Always some good action on the roads and trails in June. While my eyes and ears were North towards Duluth my heart and butt were at Schramm Park with our mates, and others, doing their Dizzy Goat Busy.
Expected some great racing in the perfect weather at Grandma’s Marathon and the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, and some fast times were delivered. Some of my oldest buddies were tough as nails. I’m getting a little long in the tooth and now there only remains a few elites that I had the pleasure of working with personally.
In the Half: Fernando Cabada (Mr. Fabulous) was 3rd overall in 1:04:22. Clint Verran, 39 (RG2) showed he will be a force shortly by turning in a stellar 1:05:55 for 13th ovreall. On the women’s side 37 year old Dot McMahan has hardly slowed as demonstrated by her 3rd O/A in 1:11:48. Even more impressive to me is 38 year old Blake Russell‘s 1:12:03 for 4th. For the Masters Women, one of my oldest and dearest, Kim Pawalek Brantly turned in a quick 1:20:32 for the win. We go waaay back to when she was our USA Marathon National Champ in the 90s. And yep, her husband Keith Brantly is the same cat that ran the ’96 Olympic Marathon in Atlanta. An amazing 36 females under 1:24:00. Real Racing. *Michael Rathje was the top Nebraska finisher in 1:09:51 (38th).
In the Full: Tracy Lokken (Team Nebraska mate back in ’03 & 04) turned in a fine 2:27:21 at age 48 to win that age group. Jason Zakaras was the first Nebraskan in a 5:00 personal best of 2:34:13. Way to get it Jason.
At yesterday’s Road to Omaha 5K it was left up to the kids again to put on a show, only a single “elite” athlete participating. Joe Harter (15:23) avenged his loss to Seth Hirsch (15:25) from last month’s Boystown 5 Mile. Ashley Miller of Team Nebraska crushed the women’s field in 17:38, good enough for 8th overall, a remnant of excellence in an otherwise glaring dearth of open female talent these days. Nebraska Run Guru Elite athlete Stacy Shaw ran 19:49 for 1st master and 3rd overall. How tough is she? Her mouth is still wired shut from her dreadful fall a couple of weeks ago. Her NRGE mate Roxi Erickson (51) popped a 22:03, good enough for 9th overall and tops in her age group. That placing duplicated by Old Man Craig Christians, 9th, 18:09 as he took the men’s masters title.
Hard ciphering race results from the Hastings Half Marathon. Nathan Jarosik of Edgar, NE supposedly ran 1:03:59 and 2nd place Zach Ridgway of Birmingham, AL was clocked in 1:04:31. If they indeed ran the full and certified distance and hit those times I’ll shave my head at this week’s Wednesday Night Track Work. The only legitimate studworthy time was 50+ Brian Bergt’s (Amherst Flash) 1:29:45. Pedestrian times in the full.
I’ll do a complete recap of the Dizzy Goat races manana, I’m fast approaching my 500 word limit. A lot of good things to say about my first foray into trail culture.
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