MISSISSIPPI BLUES MARATHON - January 9, 2010
Lenore and I like to fly to the “sunny south” in the winter so that I can add a southern state to my 50 States list. This year we chose the third annual Mississippi Blues Marathon at Jackson, Mississippi, scheduled for Saturday, January 9, 2010. Just before we left for SeaTac Airport on January 7th we were informed that a cold front was bringing sub-freezing air into the Gulf States, so I took along my winter running clothes.
The day after we arrived in Jackson we went to the Jackson Convention Complex where I picked up my bib, timing chip, short-sleeved cotton T-shirt, and a well-stocked goodie bag. Included in the bag were a disk of Mississippi Blues artists and their music in keeping with the theme of the marathon and a harmonica etched with the marathon name and race date. While at the Expo, we talked with Rob Simmons, one of the directors. He and I briefly ran together at the Seattle Rock ‘n Roll Marathon on June 29, 2009…and I was influenced by his recommendation to run this race.
Before we left the Expo, we were part of a group that formed a temporary “reunion” of running friends that included 50 Staters, 100 Marathon Club members and Marathon Maniacs. It was good to see Rich DeCample (who lives three miles from us in Renton, WA), Henry Rueden of DePere, Wisconsin, Thomas Kazaki of Southlake, Texas, Cheryl Murdock of Pensacola, Florida, and Peter Graham of London, England. Peter brought me a jacket from the 100th Marathon Club United Kingdom, an 80th birthday gift.
Lenore and I returned to our nearby hotel, the Cabot Lodge, where we attended their evening social time in their great hospitality room. In the morning, I dressed warmly for my intended two-mile walk to the starting line. Before I could leave the parking lot, three runners in a heated van stopped me to ask for directions…..and then invited me to join them! I gladly accepted their invitation and was happy to have a ride and a warm place to stay while waiting for the race to begin.
The starting area was in front of the Old Capitol Building at the State Street and Capitol Street intersection. This original Capitol Building is now a museum and was replaced by the newer, larger Capitol Building a few blocks away.
The average temperature for this date in Jackson is 35 degrees minimum and 55 degrees maximum. For last year’s marathon the temperature peaked at 69 degrees. This year’s temperature went to the other extreme, so I was glad that I came prepared for cold weather…..16 degrees at the start and 29 degrees at the finish!!!
At the 7:00 a.m. start the sky was clear, but by 8:00 a.m. intermittent winds of 20 mph appeared in the overcast sky to provide a wind chill factor at times.
In the first mile it was nearly light as almost 2,000 runners in the half and full marathons ran down a long grade through the city center. Within a few miles we were on a divided road used for an out-and-back part of the course.
The course was well laid out, and it provided a tour of the City Center, commercial areas, several suburbs, exclusive housing and edges of forested parks. The terrain was mostly flat with easy grades and some rolling and major hills. The attractive forests we saw had pine and deciduous, hardwood trees. Seeing two Black Vultures landing in the shoreline trees of the Pearl River by the halfway mat was my natural history “moment of the day!”
Leading the field was a pack of seven Kenyans which would include the eventual winner and other front runners. Last year’s second place runner was this year’s winner. Kenyan Jynocel Baswati, 23, who now lives in Santa Fe, NM, missed the course record by 22 seconds as he finished in 2:19:15.
With a role reversal, last year’s winner, Edward Tarbut, 26, also of Santa Fe, finished second in 2:20:07. He holds the course record of 2:18:53. In third place was John Boit, 30, of Coon Rapids, MN, with a 2:21:08.
With a time of 2:37:44, the women’s race was won by Janet Cherobon, 31, a Kenyan living in Rome, Georgia. In second and third places were Divina Jepkogel, 25, of Chapel Hill, NC (2:45:18) and Barbara McManus, 51, of Worcestor, MA, my original hometown, (3:01:33).
Because of the weather conditions I dressed in “layers” to be sure I would be warm enough. The last thing I put on was my new jacket with the “100 Marathon Club” printed on the back. This led to a lot of questions early in the race. As runners passed me, they wanted to know how many marathons I had run. (This was #460.)
On the course I visited with David Reid of Crestline, California. He will be closing in on a milestone on February 27, 2010, at the Tulsa Post Oak Lodge Marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he completes his 100th MARATHON and becomes a 50 STATES FINISHER. We look forward to seeing him at the Yakima River Canyon Marathon on March 27, 2010.
Then, Steve Hughes of Chicago slowed down and talked with me for awhile. He was a pacesetter for 5:30 runners. He finished with a 5:29:36….really close to his goal.
Next, I met up with Yolanda Holder of Corona, California, who “walked” faster than I can run. For the second year in a row she is the “Female Marathon Maniac of the Year.” She won this recognition by completing 77 marathons in 2009.
In a spacious residential area about 15 miles into the run, Henry Rueden, Peter Graham and Davie Day of Rayville, Louisiana, (whom I had met in the van ride to the start) ran with me for awhile.
Finally, it was nice to be able to visit with Jim Simpson of Huntington Beach, California, and Larry Macon of San Antonio, Texas, near the end of the race. Larry received the same recognition as Yolanda for the second year in a row as he was named the “Male Marathon Maniac of the Year” for running 94 marathons in 2009. CONGRATULATIONS to both of them for this honor!
At 24.5 miles I passed our hotel and waved at Lenore who was all bundled up and waiting at the street to cheer me on as I went by. A short time later as I walked the last mile, an ambulance passed me as it was going in the opposite direction. The next day I read in the Clarion Ledger newspaper that a 40 year-old runner from Ridgeland, Mississippi, had collapsed and died from a heart condition in the last mile of his 10K relay leg.
After I saw the ambulance, I climbed the last hill of a series to finish in 6:01:24, 519th of 558 who completed the marathon in less than 7 hours and 2nd of two in the 75+M Group. Unique guitar-shaped finishers medals, heatsheets and refreshments were given to the finishers, and seats were available in two heated tents….where Mississippi Blues music played.
The Cabot Lodge where we stayed provided a free morning breakfast and an evening social time in a large hospitality room. This is where Lenore had breakfast with 8 Mississippi judges while I was running the marathon! After the race we met Dan Hay, 48, and his wife of Battlefield, Missouri, there. Dan had finished 8th overall with a time of 2:48:39 for first place in the 45-49M Division. We also talked with Bob Nordman, 62, of North Hyde Park, New York, who ran a 4:08:15. We hope we’re convinced him to run our Yakima River Canyon Marathon this year.
In spite of the cold weather, we had a great trip and we enjoyed the hospitality of the area as I ran “MISSISSIPPI” for my 38th state.
…….Written by Bob Dolphin……….Edited, Typed and Distributed by Lenore Dolphin
2:19:15 Jynocel Baswati, 23, Santa Fe, NM, FIRST OVERALL, 1st in Age Group
2:20:07 Edward Tabut, 26, Santa Fe, NM, SECOND OVERALL, 1st
2:21:08 John Boit, 30, Coon Rapids, MN, 1st
2:37:44 Janet Cherobon, 31, Rome, GA, FIRST WOMAN OVERALL, 1st
2:45:18 Divina Jepkogel, 25, Chapel Hill, NC, SECOND WOMAN OVERALL, 1st
2:48:39 Dan Hay, 48, Battlefied, MO, 1st
2:59:02 Dane Rauschenberg, 33, Salt Lake City, UT, Marathon Maniac (MM)
3:01:33 Barbara McManus, 41, Worcester, MA, THIRD WOMAN OVERALL, 1st
3:27:07 Robert Bens, 48, Overland Park, MM
3:33:58 Sally Boles, 41, Mission Viejo, CA MM
3:39:49 David Bartholomew, 54, Walnut Creek, CA, MM
3:43:49 George Rehmet, 43, Daly City, CA, MM
3:48:56 Gary Schancer, 57, Albuquerque, NM, MM
3:52:28 John Leighton, 49, Newark, OH, MM
3:55:15 Peter Hudec, 39, Brooklyn, NY, MM
3:55:23 Thomas Okazaki, 52, Southlake, TX, MM
3:58:25 William Tichenor, 43, Dallas, TX, MM
3:58:28 Stephanie Arango, 24, Cincinnati, OH, MM
4:08:15 Robert Nordman, 62, North Hyde Park, NY
4:15:10 Larry Rubenstein, 61, Los Angeles, CA, MM
4:20:12 Kevin Brosi, 54, Flower Mound, TX, MM
4:20:32 Richard DeCample, 64, Renton, WA
4:21:55 Brent Schmitter, 32, Powderly, TX MM
4:24:57 Dave Bell, 47, Highlands Ranch, CO, MM
4:25:57 Laura Skladzinski, 24, New York, NY, MM
4:40:49 Steve Boone, 60, Humble, TX, MM
4:43:09 Jackie Ong, 48, Reston, VA, MM
4:46:18 Chris Oppenlander, 49, Troy, MI, MM
4:53:54 Mary Signorelli, 47, Castleton, NY, MM
4:54:21 Keith Whited, 57, Alexandria, VA, MM
4:57:56 Beth Davenport, 49, Santa Fe, NM, MM
4:58:54 Daniel Booth, 49, Monroe, LA
5:04:56 Kathy Kass, 53, New York, NY, MM
5:10:32 Tracey Newenhouse, 48, W. Long Branch, NJ, MM
5:12:00 Annette Wulffe, 49, Wheaton, IL, MM
5:15:22 Roxanna Lewis, 63, Gardena, CA, MM
5:18:18 Elisabeth Cooper, 60, Portland, OR MM
5:18:42 David Reid, 62, Crestline, CA, MM
5:22:10 Harold Jackson, 64, Riverside, CA, MM
5:23:01 Tami Harmon, 40, Yuma, AZ, MM
5:23:08 Gary Klawans, 49, Lake Zurich, IL, MM
5:25:59 Diane Bolton, 48, Nashville, TN, MM
5:28:02 Chris Thompson, 57 Escondido, CA, MM
5:29:36 Steve Hughes, 61, Chicago, IL
5:32:48 Frank Bartocci, 62, Rochester, MN
5:45:48 Carol Goslin, 64, Kansas City, MO, MM
5:46:41 Nancy Pratt, 51, Defiance, MO, MM
5:48:59 David Day, 79, Rayville, LA
5:53:32 Henry Rueden, 60, DePere, WI, MM
5:54:21 Cheryl Murdock, 59, Pensacola, FL
6:01:24 Bob Dolphin, 80, Renton/Yakima, WA, MM
6:02:23 Marina White, 23, Irvine, CA, MM
6:02:51 Yolanda Holder, 51, Corona, CA, MM
6:05:52 Peter Graham, 44, London, England, UK
6:14:57 Jim Simpson, 68, Huntington Beach, CA
6:15:16 Larry Macon, 65, San Antonio, TX, MM
6:15:29 Michael Larkin, 62, Fountain Valley, CA, MM
6:22:05 Evelyn Smith, 49, Rockford, IL, MM
6:24:58 Charles Sayles, 72, Glendale, CA