TACOMA CITY MARATHON Our weekend for the Tacoma City Marathon on Sunday, May 2, 2010, was a pleasant one for Lenore and me as we enjoyed volunteering, attending the Marathon Maniac reunion meeting, the dinner with guest speaker Dick Beardsley and the race. We drove to Tacoma from our nearby Renton home on Friday to the race headquarters at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in downtown Tacoma. This year the Expo, packet pickup, meeting and evening dinner were all held in this facility. This made it convenient for runners who stayed in the hotel. After we checked in, we visited with friends at the Expo and packet pickup area before reporting for our volunteering job at the marathon bib table. Race sponsors, Marathon Maniacs and Fleet Feet Sports of Bonney Lake had prominent booths in the Expo. This was a Marathon Maniac Reunion race, and members came from across the country and Canada. On the Maniac Calendar 200 members signified their intent to attend. About 400 runners represented the field of marathon finishers, so it seems that half of them were Marathon Maniacs. This was a commendable turnout that showed support for race director Tony Phillippi and Marathon Maniac co-founder along with Steve Yee and Chris Warren. This was the fourth Tacoma City Marathon. In the past three years I started the race at the regular time, but this year I chose to take the 6:30 a.m. early start. As it turned out, it was a wise choice. After the race started, I ran with my good friend Herb Allen, MM from Bainbridge Island. When we ran into a cool wind, I stepped aside to put on a Tyvek jacket. When I resumed running, my left calf became sore and I was forced to switch to walking. In my previous two marathons there had been a minor, intermittent spasm at this calf, but it was seldom felt. This time I was forced to walk the rest of the marathon. I could do this without feeling any soreness while test runs were slow and stressful. As a result, for the rest of the 25 miles I walked a 16-18 minute pace, depending on the grade and the wind direction. The weather was good with temperatures from 40-51 degrees, overcast skies, calm to light winds and 20 mph headwinds at times late in the race. By the second mile the early start runners were out of sight. A woman walker passed me in Wrights Park in the fourth mile, and she extended her lead as we walked through downtown Tacoma on our way to the waterfront. By the 10K mark she was no longer in view, and the race leaders from the regular start came by. Running side by side were Michael Lynes, 43, of Tacoma who became a four-time winner of the fourth Tacoma City Marathon when he finished in 2:44:16 and Geofrey Kanyi, 35, who finished second in 2:49:33. In third place overall was Ruth Perkins, 29, from Puyallup who won the women’s race with a time of 2:50:49. In fourth place overall was the third male runner, Tony Eckel, 42, with a 2:56:20. Mary Hanna, 48, from Maple Valley came in second for the women with a 3:28:39. In third place was Ginger Gruber, 40, who ran a 3:30:19. Between Miles 6-17 the regular field of 7:30 a.m. starters passed me as they ran and I walked. It was a pleasure to visit with my many running friends along the way. There were some nice surprises. Michael Shiach introduced me to a group of runners as they passed by, and I appreciated their warm reactions. Marc Frommer was a pacer who introduced me to his group. Then there were the Blues Brothers at the half way aid station manned by the Interurban Runners Club who gave a fellow club member a big welcome. They were at Point Defiance Park which is my favorite area on the race course. There were Western Rhododendrons in bloom in the park and a view of Gig Harbor in the distance. All of the volunteers at the aid stations were friendly and supportive. At one where they knew my name, I inquired about it. The captain said they see me there every year. I was concerned about being the last participant and holding up the course disassembling. The police guides assured me that there were four people behind me. In the last mile I was preceded by two patrol cars that blocked intersections so that I could pass safely. When I crossed the finish line, my time was 7:23:30 (16.55 pace). I was second in the 75+ age division and the only 80 year old in the race. Our thanks to go Tony Phillippi, the other Marathon Maniacs, the race committee, the many volunteers and policemen for their efforts in putting on a class event for the 2,000+ participants in the various races that were offered. ………………………………………..Written by Bob Dolphin
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TACOMA CITY MARATHON – Partial Results, May 2, 20102:44:16 Michael Lynes, 43, OVERALL WINNER, First in Age Group
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