SKAGIT FLATS MARATHON All of Lenore’s friends were happy to see her at the Skagit Flats Marathon on Sunday, September 13, 2009, at Burlington-Edison High School, the packet pickup/start/finish area. We had a chance to visit with Cheri Pompeo and her daughter Mo Gillis, Cliff Richards, Mary Hanna, Chris Warren, Jim Boyd, Michael Wakabayashi, Yau-ming Chien, Rich Menzel, Ric Hart, Al Harmon and Guy Yogi. At the 8:00 a.m. on a street adjacent to the high school, there was the largest combined marathon and half marathon field that I’ve seen at the Skagit Flats events. The weather for the race was fine for running with the temperature in the low 60’s at the start that rose to the 70’s later on. It was clear and sunny with a cooling breeze part of the time on the out-and-back course. This course permitted us to see everyone in both race fields as they passed in the opposite direction. I exchanged greeting with many along the way and had a chance to see the race of the front runners. Early on Rich Menzel and I decided to run together, and this worked well. It made time pass by quickly. He told me of his experiences at the Run with the Horses Marathon on August 22 in Wyoming, and I told him of my running adventure the previous week at the New Mexico Marathon at Albuquerque, NM. I had seen Marathon Maniac (MM) Dave Bell, a friend from Highland Ranch, CO, and an officer in the 50 States Marathon Club, in New Mexico, so it was great to see him again in Burlington. He’ll soon become a States Finisher for the FOURTH TIME!! Lenore is the finish line hugger in the family, but I’m not left out. Unha Lee and I exchanged hugs as we passed each other near the turn-around. When I reached the halfway mark in 2:51:08, I was the second from the last runner on the course. My prospects of finishing under six hours seemed slim, but it gave me a focal point. Overtaking four runners at different times helped my concentration. Along the way I found friendly volunteers at the well-stocked aid stations. In the last mile, I could see from my timing watch that I was about to go over my six-hour goal. At the 26 Mile marker by the school I had only a few minutes left, so I pushed my pace on a campus sidewalk and ran on the track to the finish arch. The clock read 5:59:34. I squeaked in under six hours! I finished 218th of 225 finishers and was third in the 70+ Male division. Stan Nakashima of Mt. Vernon completed his 300th marathon and was presented with a special 100 Marathon Club North America Medallion by Lenore at the finish area. She surprised me with a similar medallion for the completion of my 450th marathon at Skagit Flats. I’m on target for my next goal of completing #500 at the 2012 Yakima River Canyon Marathon. The marathon was won by Cory Jenkins, 21, of Lynden with a time of 2:47:14. In second place was Michael Brisbois, 45, of Redmond who ran a 2:57:29. MM Jake Lin, 35, came in third with a 2:59:16. In her “first-ever” marathon, Amber Morrison, 28, of Bellevue won the women’s race with a time of 3:12:52 and placed 12th overall. MM Mary Hanna, 48, of Maple Valley took second place with a 3:21:19, and Alicia Britt, 47, of Seattle was third with a time of 3:40:11. The 32nd running of the Skagit Flats Marathon was a great success. Race Director Terry Sentinella and his capable committee keep improving the race each year, and their efforts are much appreciated. …………………………………………………Written by Bob Dolphin
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Partial Results – Skagit Flats Marathon, September 13, 20092:47:14 Cory Jenkins, 21, Lynden, FIRST OVERALL, First in Age Division |