TACOMA CITY MARATHON
May 3, 2009
Usually, I have to run a marathon and finish it to receive an award. At the Tacoma City Marathon at Tacoma, Washington, on Sunday, May 3, 2009, the best
recognition possible came before the start of the race.
Tony Phillippi, the race director and a Marathon Maniac Founder, invited Lenore and me to accompany the Marathon Maniac Pacers and him to the starting line. We rode with them in a stretch limousine from the race headquarters Murano Hotel to the starting line where the marathon announcer introduced Tony, the Dolphin Marathon Team and the pacers to the marathoners who were gathered for the 7:00 a.m. start of the event. For the most part, the pacers were running friends. They and Tony all have impressive, personal running histories.
After some announcements were made, a nice rendition of the National Anthem was sung by Heather Ruiz before the start of the marathon. I said goodbye to Lenore and joined the back of the pack.
The previous day while volunteering at packet pickup at the nearby Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, the sciatica nerve problem in my left leg suggested that I might be a spectator on race day. However, the next morning I felt better and was able to be a participant after all.
Saturday’s heavy rains had passed through the area, and all of us benefited from the sunny, calm weather with temperatures that didn’t exceed 60 degrees.
On the downgrade of the first mile I kept up with the back of the pack. However, on the upgrade of the second mile I dropped back to become the last one on the course and soon saw no other runners.
The half marathon started at 7:30 a.m., and in my sixth mile this field began to overtake me. I had a lot of company for three miles, going in both directions, until I reached Mile 9, their turnaround point. In the solitude that followed I enjoyed looking at Commencement Bay, Maury and Vashon Islands and other landmarks of Puget Sound.
After I climbed the steep slope above the Ruston Tunnel, I came to the first of two Interurban Running Club’s “Blues Brothers” aid stations. I enjoyed running through Point Defiance Park with its natural wooded splendor and visiting with friends at the second “Blues Brothers” aid station. The course then took me on suburban roads and trails near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and Highway 16.
When I crossed the finish line near the Convention Center, three walkers who had taken an early start were still on the course. My time of 6:49:14 put me in 272nd place out of 275 finishers and second 75-79M. Marathon Maniac (MM) Mel Preedy was first in this division with a time of 5:57:21.
For the third consecutive year of this three year old marathon, Michael Lynes, 42, of Tacoma was the winner. His time of 2:40:15 gave him another win to keep his record perfect. Hunter MacLean, 26, of Mercer Island came in second with a sub three hour 2:59:39. In third place was Ryan McKnight, 36, with a 3:09:24.
MM Shawna Wilskey, 37, of Burlington was the women’s winner in a time of 3:11:03. In 2008 she won the Bellingham Bay Marathon, and earlier this year she was the winner of the Carlsbad Marathon. The second place woman was MM Merita Trohimovich, 42, of Gig Harbor in 3:16:09. MM Ginger Gruber, 39, of Port Orchard was third with a time of 3:21:01.
After the race, Lenore and I met three women from the East Coast who had an interesting story to tell. As friends who live in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Virginia, their goal is to complete a marathon in all 50 States. They get together as often as possible and had come to Tacoma for their “Washington” state. Donna Bednar, 49, is from Old Lyme, CT, and has finished marathons in three states. Karen Axelrod, 51, Northhampton, MA, has completed 13 states, and Laura Sprung, 56, from Crozel, VA, has a total of 17.
From the limousine ride before the start to “making it to the finish line” it had been a good day for me. The race was well-organized, scenic and challenging. Thanks go to race directors Tony Phillippi and Paul Morrison, their committee and the volunteers for conducting a quality event. I look forward to running the Tacoma City Marathon in 2010 when it will be a Marathon Maniac Reunion race.
……………………………………Written by Bob Dolphin
Edited, Typed and Distributed by Lenore Dolphin
2:40:15 Michael Lynes, 42, OVERALL WINNER, 1st in Age Group
2:59:39 Hunter MacLean, 26, SECOND OVERALL, 1st
3:09:24 Ryan McKnight, 36, THIRD OVERALL, 1st
3:09:52 Cliff Richards, 48, MM, 1st
3:11:03 Shawna Wilskey, 37, OVERALL WOMEN’S WINNER, MM, 1st
3:14:01 Ruben Contreras, 54, MM, 1st
3:16:09 Merita Trohimovich, 42, SECOND WOMAN OVERALL, MM, 1st
3:19:20 Terry Sentinella, 44, MM, 2nd
3:21:01 Ginger Gruber, 39, THIRD WOMAN OVERALL, MM, 2nd
3:21:38 Bryan Robertson, 33, MM, 1st
3:21:50 Mary Hanna, 47, MM, 1st
3:23:33 Bob Martin, 52, MM, 2nd
3:27:25 Gregg Walchli, 42, MM
3:28:11 Bob O’Brien, 51, MM
3:29:48 David Spooner, 40, MM
3:32:24 Phil Kriss, 49, MM
3:33:49 Robert Lopez, 42, MM
4:34:44 Marilou Russell, 47, MM, 2nd
3:40:53 Robert Britain, 51, MM
3:42:12 Ashley Kuhlmann, 23, MM, 2nd
3:43:49 May Cheng, 44, MM, 2nd
3:44:29 Guy Yogi, 55, MM, 2nd
3:44:29 Steve Supkoff, 43, MM
3:44:42 Robert Jacobsen, 51, MM
3:45:36 Richard Cockrell, 44, MM
3:47:13 Narvie Seals, 42, MM
3:48:31 Jerry Thayer, 54, MM
3:49:44 Kurt Lauer, 47, MM
3:54:00 Arthur Martineau, 41, MM
3:54:05 Craig Hanela, 34, MM
3:55:31 Gary Marr, 57, MM 3rd
3:58:52 Randen Richards, 30, MM
3:58:52 Andy Fritz, 42, MM
3:59:42 Scott Krell, 48, MM
4:00:10 Bruce Quam, 54, MM
4:02:02 Matt Hagen, 38, MM
4:03:35 Herb Allen, 66, MM, 1st
4:03:35 Lesa Overfield, 50, MM, 1st
4:04:01 Valerie Beyer, 46, MM
4:06:04 Ken Briggs, 57, MM
4:10:14 Cat Schwartz, 34, MM, 3rd
4:10:16 Thomas Gibson, 42, MM
4:10:36 Deanna Ashby, 37, MM
4:13:26 Eric Barnes, 52, MM
4:14:23 Yanghae Yoon, 46
4:15:08 Rikki Bogue, 45, MM
4:23:17 Jim Kunz, 60, 2nd
4:23:17 Ron Fowler, 61, 3rd
4:24:39 Steve White, 55, MM
4:26:54 Mari Petersen, 46, MM
4:26:56 Bonni Brooks, 45, MM
4:31:26 Gary Otheim, 66, MM, 2nd
4:34:16 David Hamilton, 55, MM
4:38:38 Jae-Byung Jung, 38, MM
4:41:21 Michelle Barnes, 51, MM
4:41:37 Rick Haase, 63, MM
4:41:49 Betsy Rogers, 45, MM
4:42:05 Spencer Albin, 51, MM
4:42:32 Marie Zornes, 45, MM
4:43:49 Susie Ro, 38, MM
4:44:42 Marilyn Pyke, 47, MM
4:48:44 Mike Kuhlmann, 58, MM
4:49:12 Corrine Austerman, 46, MM
4:50:16 Amanda Preble, 45, MM
4:51:26 Steve Yee, 49, MM
4:51:35 Brian Starkey, 43, MM
4:51:51 Tory Klementsen, 44, MM
4:54:49 Jennifer Bruce, 20 MM
4:58:17 Linda McIntyre, 51, MM
4:58:17 Ben Light, 55, MM
4:58:51 Jessica Bienvenue, 30, MM
4:58:51 Mike Pruyne, 40, MM
5:00:19 Ray Shaw, 51, MM
5:01:10 Linda Walter, 57, MM
5:15:11 Jim Boyd, 66, MM, 3rd
5:22:37 Stacy Otter, 32, MM
5:22:38 Diana Robinson, 42, MM
5:26:23 Bret Bellevue, 50, MM
5:27:55 Donna Bednar, 49
5:30:02 Kimberly Kuhlmann, 30, MM
5:38:27 Jenny Appel, 35, MM
5:38:28 Jessica Williams, 31, MM
5:39:19 Tim Bruce, 56, MM
5:42:32 Jane Herzog, 46, MM
5:49:12 Dawn Bellevue, 49
5:50:59 Marci Martin, 44, MM
5:57:21 Mel Preedy, 76, MM, 1st
6:33:02 Laura Sprung, 45
6:33:02 Karen Axelrod, 51
6:49:14 Bob Dolphin, 79, MM, 2nd