LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL MARATHON

At our Renton home at 4:00 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, August 17, 2008, the rumble of thunder overhead awakened me.  I hurried to the front porch and admired the zigzag flashes of lightning as rain poured down.  This kind of a storm is rare here, and I couldn’t recall witnessing this phenomenon in the Pacific Northwest before. 

Because of the weather, Lenore decided to stay at home, but I finished getting ready and left at 5:00 a.m.  As it turned out, there was good weather for the second annual Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon.

The racecourse starts on a dirt and gravel railroad bed and goes west from Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains to the foothills in North Bend, Washington.  Because I had never run through an abandoned railroad tunnel nor on a point-to-point marathon course with a rails-to-trails origin in the mountains, I was really looking forward to this marathon.

At this early hour there was little traffic, so the drive from Renton to North Bend was uneventful. I parked in a rural field in the race finish area and boarded the first school bus that transported the early starters to Snoqualmie Pass.  As the bus went east on I-90 to the starting area at the Hyak Trailhead, I could see the racecourse on the south valley slope at a higher elevation.  At the trailhead, the 36 early starters checked in, signed waivers, received bibs marked with an “E” for early starter designation, and received a drop bag.

At 7:00 a.m. our race started on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail in Iron Horse State Park.  This long, but narrow, park follows the original railroad right-of-way.  We briefly ran on the trail and then backtracked toward the west and reached the mouth of the historic 1909 old tunnel of the former Milwaukee Railroad.

The dark interior of the tunnel made it necessary to carry flashlights or to use headlamps.  While running, it seemed best to stay in the middle of the tunnel to stay clear of the walls.  This tunnel is 2.25 miles long, and light from the far end of the tunnel became more obvious as we closed the distance.

After I left the tunnel, I noticed that the air became warmer and humid.  Actually, the outdoor temperatures were cooler during the race than they had been the previous days.  This day the temperature was about 70 degrees at the start and 85 degrees at the finish with clear to hazy skies.

A gradual loss of 2,050 feet of elevation made for easy running.  Some of the surface was hard-packed dirt, but variable sized gravel was commonplace.  The mountain scenery was magnificent with a view of mountains to the north on the far side of the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River.  We ran by this clear river during the end of the marathon.

New trestles with good running surfaces bridged four deep stream valleys along the way and offered scenic views.  Boulder slopes and small stream cataracts added to the variety.  From Rattlesnake Lake on, the last miles of the course were flat and the forest trees provided continual shade.  In this rural setting there was an abundance of wild flowers, such as foxgloves, fireweed, white daisies, tansies and other colorful ones.

There were a lot of runners on the course.  Most of the one whom I saw took the regular 8:00 a.m. start and passed me in the second half.  Paul Piplani, a megamarathoner from Phoenix, Arizona, and I visited on the bus ride.  As he passed me in mid-race, he inquired about the big insects that were bothering him.  I told him that they were horse flies that usually feed on horses and cattle.  In the mountains, however, elk, deer and runners are fair game for these bloodsuckers……any large mammal will do!

Halfway through my race the winner, Michael Lynes, 42, of Tacoma passed me as he went on to win in 2:27:17.  Cliff Richards, 47, a Marathon Maniac (MM) from Maple Valley was second with a 2:59:57 time.  Close behind him in third place was Jonathan Bernard, 38, of Seattle who ran a 3:00:06. 

Devon Crosby-Helms, 24, of Seattle won the women’s race with a time of 3:04:36.  She was in 5th place overall.  In second place was Shawna Wilskey, 36, MM of Burlington with a 3:18:22.  MM Mary Hanna, 46, of Maple Valley followed with a 3:26:02.  The Marathon Maniacs were well represented and made up about half of the field.

My race didn’t meet my expectations, but I had a good time and “finished.”  I ran at the beginning and then alternated running and walking until the halfway point.  After that I averaged a 16-mile pace as I walked the second half of the marathon.

In the last 5K I became preoccupied with finishing under six hours.  I just made it with a 5:59:18, 129th of 138 and first 75-79 Male.

Thanks to race director Brian Pendleton and his crew for putting on a fine marathon.  Thanks to Tony Phillippi and the other volunteers for providing the necessary support for the marathon to be a success.  This race was everything that I had hoped for and more as I explored the John Wayne Pioneer Trail for the first time.  I hope to return for sequels in the years to come.

……………………..Written by Bob Dolphin
                                   Edited, Typed and Distributed by Lenore Dolphin

PARTIAL RESULTS – LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL MARATHON August 17, 2008

2:37:17  Michael Lynes, 42, Tacoma, FIRST OVERALL, First in Age Division
2:59:57  Cliff Richards, 47, Maple Valley, SECOND OVERALL, MM, 1st
3:00:06  Jonathan Bernard, 38, Seattle, THIRD OVERALL, MM, 1st
3:02:39  Sancho Lin, 33, Seattle, MM, 1st 
3:04:35  Devon Crosby-Helms, 26, Seattle, FIRST WOMAN OVERALL, 1st
3:05:06  Hunter MacLean, 25, Preston, 1st
3:06:43  Dean Kaylor, 44, Renton, MM, 2nd
3:12:13  Doug MacLean, 56, Preston, MM, 1st
3:15:58  Bryan Robertson, 33, Bellingham, MM, 2nd
3:16:34  Terry Sentinella, 44, Anacortes, MM, 3rd
3:18:22  Shawna Wilskey, 36, Burlington, SECOND WOMAN OVERALL, MM, 1st
3:26:02  Mary Hanna, 46, Maple Valley, THIRD WOMAN OVERALL, MM, 1st
3:26:55  Gregg Walchli, 46, Woodinville, MM
3:27:33  Bob Martin, 52, Hoquiam, MM, 3rd
3:28:34  David Spooner, 38, Buckley, MM, 3rd
3:29:35  Benjamin Chan, 38, Portland, OR, MM
3:31:46  Joseph Tompkins, 37, Mt. Vernon, MM
3:32:45  Bob O’Brien, 50, Vancouver, MM
3:34:24  Brian Pendleton, 54, Auburn, MM
3:35:10  Christie Hayes, 34, West Richland, MM, 2nd
3:37:17  Phillip Kriss, 49, Lake Tapps, MM
3:38:22  Van Phan, 37, Maple Valley, MM, 2nd
3:39:15  Olaf Weckner, 32, Seattle, MM, 3rd
3:42:26  Steve Duncan, 40, Mt. Vernon, MM
3:43:15  Sarah Lynch, 30, Seattle, MM, 3rd
3:43:19  Guy Yogi, 54, Seattle, MM
3:47:04  May Cheng, 43, Mercer Island, MM, 1st
3:47:08  Chris Warren, 40, Renton, MM
3:47:58  Gary Marr, 57, Snohomish, MM
3:48:11  Andy Fritz, 42, Olympia, MM
3:48:23  Earl Fenstermacher, 59, Seattle, MM
3:52:38  Robert Lopez, 42, Seattle, MM
3:54:38  Ashley Kuhlmann, 22, Lakewood, MM, 1st
3:58:13  Diana Robinson, 41, Bellingham, MM, 3rd
3:58:22  Barb Bumann, 54, Spokane, MM, 1st
4:00:54  Richard Cockrell, 43, Puyallup, MM
4:04:13  Hope Fox, West Richland, MM
4:06:39  Dave Bridgeman, 59, Cle Elum, MM
4:15:15  Jeff Loen, 52, Kenmore, MM
4:17:07  Sharon Reese, 45, Duvall, MM
4:17:53  Valerie Beyer, 46,Auburn, MM
4:20:42  Mary Klarich, 45, Wapato
4:21:00  James Klarich, 45, Wapato, MM
4:21:07  Mark Dahlby, 44, Tacoma, MM
4:21:23  Francesca Carmichael, 48, Woodinville, MM
4:22:38  Cheri Pompeo, 56, Woodinville, MM, 1st
4:25:14  Linda Walter, 56, Puyallup, MM, 2nd
4:25:14  Jim Kunz, 59, Seattle,
4:25:55  Robert Jacobson, 50, Mt. Vernon, MM
4:36:47  Marilou Russell, 47, Olympia, MM
4:36:55  Michael Kuhlmann, 58, Lakewood, MM
4:37:59  Stacy Otter, 31, Bellingham, MM
4:37:59  Genia Kacey, 32, Sultan, MM
4:39:26  Cheri Damitio, 49, Blodgett, OR, MM
4:43:35  Jill Hudson, 46, Seattle, MM
4:44:19  Marie Zornes, 44, Gig Harbor, MM
4:45:34  Mike Pruyne, 39, Oak Harbor, MM
4:45:35  Leslie Miller, 28, Newcastle, MM
4:48:54  Kimberly Kuhlmann, 29, Tacoma,
4:52:48  Monte Pascual, 48, Federal Way, MM
5:23:46  Marci Martin, 43, Hoquiam, MM
5:24:24  Larry Welch, 60, Puyallup, MM, 2nd
5:27:49  Ray Shaw, 50, Tacoma, MM
5:29:37  Barefoot Jon Gissberg, 65, Seattle, MM, 2nd
5:37:47  Rich Menzel, 62, Everett, MM, 3rd
5:38:27  Paul Piplani, 61, Phoenix, AZ,
5:44:18  Jane Herzog, 45, Tacoma, MM
5:56:32  Jeanette Quintana, 31, Edmonds, MM
5:59:18  Bob Dolphin, 78, Renton/Yakima, Oldest MM, 1st
6:04:14  Ric Hart, 61, Monroe, MM
6:29:12  Jenny Appel, 34 Puyallup, MM
6:29:16  Mel Preedy, 75, Ravensdale, MM, 2nd
6:30:01  Janna Barrick, 16, Kent, Youngest MM, 1st
6:30:04  Steve Barrick, 46, Kent, MM
6:38:13  Michelle Barnes, 50, Puyallup, MM, 2nd
7:11:20  Amy Lynes, 42, Tacoma