

Full results can be found here.

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RUNNER'S CHOICE 10K/20K (posted January 27th)

The Columbia Track Club held its Runner's Choice 10K/20K (Facebook page) on Saturday (January 25th).  They had 32 and 12 participants in the 10K and 20K, respectively, down quite a bit from the 43 and 20 who finished last year's event.

There were no participants from the Lake of the Ozarks at the race.  A few participants, however, are familiar to us.  Marzena Tomicki, the overall women's winner at the Run for the Children Half Marathon in Eldon last April, ran the 10K in 51:48. Marzena's husband, Tom Tomicki, finished the 10K in 52:15.   (In the past, Tom Tomicki has been the racing nemesis of Trevor Dowdney, who must now be smiling because he finished last week's Bushy Park 10K in a much quicker 46:17.)

70 year-old Jim O'Dell, of Fayette, Missouri, finished the 10K in 1:07:29.  Jim has run in our Polar Bear 5K Strut for years. 

Full results can be found here.

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Saw this posted on the Marathon Maniacs Facebook page:

Saw this posted somewhere else:

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BASS PRO OUTDOOR FITNESS FESTIVAL (posted January 27th)

I don't like to bring up things that are highly tentative, but here's one that may stir up some enthusiasm.

I've traded a few e-mails with the folks at the Bass Pro Outdoor Fitness Festival. The subject was primarily the race video, but I gave them a heads-up on us possibly seeking permission to set up a special Lake of the Ozarks cheering zone at this year's marathon. 

My thought was to have a spot at around the 25.9-mile mark--located in the residential neighborhood behind Bass Pro's parking lot--where our Lake-area spectators could cheer on all of the full and half marathoners (including their friends and family members in the race, of course), and where Lake-area runners could gather after finishing for some post-race camaraderie and to join in on the cheering.

If done well, I think this could be a ton of fun, as well as generate some goodwill for the Lake of the Ozarks.

The Bass Pro folks welcomed the idea of a cheering zone, and they also offered to let us set up a tent in the post-finishing area for our runners to gather, just as they allow other running groups to do.

I don't think we can do both a cheering zone and a finish line tent, but at least the option is there.   Actually, it's too early to even be talking about this, but I thought you might like to know what we might be doing this year at Bass Pro.

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PRODUCTS & SERVICES SHOW (posted January 28th)

Our idea to have a Lake Area Runners booth at the upcoming Products & Services Show won't be happening. The show requires that exhibitors carry insurance to cover any potential damage, injuries or other liabilities. Since Lake Area Runners is a social media group and not a registered legal entity (which would require state and tax filings, among other things), getting an insurance policy just for this one event wouldn't make sense, even if it were possible.

That leaves us with Plan B, which is to have Todd Raney and Scott Page put on Lake Area Runners t-shirts and run the aisles of the exhibit hall for the duration of the show.   All in favor say, "Aye".

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BASS PRO VIDEO (posted January 19th)

The Bass Pro video can now be found on YouTube. Click here to view it.

My chief complaint against YouTube is that their video compression ruins the outstanding image quality of high-definition videos.  If, instead of viewing this video on YouTube, you'd like to download a minimally compressed, high-definition (720p) version of the video, click here and you'll taken to a page containing a link to download the video file from my account at the WeTransfer file-transfer service.  Warning:  The video file is about 1.3 gigabytes in size, so, depending on your Internet speed, it could take quite a while to download. 

Here's a little cheat sheet to help you find some of the Lake-area runners among the hordes at the race start.   The time next to each runner refers to the video run time.

Rob Kucsik (2:40)
Denise Baker & Karen Blevins (2:40-2:42)
Laura Davis (2:43)
Jim McDermott (2:44)
Anita Leyva (3:08)
Todd Raney (3:09)
Scott & Reagan Page (3:10)
Tammara Vitelli & Amy Manes (3:19)
Paula O'Connor (3:23)

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LAKE AREA RUNNERS ANNUAL BANQUET (posted January 19th)

Thanks to all who came out Sunday night for the Lake Area Runners first annual banquet. None of us knew in advance how the evening would turn out, but I think everyone had a great time, and it was certainly fun to see those whom we hadn't seen in months.

Outside of a local race, this was the largest gathering of runners we've ever had in the Lake area. It's fair to say after tonight's banquet that we've finally established a true community of runners in the Lake area.

Scott Page and Rona Schaefer deserve a big round of applause for organizing the event. (Not being much of a party planner, I purposefully tried to stay out of their way.  If I missed commending anyone else who helped plan it, please accept my apology--and thanks.)

On a personal note, I'd like to thank everyone for the framed poster and the very kind sentiments expressed in it.  Maintaining this website and editing the virtual flood of photos and video clips that I record each year take a huge amount of time, but I'm happy to do it for all of you. I learned many years ago that being physically active pays enormous dividends, and I'll do everything I can to encourage others to become and stay active, and achieve things they never thought possible.  My hope is that my website and videos provide the motivation, support and inspiration they need.

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3 DAYS OF SYLLAMO (posted January 22nd)

Hard-core trail runners might be interested in the 3 Days of Syllamo trail race in the Blanchard Springs Recreation Area in northwest Arkansas, about 80 miles southeast of Branson.  The race will be held from Friday through Sunday, March 14-16, with a 50K on Friday, a 50-mile on Saturday, and a 20K on Sunday.   Runners can choose to do any or all of the race distances.  If you go, be sure to bring your hill-climbing shoes: The 50K has 7,000 feet of climbing, and the 50-mile course has 14,700.  The 20K has a mere 3,300.

This isn't a new race.  It's been around at least since 2005.  In 2013, they had 102 finishers in the 50K, 59 in the 50-mile, and 114 in the 20K.

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BUSHY PARK 10K (posted January 19th)

Congratulations to Trevor Dowdney for a 46:17 finish at the Bushy Park 10K, held on Sunday (January 19th) at Bushy Park, located about ten miles southwest of central London. Trevor finished 79th overall among the 330 competitors. (They apparently have a lot of fast runners in England.)  Full results can be found here.

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CHEVRON HOUSTON MARATHON (updated January 19th)

Congratulations to our fellow runner and friend (and Tara Grantham's son) Joe Frazier for an outstanding finish at Sunday's (November 19th) Chevron Houston Marathon (Facebook page) in Houston, Texas. Joe, who lives in Beaumont, Texas, finished in 3:10:19, placing 47th in the male 25-29 age group.  Joe had been hoping to run a Boston Marathon qualifying time of 3:05:00, but unfortunately came up a bit short.   He was on pace to do so until about the 30K mark when his pace began to gradually slow.

Full race results can be found here.

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WALT DISNEY WORLD MARATHON WEEKEND (updated January 13th)

Congratulations to Lake-area runners Amy Harrell, Lacy Davis, Ashley Pryor and Denny Gillen for finishing Sunday's (January 12th) Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando, Florida.  Lacy Davis deserves special recognition, as this was her very first marathon.

Here are their results:

Denny Gillen's marathon finish also marked his completion of the two-race Goofy Challenge (half and full marathons) and the four-race Dopey Challenge (which adds the 5K and 10K) held during the four-day Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Here are Denny's finish times for the four events.

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BLUE RIBBON RUN (posted January 2nd)

A new 5K is coming to the Lake area this spring. The first annual Blue Ribbon Run, a 5K run/walk benefiting Camdenton-based Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S), will be held on Saturday, May 31st, at the Linn Creek City Park.

More details will be posted as soon as they become available.

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REVOLUTION3 BRANSON TRIATHLON (updated January 8th)

The REV3 Branson Triathlon is history. REV3 has just announced their 2014 schedule of events, and Branson isn't on the list.   A REV3 official reaffirmed the list on Slowtwitch.com.   An e-mail from one of their volunteer coordinators was further confirmation.

It's a sad development, since REV3 is a great organization, and Branson was an outstanding venue. However, Branson has been a hard-sell to triathletes due in part to its extremely tough bike course.

REV3 picked up the venue in 2013. Previously, Branson had an Ironman-brand event, known as Ironman 70.3 Branson, that was cancelled after the 2012 race.

The cancellation by REV3 doesn't really come as a big surprise. In its final year, Ironman 70.3 Branson had 860 participants. In 2013, REV3 Branson had just 333. That's far too few for a race like that to survive unless, of course, sponsors are willing to make it worthwhile. (A knowledgable Ironman insider once told me an Ironman 70.3 race needs 1,500 participants to be profitable.)

It should be pointed out that part of REV3 Branson's problem was that it was scheduled on the very same weekend as Oklahoma City's popular Redman Triathlon. Redman had 500 half-iron finishers, and another 158 iron-distance finishers.

Joplin's Mother Road Marathon was cancelled in December (due to declining participation), and now this. It's not the end of the world, obviously, but it's very disappointing. A race that goes belly-up due to low participation is not likely to be replaced.

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