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Running: Direct results obvious at B&A Marathon
By Joe Shafran, For The Capital
In the past, I would run a race, eat a banana and go home, never thinking about the planning and dedication that went into those scores of races. Lately, in reporting a race or attending Al Stott’s clinic for race directors, I see directors in a different light.
And that prompts me to mention something about the March 6 B&A Half and Full Marathon that started in Severna Park.
Lisa Fontaine and Craig Harrison were listed as directors of those B&A races and Fontaine tells me this week that she got the job by, in essence, answering an ad asking for a volunteer to direct the race, no experience needed. She applied and was hired or let’s say accepted the position as a labor of love, a non-paying almost full-time year long job, unenviable to say the least. Lot’s of races are tough to run, but I pick out the B&A race, because it’s two races in one, a half and full marathon on a limited course that requires a doubling back with two different finish lines.
Fontaine answered her phone live this week when I called to see if she was still in one piece and she was most upbeat, looking forward to doing it again next year. You should have the problems that Lisa and Craig had that Sunday.
A thousand people, their adrenalin running amok, showed up just after dawn a week ago last Sunday. The race started and didn’t finish for another six hours.
Most all went well, but how how would you handle this situation? A family of three, father, mother and daughter from Vienna, Ohio, members of the 50-plus club (people who run a marathon in all 50 states) overshot the turn around at Aquahart Road in Glen Burnie and kept going for another couple of miles, until they ran smack into the National Guard Armory on Dorsey Road and couldn’t go any further. Luckily, someone seeing they had on race bibs, sensing they were lost, suggested they turn around and get themselves back to Severna Park on the double. That foul-up cost them almost an hour, getting them back to the finish line in a somewhat embarrassing time of a little over six hours, just about next to the last in the race. At the finish line they overtook a slow-moving 75-year-old from East Meadow, Long Island, Gene Bandler, who finished last.
I talked this week with John Lutsek an attorney in that small town in eastern Ohio, almost on the Pennsylvania line and he admitted they did a lot of running but also some walking and were in their fifth hour and did understand that the B&A trail was not entirely reserved for 50-plus club members, but also for the usual Sunday runners, hikers and on-line skaters.
At the finish line, the Ohians were said to have been pleased to have finished the race, but with a question of how the foul-up occurred. Goodwill ambassador that she is, Fontaine, kept calm, was understanding, was most sympathetic (it wasn’t the end of the world), invited them back for next year’s race and to further make them satisfied customers, gave them discount coupons for purchases at the 2006 race expo.
Lutsek told me he and his family had no hard feelings, were pleased to have visited Maryland and with that done, are already in training for the Derby Day marathon at Louisville the last Saturday of April.
The B&A trail is one of those put in on an old railroad bed and I’m wondering in years ahead if this marathon will someday be run without the need of doubling back. There are some movers and shakers in this "rails to trails" group, and many in Anne Arundel and adjoining counties working on a network of trails that will eventually connect from coast to coast. The word Greenway is often mentioned and interestingly, the street adjacent to the trail in Glen Burnie is named Greenway. And for what ever it portends, somebody in the trail business last week, took a fine tooth comb and went over the current multi billion dollar DOT federal 5 year highways budget and lo and behold, found that there is a million dollars allotted to help build another section of that trail network that will run between Odenton and Annapolis. There is a public/private partnership known as Friends Of Anne Arundel County Trails that will help move this along.
So, Lisa, stay with it, you may someday direct a race where runners won’t have to turn around at Aquahart Road.
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The B&A is a race, known for its somewhat flat terrain with a couple of little hills, in which an 81-year-old fellow from Kansas City, Ed Burnham, did the half marathon in 2:26.59. Three of our own didn’t do too badly either. Benito Vasquez, of Odenton, 65, came in number 93 in the marathon in 3:58, Milt Taylor, 72 of Odenton, finished No. 162 in 4:46 and Brad Chapman,73, of Crofton, came in No. 211 in 5:50.
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There are a couple of Strider events that you might want to take advantage of. The first session of their 10-week learn-to-run program will be held at 8 a.m. on April 23 at Bates Track on Spa Road, that’s behind Maryland Hall in Annapolis. Sessions will be held Tuesday and Thursday’s at 6 p.m. and Saturday’s at 8 p.m. There are some qualifications. You should be capable of walking briskly for 20 minutes and have checked with your doctor to start this fitness program. It includes education on how to find the right shoes, injury prevention and more.
Starting with a walk-run regimen, each week will see less walking and more running, working up to a 3.1 mile race on July 9 a Saturday, in West Annapolis. No charge for Annapolis Strider members and for non members the charge is $15 which makes you a member. Family rates are available. I do believe that you will again be in the very capable hands of two of the finest trainers in the nation. Evan Thomas and Penny Goldstein. You can download an entry form from www.annapolisstridersdotorg or call 410.451.4155. The 25th annual Cherry Pit 10 miler, another Strider race, comes up Sunday, April 10 at 8 a.m. at Edgewater. The start line is at the Central Middle School at the South River High School Complex at 221 Central Avenue.
In past years, one of the school buildings has been used for church services and people confuse the cars in that lot for those of race registrants and find the registration table is a quarter of a mile away. Register by mail by March 28, or on race day at 6:30 a.m. Pre-entry is $3 for Annapolis Striders, $4 for non-members, all race-day entries are $5.
Results
B&A Marathon, Severna Park, March 6
Overall
1. Paul Rades, 32, Wheaton, 2:33:41; 2. Matt Mace, 44, Arnold, 2:54; 3. Mok Choe, 46, Clarksville, 2:57; 4. Keith McBride, 39, Cockeysvile, 2:58:15; 5. Steven Garand, 44, Pittsburgh, 2:58:56 ; 6. Feng Sun, 35, Columbia, 2:59; 7. Nigel Keen, 48, Bloomington, Ind., 3:03; 8 Lisa Menninger, 40, La, Grange, Ill. 3:04; 9 Robert Oravec, 40, Severn, 3:05; 10. Josh Dorsey, 23, Millington, 3:06:03; 11. Patrick Heaney, 33, Arlington, Va., 3:06:08; 12. Joseph Quinn, 46, Severna Park, 3:08
Top females
1 and 2, Sun and Menninger; 3. Jennifer Sullivan, 40, Annapolis, 3:18; 4. Jill Hargis, 44, Annapolis, 3:21; 5. Mylene Cox, 30, Paoli, Pa., 3:28; 6. Megan Clarke, 27, Sterling, Va, 3:29; 7. Sara Almodovar, 28, Stratford, Conn., 3:32; 8. Danielle Henderson, 26, Arlington, Va., 3:36
Half Marathon Overall
1. Mike Woodman, 39, Timonium, 1:14: 49; 2. Wallace Miller, 20, Annapolis, 1:15; 3. Tommy Neesen, 36, Virginia Beach, 1:15:47; 4. Kevin Grasmick, 33, Washington, 1:15:56; 5. Jon Schoenberg, 41, Crofton 1:16: 24; 6. Robert Wolfe 33, Washington, 1:16:36; 7. Robert Walker, 37, Silver Spring 1:17:05; 8. James Cathro, 23, Annapolis 1:17:24; 9. Joshua Riff, 30, Baltimore 1:18:07; 10. Jacob Montoya, 20, Annapolis, 1:18:23
Half Marathon Females
46 Aimee Baylor, 33, Lewisburg, Pa. 1:30; 55. Pat Keating, 43, Dayton, 1:32; 61. Jaime Bryant, 22, Annapolis, 1:33:49; 62. Carole Rosasco, 45, Arnold, 1:33:55; 63. Deneen Habarta, 31, Baltimore, 1:34:03; 65. Elizabeth Blom, 25, Baltimore, 1:34:15; 69. Margie Boyd, 43, Annapolis, 1:35:18; 72. Elizabeth Kealey, 22, Annapolis, 1:35:35; 74. Mary Lynn Hansen, 38, Woodstock, 1:35:54; 76. Cheryl Gilman,36, Annapolis, 1:36:08
Calendar
Saturday: 8 a.m. Harman’s Park, Hanover. Joe Cannon 5K run and fun walk Benefits Recreation Deeds for Special Needs Scholarship and North Arundel Hospital Oncology Center. 410.222.7311(ext.3554)
Saturday: Virginia Beach, 7:30 a.m. 33rd Shamrock Sportfest Marathon run, walk and relay, 8K, 1-mile run and a 26.2-yard kids marathon, shamrockmarathondotcom.
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