Still basking in yesterday’s glow. I’ll wallow in it a while longer. A non running friend that had a vendor booth summed it up best, “Glad I got to see you in your element.”
A lot of people nationally and locally are celebrating the excellence that played out in little Valley, Nebraska and the Twin Rivers YMCA Freedom Run Half Marathon. Zach Hine’s 1:04:48 is the fastest half marathon on Nebraska soil in over 15 years. (The Lincoln Half Marathon results page goes back to 2000, it is at least that long. The event record of 1:04:34 doesn’t list a year or who it was that set it, maybe somebody can give me a tip?)
That is big news locally. Full results at http://onlineraceresults.com/race/view_plain_text.php?race_id=42776 51 finishers in the half, 24 female, 27 male, average time 1:51:24. NRGE mates Mike Wasson, Jimmie Doherty, Stacy Shaw, Tammy Consbruck all ran well with Stacy and Mike picking up some nice masters prize $$. And our mate Jessica Pape took my pre race instructions to heart and ran 1:26:03 for her half debut, boding well for her Des Moines Marathon.
Nationally it is big news because Zach broke the 1:05:00 USA Olympic Marathon Trials standard.
Locally it is big news that he set a Nebraska state record of 1:01:20 for 20 Kilometers en route. Women’s winner Whitney Bevins Lazzara also set a state record for the distance in 1:13:47.
Whitney’s time of 1:17:41 only bested by Suzanne Weeder Einspahr‘s 1:17:15 (2006) and Renee Kruse’s 1:17:12 (2002) and the unidentified 1:15:10 listed on the Lincoln Half course record (again if you know who and when I’d appreciate that info.)
Whitney will be racing Chicago and Zach will be racing New York City. The Big Time.
Both have promised to come back this February for the Two Rivers Twosome Couples Run 10K. With Zach splitting 30:25 and 30:55 through 20K yesterday he has the 10K state record on his list of things to do next winter. I’ll be certifying that course soon, just as flat and fast as our little half.
Charmed Window. Yesterday dawned absolutely perfect for the Freedom Run. No wind, a cool 49 degrees, no humidity. Quite the change from last Friday and today. Maybe the gods had a hand in it.
NRGE’s Amber Sargent ran a controlled 3:02:52 for 2nd overall female at the Sioux Falls Marathon. Perfect tune up for Des Moines. Mate Pete Kostelnick tackled the Superior 100 Mile Trail Race, covering the 103 miles in 29 hours 31 minutes, jeesh. “The most technical trail run I’ve ever seen, rocks and roots the entire way, boulder scrambles and down climbs”, not your typical trail race to be sure. Kyle Clouston ran the accompanying marathon and finished well despite missing nearly a month of training due to heat issues.
Evan Jager set a new American Record in the Steeplechase, 8:04.71. Evan won the 2012 Trials which included a young man that used to run for me, David Adams.
Two other local and venerable races were contested over the weekend. In Omaha Peak Performance’s 10 Mile Peak to Peak was Saturday, http://onlineraceresults.com/race/view_race.php?race_id=42658#racetop 214 finishers, 123 female, 91 male, average time 1:38:10
Yesterday also was the Lincoln Track Club’s 38th Annual Buffalo Run 5 Mile, good competition up top on both men and women’s side. http://onlineraceresults.com/race/view_plain_text.php?race_id=42622 578 finishers, 298 female, 280 male, average time 44:44.
Whitney and Zach spent Saturday getting some Farm Strong on. Both athletes run for Brad Hudson and represent the Saucony Hurricane. New friends made, it was their first trip to Nebraska but not their last.
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