SECOND ANNUAL PIG TAILS FLAT ASS MARATHON
December 22, 2007
The second annual Pig Tails Flat Ass Marathon, directed by fellow Marathon Maniac Van “Pigtails” Phan, on Saturday, December 22, 2007, was an event that I had to run. I had heard good reports from runners who had participated in the inaugural marathon, half marathon and 50K in 2006, so I wanted to be a part of the event this year.
There is a novelty of running a marathon for the first time. Of the 21 marathons that I completed in 2007 only this one, the Eugene (Oregon) Marathon, Tacoma City Marathon and the Marshall University (West Virginia) Marathon were new to me.
I’ve lived in Renton for 13 years since Lenore and I were married, and I had raced in only one event here, the Community Days 4-Miler. Now I can add Renton to the cities in which I’ve run a marathon.
For years, traveling along Highway 169 between Renton and Maple Valley, I had followed a paved recreational trail that was the conversion of an abandoned railroad track. Recently when I drove along this route, I would see runners, walkers and bikers on the trail, and I felt an urge to join them. Now I can say that I had an opportunity to do just that as part of an out-and-back marathon!
On race morning I drove to the Renton Community Center by the Cedar River near I-405. A start/finish area was set up close to a footbridge that spanned the river. Many Marathon Maniacs said, “Hi,” as I found Van Phan to check in for this “reasonably priced” race. The entry fee was “two cans of chicken noodle soup”!!! (One can was for hot, post-race food, and the other was a contribution to the Maple Valley Food Bank.) Optional cash donations from participants and the Marathon Maniacs Club helped defray the cost of other food and drinks for the aid stations on the course and at the finish area.
A majority of the gathered participants ran the 50K that started at 7:30 a.m. There were 41 finishers in this race and 22 in the marathon that began at 8:00 a.m. I was one of those who took an early start.
We ran across the footbridge, turned left and ran upstream on the Cedar River Trail. It was pleasant running along a wooded bluff in 40 degree temperature and under overcast skies. Later the temperature rose to 45 degrees, and a light rain was followed by a moderate rain that fell for hours. In the last hour of my race the rain stopped, and I had a pleasant walk to the finish.
The course had some variety to it. In succession we passed a city park, new and old housing, a golf course, a soccer field, trailer courts, commercial areas and small ranches. I enjoyed views of Cedar River that can’t be seen from a car. The most spectacular ones were the footbridges near the turn-around where cascades and turbulent water ran by the riverside bluffs far removed from the highway.
Flying by as I ran along the river were a Great Blue Heron, a Common Merganser pair and a Glaucous-winged Gull. Although a few tansies were still in bloom and filbert catkins were close to flowering, the plant life was largely dormant.
In the marathon, 37 year old Annie Thiessen of Tacoma, Cover Girl of the January 2008 Northwest Runner Magazine, was the overall winner with a time of 3:14:10. Close behind, in second place, was Jake Lin, 33, of Seattle with a 3:14:19, and Tony Phillippi, 46, of Tacoma was third with a time of 3:15:38.
The 50K was a hotly contested race as Sean Meissner, 34, of Sisters, Oregon, prevailed with a 3:52:18 win over Alex Swanson, 43, of Vashon who was close behind with a 3:52:36. Hope Fox, 33 of West Richland won the women’s 50K with a 4:37:11, a course record in her first ultra! Shawn Lawson, 30, of Renton was next with a 4:41:17 finish.
I had a good run and took advantage of the three aid stations that we passed twice. The second half went smoother than the first half did……after I left a few miles of gravel and returned to a paved trail. I appreciated the downgrade tendency as the trail paralleled the river in its descent. Even so, my run became a run/walk and then a walk in the last 5K. As usual these days, I was competing against the clock to stay under six hours. It was close again as I crossed the footbridge to finish in 5:47:11.
Van offered me a chair by a heater, returned my “entry fee” (hot chicken noodle soup!) and presented me a hand-made finishers “medal,” a pink styrofoam pig. It’s a clever, one-of-a-kind award that can double as a Christmas tree ornament.
The second annual Pig Tails Flat Ass Marathon was a great success. Thanks go to Van Phan and the volunteers. I’ll be back for #3 in 2008.
……………………………..Written by Bob Dolphin
Edited, Typed and Distributed by Lenore Dolphin
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Second Annual Pig Tails Flat Ass Marathon Results – 12/22/07
3:14:19 Jake Lin, 33, Seattle, MM
3:15:38 Tony Phillippi, 46, Tacoma MM
3:26:54 Mitch Parker, 47, Kent
3:54:15 Merita Trohimovich-Pollard, 41, Gig Harbor, MM
4:03:06 Bill Barmore, 55, Gig Harbor, MM
4:07:10 Ernest Chen, 42, Sammamish, MM
4:07:35 Ashley Kuhlmann, 21, Lakewood, MM
4:27:16 Steve Barrick, 44, Kent, MM
4:33:02 Stan Nakashima, 56, Mt. Vernon
4:42:24 Fawn Freeman, 47, Tacoma
4:42:38 Michael Kulmann, 57, Lakewood, MM
4:57:07 Adrian Call, 55, Brier, MM
4:59:46 Rick Haase, 62, Shoreline, MM
5:36:30 Rick Wade, 57, Tacoma
5:46:53 Max Welker, 65, Tacoma
5:47:11 Bob Dolphin, 78, Renton/Yakima, MM
5:57:00 Barbara Dekeyser, 32, Seattle
5:57:00 Lindsay Felker, 28, Seattle, MM
6:10:34 Ray Shaw, 49, Tacoma, MM
6:17:41 Mel Preedy, 74, Ravensdale, MM
6:22:39 Russel Cheney, 66, Torrence, CA
3:52:36 Alex Swenson, 43, Vashon
4:05:32 Brock Gavery 30, Seattle
4:10:38 Joe Tompkins, 37, Mt. Vernon, MM
4:13:24 Bruce Hoff, 45, Renton
4:14:38 Steve Roberge, 35, Bellevue
4:15:51 David Spooner, 39, Buckley, MM
4:18:55 Sam Thompson, 27, Seattle, MM
4:27:04 Tony Covarrubias, 47, Auburn, MM
4:31:40 David Cole, 31, Springfield,
4:37:11 Hope Fox, 33, West Richland
4:41:17 Shawn Lawson, 30, Renton, MM
4:42:38 Ken Pinchiff, 44, Kent
4:44:27 Tim Lofton, 41, Marysville, MM
4:44:27 Kevin Myers, 49 Enumclaw
4:44:28 Arthur Martineau, 40, Renton, MM
4:49:35 Kathleen Egan, 35, Seattle
4:52:45 Christie Hayes, 33, West Richland
4:55:03 Paul Grove, 30, Renton
4:56:18 Phil Kriss, 48, Sumner, MM
5:00:51 Pete Nicholson, 47, Vancouver, MM
5:02:16 Mike Shiach, 57, Bainbridge Island, MM
5:14:51 Rob Roy Smith, 31, Seattle, MM
5:20:54 Lesa Overfield, 48, Puyallup, MM
5:21:54 Jess Mullen, 32, Seattle
5:22:04 Anita Schlitz, 44, Seattle
5:23:04 Van “Pigtails” Phan, 36, Maple Valley, MM
5:23:04 Val Beyer, 45, Auburn, MM
5:25:05 Cliff Richards, 47, Maple Valley, MM
5:25:05 Mary Hanna, 47, Maple Valley, MM
5:25:05 Dean Kayler, Maple Valley
5:29:17 Hoa Pham, 29, Seattle, MM
5:44:08 Michael Cartwright, 41, Bellevue, MM
5:52:07 Linda Walter, 56, Puyallup, MM
5:56:49 Steve Stoyles, 51, Puyallup, MM
5:56:49 Rob Hester, 34, Bonney Lake, MM
5:57:49 Jamie Gifford, 45, Seatac
6:03:58 Jenny Appel, 34, Puyallup, MM
6:27:23 Vivian Doorn, 42, Seattle
6:28:13 Monte Pascual, 47, Federal Way, MM
3:38 Bill Henry, 64, Seattle…………20 miles
3:38 Jim Cade, Seattle………………20 miles
3:08 Brian Pendleton, 53, Auburn…..17.5 miles, MM
1:55:50 Eric Bone, 33, Seattle………15.87 miles
2:54:24 Laura Houston, 52, Seattle…15.87 miles
1:54:30 Steve Yee, 48, Renton………13.1 miles, MM
3:06:00 Phyllis Welker, 55, Tacoma…13.1 miles
Michael Lacombe……………13-14 miles, MM
Steve Ellis……………………13-14 miles