5K - 339 finishers February 21, 2009
10K - 99 finishers
During the Great Depression a typical night at the local cinema would include trailers, a newsreel, cartoon, low-budget--or B movie--and finally the main feature--or A--movie. Known altogether as a “double feature,” or “twin bill,” this full night (or Saturday matinee) of entertainment would be offered for one low price in the air conditioned comfort of the local movie house. (Where, by the way, we can trace that fine 1902 invention of Willis Haviland Carrier of Syracuse, NY, and its’ Memorial Day, 1925 “premier” at Times Square’s Rivoli Theatre.) On Saturday mornings, a kids version, complete with popcorn and a piece of candy, would cost ten cents. The practice survived at least until the 50s, when one Ralph Epifanio spent Friday nights struggling to stay awake beside his parents at the Art Deco Leow’s Coney Island Theatre, circa 1925.
No doubt the Port Orange YMCA isn’t taking any chances as we slip-slide down the back slope of Mt. Wall Street. Offering running’s version of a “double feature,” roughly 500 runners, walkers, and kids enjoyed the “air conditioned comfort” of a mid-winter Saturday morning to tour a still sleeping Port Orange. For the stalwart runners who wanted to run twice, the 10K started at the ungodly hour of 7:00 AM; the 5K followed somewhat later.
One such stalwart soul was 29 year old John Bess of New Smyrna Beach. Brushing off an enthusiastic attempt by 16 year old G. Andrew Epifanio to “Win one for the Chrisser” (more on that in a subsequent story), by a mile and a half he had reeled in the young challenger and was in firm control of the lead.
Since Bess tried to live up to his name by running both the 10K and 5K, and for all I know, races elsewhere as well, I was unable to get him to stand still long enough for an interview. Therefore, I was forced to take the bold, and probably unprecedented step of creating my own interview.
As my word processor spoke for Bess, “Yeah, the kid is good--he went out in 5:35--but I knew he couldn’t hold the pace. I let him have the lead for awhile, and when he faded a little after the mile, I just kept going. I knew I had another race to go, but the 5:44 pace was comfortable, and I felt keeping it a little under 36 (he finished in 35:33) would leave me with enough to come back in the 5K.
“I was glad the 5K got off a little later than the 8:00 starting time, because it gave me time to recover. What I hadn’t counted on was Craig Henry. It seemed the more I picked it up, the more he did. I guess, because he was just running the one race, he had a little more kick at the end.”
24 year old Craig, however, did stay put long enough to be quoted.
“I’m only in my base season, so I was just going to go easy (in the 5K) to see what shape I’m in. I was looking for a 5:45 pace, but I went 5:30 (5:33 to be exact).
“When he (John Bess) left the pack (Henry, Bess, 31 year old Ed Springer, and 17 year old Justin Shirar), I went with him. We ran together, side by side, the whole race. At probably a half mile left, I pulled away.”
Craig, who graduated from Fort Walton Beach High School in 2003, then the pre-med program at the University of West Florida in 2007, is in his second year of study at the Palmer College of Chiropractic.
“It felt good to go 17:14 for a trial run. Right now I am at 40 miles a week. I plan to go about 70.… My main goal is triathlons this summer, and then the Daytona Half Marathon
(October).”
Craig’s counterpart for the Women’s 5K title was 45 year old Barbara Jean (“Babs”) Brennan of far away Tuckerton, New Jersey. She was second in 2008 (20:54), but has been training more regularly, and was able to improve her time in ‘09 (19:40).
“My sister lives in Port Orange, so I come down here every year. I teach Special Education…and this is my vacation time,” explained Brennan.
“I’d been out of it (running) for awhile, but my Mom passed away a couple of years ago (a heart condition), so I got back into it and I run every race I can for her.
Like Craig, she was well prepared for her competition.
“I went out way too fast; 6:02. (The second mile was about 6:25.) I guess going out that first road, there were a couple of people (in close pursuit), but I knew I wanted to win. (Generally) I never really look around. It’s not good news.”
In the 10K, for some--like winner Katie Hoover--there was good news, for others, not so good.
First the good news.
Katie, who is really good, is almost a sure bet to not only win whenever she competes, but also to break into the top ten, as she did this go-around. She is not, however, overly egotistical about it.
“I just wanted to get a good workout. I wasn’t shooting for a specific time.”
Nonetheless, her 38:43 was fast enough for seventh overall, and strong enough to hold off ninth place finisher Colleen Nicoulin (41:37). Nicoulin, like Bess “doubled,” returning to the starting line and finishing the 5K in 20:13. With a stride uncannily like that of half-milers, Hoover covered the entire 32,808.4 feet on the front 2/3s of her fast-moving feet.
“I’m pleased with my time. I haven’t done much speed or interval work since the Disney Marathon (which she finished 201st overall and 22nd woman [3rd in her division] in 3:14:27). It’s my only marathon, so I guess it’s a PR.
“(When registering) I had no idea, so I put in a 3:40 for my (predicted) time…For the first five miles I was passing and weaving in and out of people. I probably lost some time… (at the start) when I looked next to me and saw a man dressed as Minnie Mouse, I knew I was in the wrong place. “
That would be something that 44 year old Jim Fullerton could readily relate to. At the half way point of the 10K, he had firm control of second place, behind eventual winner John Bess. He maintained that lead going in to the final quarter mile, when suddenly he fell victim to one of life’s little adventures.
As Fullerton explained, “Andrew (Epifanio) was out ahead of me for a few miles. I passed him at three or four miles, and was a little ahead. I had just passed the six mile marker and was near the end. I saw a turn marker and turned up that street. It was sort of an entrance to one of the “Y” buildings. But after 50 meters or so I realized that I was in the wrong place, so I turned back and asked your son where to go--he had turned that corner at that point because I had. He started going back the right way, I followed and tried to catch him, but he edged me out (at the finish).”
Although he managed to out kick him, Epifanio felt that Fullerton would have finished ahead of him had he not gone the wrong way, and so tried to swap his second place trophy for Fullerton’s third.
“I thought it was a nice gesture to try to switch trophies. It showed good sportsmanship. For his age he is a great runner. He is going to be something.”
Footnotes: Much ado about…well, much done. Accolades are in order for those runners who competed in both races (too many to name), because it was a gutsy thing to do, even if they may have slipped a little in age group standings in the second race….Ten year old Chris Sullivan ran a fantastic 10K, finishing 14th overall in 43:21. As of this writing, he has not signed a national letter of intent for his choice of colleges….According to my calculations--and I apologize if I am incorrect because you have to be a rocket scientist with a graphing calculator to figure out how they do it--the current standings for the overall leaders in the Daytona Beach Area Running Grand Prix are: Males--Andrew Epifanio (38), Ed Springer (37), Craig Henry (20), Justin Shirar (15), and six tied with 10; Females--Katie Hoover (51), Bea Marie Altiers (27), Kara Niedermeyer (24), Sheila Sullivan and Colleen Nicoulin (tied with 17).
5K Top 10
Males Time Females Time
1)S. Craig Henry II 17:14 10)Barbarajean Brennan 19:40
2)John Bess 17:22 16)Colleen Nicoulin 20:13
3)Ed Springer 17:46 19)Kara Neidermeier 20:21
4)Justin Shirar 18:20 21)Cuisle Kierans 20:38
5)Darren Cox 18:55 28)Savannah Broome 21:43
6)Paul Holyko 19:01 37)Jacqueline Rhlston 22:45
7)Stephen Parks 19:14 40)Lori Robinson 23:00
8)Jimmy Wyatt 19:19 43)Mary Ann Rau 23:05
9)Eric Krom 19:28 47)Jen Ellison 23:31
11)Jordan Slingo 19:41 50)Catherine LaStarza 23:48
10K Top 10
Males Time Females Time
1)John Bess 35:33 7)Katie Hoover 38:43
2)G. Andrew Epifanio 37:21 9)Colleen Nicoulin 41:37
3)Jim Fullerton 37:24 17)Sheila Sullivan 45:05
4)Paul Holyko 37:58 20)Jennifer Schedivy 45:52
5)Jose Musso 38:20 24)Toni Fow 47:03
6)Bill McCori 38:38 31)Kim Walsh 48:55
8)Jimmy Wyatt 39:55 36)Amy Newbern 49:08
10)Theodore Lowrey 41:47 37)Kathy Schwerdfeger 49:20
11)Tony Stokes 42:00 38)Frankie Painter 50:16
12)Chris Burkett 42:25 44)Kristen Appleby 52:08
Complete results can be gathered on line at AltaVista sports.com.