Vermont City Marathon

A large Gunks contingent undertook the traditional spring pilgrimmage to Burlington for the Vermont City Marathon last weekend. This has long been a Gunks favorite, and this year was no exception, as the race again saw several outstanding performances.

C-Boy had the race of the day, leading the Gunkers with a big-time PR of 2:59:07, good for fifth among 50-54-year-olds. He ran a brilliantly paced race, splitting halfway in 1:28:06 and coming back in 1:31:01. It seems Chris solved his long-standing issues with taking in fuel during a marathon by simply not taking in anything.

Annie ran a strong 3:14:15, not quite up to her usual standards but still a solid performance, good for second in the 45-49 age group. El Fredo also had a strong showing, though not quite to the insanely fast level he set for himself in 2008. His 3:22:00 (off a 1:36 opening half) also placed him second among 60-64-year-olds. Dr. Doug ran an excellent 3:26:02 for third in the same group. He appears to be all the way back from that horrendous ITB injury.

Other Gunkers:

Steve Schindler 3:33:27

Rachel Schabot 3:40:49

Jackie Schiffer 3:43:39

FOGs:

Wayne McDaniel 2:57:21 (3rd place, 45-49)

Brian Hickey 3:11:41 (marathon debut--nice job Brian!)

Spring Sprint 5k @ Shaupeneak

A new addition to the race calendar, the Scenic Hudson Spring Sprint can lay claim to being the toughest 5K in the area. The brainchild of Gunker Jason Taylor, the Spring Sprint covers some wicked, nasty singletrack in the beautiful Shaupeneak Ridge Park, a hidden gem just off Route 9W in Esopus.

A nice Gunk contingent turned out for the inaugural Sprint, with Charlie Gadol leading the way with his third-place overall finish. Paul Muessig followed closely in fifth. Coach Beth outkicked Steve Schallenkamp for 10th overall (and third female).

Gunkers
3. Charlie Gadol 26:21

5. Paul Muessig 27:32

10. Beth Glace 30:38

11. Steve Schallenkamp 30:39

19. Rachel Schabot 35:12

42. Maggie Schoonmaker 46:11

You can view full results here and race photos here.

Kingston Classic: The HEAT is ON!

Damn, it was hot in Kingston for the Classic 10K. The area's premier road race saw unseasonably warm, humid conditions that limited finishes to a record-low number of 418. The winning time of 31:01 was the slowest in at least 10 years.

Top Gunker honors went to road warrior Brian Nagel, who placed 48th in 44:11, good for the win in the 55-59 age group. Pat Lopiano was close behind, placing second in the group in 44:39 (53rd overall).

Other Gunkers:
72. Norman Goluskin 48:06 (1st 70-74)
78. Jason Taylor 48:51
90. Doug Heller 50:14
91. Anne Gullickson 50:15

FOGs
19. Mike Halstead 38:12
20. Robert Muller 39:07
24. Connie Grace 40:09
26. Wayne McDaniel 40:35 (1st 45-49)
37. Mark Wilson 42:00
69. Kristen Hjeltnes 47:48
73. Abidi Bouazza 48:27
101. Winter Eyres 51:13 (1st 20-24)

Boston 2009!

It was a smaller Gunks contingent than last year at the fabled Boston Marathon, but the group's size did not diminish the quality of the performances. One in particular stood out. Kevin Roach, coming off a fantastic 2:57 at New York, set his sights on a PR--and got one, running a brilliant (and palindromic) 2:55:52, a nearly two-minute PR and good for an amazing 58th place in the ultra-competitive 40-49 age group.

Other great performances were turned in by Gunkers Muark Mulpeter (3:15), Rosibel Landau (3:42), and Mary Denitto (an amazing 3:52 at 61 years old!).

Check the Boston website for more information.

Lowe's 5K/Ray's Run

Two mainstays of the early-spring racing calendar, the Lowe's 5K and Ray's Run, attracted the usual slew of solid performances from the Gunkers. Lowe's, in late March, was a hot-spot for New Paltz runners, as Coach Mike Trunkes brought the SUNY team out for their first race of the spring. Mike's athletes took three of the top 5 places in the race, including overall winner Joe Gentsch in 16:58. Mike himself led the Gunkers with his third-place finish in 17:20 (first master). Mendy Taylor ran her first race since sustaining an injury last October, placing third for women in a credible 19:48. Welcome back Mendy! Brian Nagel ran a fine 20:25 to win the 50-59 age group, and Steve Schallenkamp placed third in the same category in 21:22. Complete results can be found here.

Steve co-directed Ray's Run for the umpteenth year, putting on another fine event by all accounts. Gunk participation was limited by volunteering the Boston Marathon, which was run the next day. However, the "exchange" program with the MHRRC that was championed by Steve over the winter paid off, as the Mid-Hudson Runners paid back the Gunkers for their fine showing at Ed Erichson with an excellent turnout. Among Gunkers, Pat Lopiano placed 16th overall, good for third in the 50-59 age group.