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Runners Mugged by Weather
David Estabrook, Allison Belanger and Mary Ryczek Shine
On a muggy summer evening David Estabrook,
Allison Belanger and Mary Ryczek were cool as cucumbers. David and
Allison each added a Summer Sizzler victory to their resumes, while
Mary added another age record to her collection.
Dave matched strides
with Harrier teammate Luis Reynosa, EORC’s Spencer Beaver and Rick
Lunsford for the first kilometer, through the Rose Garden and out of
the Park. His running lessons ending at about the half way point as
he pulled away for good from his pupils and cruised across the
finish line in 30:27 for his 5th lifetime Summer Sizzler
crown. Luis (31:48) outran Rick (31:58) who outsprinted Spencer
(31:59) for the next three spots. Rick earned masters (over 40) and
senior (over 50) honors for his efforts. A trio of senior Harriers
followed, Seth Roberts in 33:35, Rich Clark in 33:42, and Steve
O’Neil in 34:01, thus seniors took four of the first seven places.
In fact well over half the field were age 50 or older. Apparently
heat and humidity doesn’t both those folks.
I certainly didn’t
bother Mary as she plugged an age record gap by becoming the first
age 64 year old woman to traverse the 8K road course, finishing in
46:03. She now holds a remarkable 18 separate age records on the
course, far and away more then anyone else. Despite her youth,
Allison also handled the oppressive weather, clocking 34:17 for a
comfortable win, as the speedy Sugarloafer thereby joined the Summer
Sizzler Hall of Fame. Harrier Carol L’Esperance (39:12) swept the
masters, seniors, and veterans titles again despite being “punched
in the stomach” by the rather steep little hill by the Skate House.
Julia Merton was the first junior (under 20) female in 37:03 while
Andrew Zemanek was first junior male in 38:06. Charlie Towse (back
with GSH after some Hawaiian club apparently tried to kidnap him)
took the grand veteran gold medal in 42:36. (At least I think
that’s what the over 70 crowd is called.) |
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