HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Now go answer the door!

BITE THE BIG APPLE

More than 42,000 will be lining up in seven Staten Island corrals tomorrow for the start of the 40^th ING New York City Marathon. Those touring the five Burroughs the fastest will be eligible for part of the more than $800,000 purse.

Good luck to those locals lucky enough to get the nod to join the start including Robert Alkire, Cindy Bishop, left, James Croft, Kira Juranek, Sara Kurth, Kevin Litt, Tegan Litt, Anne-Marie Logan, Gina Rall, Shane Streufert, Melissa Walsh, Scott Wilmont.

Pro men’s entry list and bios, including defending champ Marilson Gomes dos Santos, at http://www.nycmarathon.org/pro_men.htm and women’s, including defending champion, Paula Radcliffe, at http://www.nycmarathon.org/pro_women.htm

Can’t join the more than two million spectators in the City? Follow the race live between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. at www.universalsports.com or look for the race wrap-up on NBC stations from 2 p.m. until 4.

SMASHING PUMPKINS

This year’s Pumpkins in the Park 5K on the evening of Oct. 30 had all the makings of a fun, family event. Taylor Park in Cocoa Village was festively decorated; lots of folks showed up in costumes; the temperatures had backed off a bit and included a bit of a freshening breeze off the Indian River and plenty of excited spectators lined the finish area; some enjoying pizza and cocktails in front of Ryan’s. Yup, it could have been a great race except for one little thing….

Gremlins apparently gobbled the race results.

The top three guys to first receive OA awards were not the top three who actually crossed the line first and it all trickled down from there.  Turns out the race organizers, Junior League of Central and North Brevard, used a different timing company this year. Whether it was the JL or the timing company -- someone decided the race would probably cap out near 400 and rented just that number of chips. Problem was that more than 600 registered and ‘plan B’ included hand-timing the folks finishing without chips and writing down their numbers and times. 

As one of television’s hokiest shrinks would ask “how did that work for you?”

Awards were eventually given out, but in the end there were still athletes who weren’t showing up in the results and others wondering if their times were correct. 

What we know for sure is that 19-year-old Ryan Oates, top left, who graduated from Rockledge High in June, and Ceal Muldoon-Walker, bottom left, who coaches cross country and teaches art at Cocoa Beach High, were the overall male and female winners. Sadly we don’t have times. Huge congrats to both of them and everyone else who did their best last night.

Final results and times should eventually be posted by the timing company at http://www.steepletiming.com/

SILVER PINEAPPLES

Next time you see someone from the Melbourne Beach Rotary, let them know how much you appreciate all they have done for the multisport community. The 2010 Rotary Pineapple Man Triathlon will celebrate its 25^th anniversary and Race Director, Don Riordan, and the race team are already working hard to ensure a really memorable event for the silver anniversary.

Contrary to what was reported in a local newspaper on Oct. 19, the 2010 race will not be part of the Surf Coast Trifecta, a new series of three triathlons announced earlier this month by promoter Mitch Varnes.

“It was premature to name the Rotary Pineapple Man as part of the Trifecta,” said Riordan in an email. “2010 will be the 25^th year for RPM, and being that it’s the Silver Anniversary…we want it to stand alone in its celebrity and not be wrapped up in a whole new branded activity.”

Look for details of the race that launched Brevard triathlon at http://rotarypineappleman.org/

COOTCHIE COOTER?

What the heck is a cooter? I guess you have to do the Great American Cooter Triathlon at Wallace Brooks Park in Inverness to find out. Or maybe ask some of those locals who completed the quarter-mile swim; 12-mile bike and three-mile run on Oct. 25.

Congrats to our new Cootermen and Cooterwomen Stephan Clark, 1:07:08; William Czagas, 1:15:10; Barry Clinger, 1:19:03; Bill Farina, 1:18:34; Laura Farina, 2^nd overall, 1^st 25-29, 1:07:27; Rick Gaskins, 1:25:38; John Jacobs, 1^st novice, 1:03:52; Meg Lieth, 1:37:05; Thomas Opalewski, 1:30:20; Graham Partain, 1^st 35-39, 1:02:10; Joe Marcinek, 1:05:38; Veronica Sim, 2^nd 40-44, 1:15:14.

Special props to Thong Man, Kevin Grogan, who not only ruled the course again this year but also busted out a new record of 54-flat. Cooter Thong Man, anyone? (How many races did he win this season? We've lost count! Cooter Thong Man photo, above, shamelessly stolen from www.KevinGrogan.com

Complete race results at http://www.drcsports.com/races/tricoot/res09.shtml and lots of info about the Inverness Cooter festival, including the Miss Cooter contest, at  http://www.cooterfestival.com/

OOH RAH!

There is almost no better way to see the sights in D.C. and Arlington than by running the Marine Corp Marathon - the country’s fifth largest 26.2-mile event. Because it offers neither prize money nor appearance fees for elites, the race is known as ‘the people’s marathon’. On Oct. 25, Marines handed finishers’ medals to 21,000 participants who crossed the finish line near the Iwo Jima Memorial.

It seemed fitting that a member of the armed services - Naval Lieutenant Commander John Mentzer - led the throng, finishing more than three minutes ahead of the field in two hours, twenty-one minutes and 47 seconds. It was the first marathon for the new father who is stationed in Kittey, Maine.

A special ‘thumbs up’ to Palm Bay’s Dave Hernandez, (left, after receiving age group Space Coast Runners Runner of the Year award for the 2008-09 season) who ran and walked the race with his 72-year-old father, Don, who was going for the finish of his first-ever marathon. What an inspiring lesson to all of us that we’re never too fast to help someone else along the journey or that we’re never too old to begin our own trip.

Other locals who also finished included Kevin Allen, 4:55:09; David Barnes, 6:22:31; Bruce Barnett, 4:30:18; Diana Burton, 4:58:49; Denise Canina, 4:39:49; Amy Clamons, 3:57:14; Richard Dunlap, 5:17:17; Monique Delauter, 5:24:02; Paul Fontenrose, 3:34:29; Jeff Ferris, 4:57:22; Elizabeth Gmerek, 5:55:43; Gary Ganiban, 4:11:13; Lindsay Graham, 4:03:43; Gary Ganiban, 4:11:13; Lindsay Graham, 4:03:43; Dave Hernandez, 7:02:56; Don Hernandez, 6:20:41; Don Hernandez, Sr., 7:02:56; Joy Hunkins, 6:32:55; Wendy Handy, 4:54:42; Tory Jordan, 4:52:15; Ken Kerstetter, 5:22:20; Stephen Luedtke, 3:45:18; Andrew Maxwell, 4:34:40; Mike Mos, 4:09:09; Charlotte McClure, 5:03:14; John Noll, 6:32:55; Abraham Oros, 4:35:08; Joanne Ratcliffe, 6:23:10; Alex Stachowiak, 4:32:23; Chris Sands, 5:31:31; Sandra Stevens, 6:35:59; Jeff Zipperer, 4:43:54; Susan Zipperer, 6:14:40.

Those from Brevard who completed the corresponding 10K included Arthur Beller, 1:40:38; Matt Bixler, 1:30:52; Sarah Clamons, 1:01:50; Patrick Dunne, 49:45; William Graham, 1:00:45; Linda Lopardo, 1:33:22, Kathy Mos, 1:09:49.

Congrats to all. Complete results at http://results.active.com/pages/page.jsp?eventID=1658195

GHOSTS IN EAU GALLIE

You gotta love it when some of our more, ahem, mature runners show the rest of the field how it’s done. And that’s what happened on the evening of Oct. 24 as Melbourne’s Doug Butler (left, Barry Jones photo) bested more than 800 finishers at the inaugural Ghostly Gecko 5K in old Eau Gallie. The 46-year-old coach and teacher -- who has also long been Brevard’s preeminent male runner -- took the win in 17 minutes and 10 seconds just one second ahead of West Melbourne’s John Davis.

“John was right on my heels,” said Butler who coaches, among many, the dynamic duo of Davis and Satellite Beaches Steve Chin. “The goal was to help him and Steve try and get under 17:00. They both will when the temperatures drop and we get a cold race.”

Butler started feeling the humidity and pace after hitting the second mile in 11:02 and told Davis to go ahead for the sub-17.  But, with 26 years of hard-fought and multiple wins behind him, it wasn’t so easy to let his younger competitor go.

“He got about 10 yards on me and I was able to suck it up and make a last ditch effort and get him in the last 100,” Butler said. “(That) might be the last race the teacher beats the student. I’m just trying to stay healthy and hang on.”

Davis earned second with his 17:11 and Chin pulled in for third at 17:21. Titusville’s Frank Kapr, 41, took Masters (40+) in 18:49.

In the ladies race, 24-year-old Jessica Crate (left, Barry Jones photo), who is training for her first marathon with Davis and Chin, walloped the rest of the women with her win of 18:09, also good enough for ninth place overall. Palm Bay’s Tracy ‘T-Sizzle’ Smith crossed the line in 19:38 for second and Melbourne’s Meredith Van Veen, 24, took third in 19:46. Fifty-year-old flight attendant, Karen Minor, nailed Masters in 20:04. (Special congrats to T-Sizzle’s dad, who completed his first-ever race!)

The Ghostly Gecko was race number three in the six-race Running Zone Race Series and proceeds will benefit the City of Melbourne Leisure Services.

Complete results are at http://running-zone.com/event_results and check out the great race shots by TriHokie’s Barry Jones for Running Zone at

http://www.trihokie.com/gallery/10094575_pJWH6#692936820_vuoZc

STAYING UP LATE

Not content with finishing just one Oct. 24 race, John Davis, Steve Chin and Cathy Chapman hit the line of the 6:30 p.m. Ghostly Gecko 5K in Melbourne -- with Davis and Chin taking second and third overall respectively -- jumped in their cars and sped to Orlando for the 10:30 p.m. start of Disney’s Tower of Terror 13K.  The 8.1-mile race was started in 2007 to celebrate the 13^th anniversary of Disney’s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Part of the allure of the race is the late-night start, midnight awards and post-race party with open rides until 2 a.m. Sadly, this was the last year the event is planned to be held.  Congrats to all local finishers including (below l to r: Pat Mckee, Linda Mckee, Cedric Ching):

CHERYL AVENA , 1:36:00; DANNY BARRETT , 3^rd 45-49, 52:59:00 JANICE BECK , 2:00:45; KUANG YU BERES , 1:35:33; STEVEN BERES , 1:21:49; CYNDI BERGS , 1:57:19; MARK BERGS , 1:57:17; DOROTHY BOURLIER, 1^st, 50-54, 1:10:13; SHARON BRESSER, 1:28:26; TRACIE BURNS, 2:15:25; CATHY CHAPMAN , 1:40:55; STEVE  CHIN ,2^nd 40-44, 49:21:00; CEDRIC CHING , 1:15:53; MELANIE  CLEGG , 1:44:25; ED CLOAK , 1:27:03; CHRISTI CURTIS , 1:30:16; DONNA DAVIS, 1:06:41; JOHN DAVIS , 1^st 30-34,  48:41:00; MICHAEL DRAPER , 54:44:00; ANN  EHLER, 1:09:14; RANDY FARNER , 58:56:00; JOSEE FORTIN , 1:14:29; JANICE  GAGNIER , 1:51:51; CHARIS GAINES , 1:23:25; JIM GERARD , 2:07:14; STEVEN GILLIS , 1:34:57; KELLY GORMAN, 1:58:06; JORDEN HALSTEAD, 1:00:43; KATHRYN HERMAN, 2:04:03; COLLETTE HEUSINKVELD, 2:00:57; KEN HILL, 1:22:58; SUE HOYT, 1:16:13; KELLY HUNTER, 1:18:10; PATRICIA JOHNSON, 1:24:35; CHRISTEY KRAUSE, 1:21:29; HARRIS KRAUSE, 54:44:00; TANYA  KUELBS , 1:52:40; SERENA LEDIG, 1:27:46; RYAN LOMBROIA, 1:24:23; TERRI  LOVELACE , 1:09:56; KIRSTEN MCDOUNOUGH,  2:01:07; LINDA  MCKEE,  1:34:15; PAT MCKEE,  1:34:15; GARY MEIER,  1:31:03; PAM MEIER, OA Master (40+),  1:01:19; AIMEE MOLINEAUX  1:25:4 SUSAN MOLINEAUX , 2:17:27; ROSE  MYERS,  1:27:51; DIANNE ORTT , 1:42:35; DAVID POPE , 1:57:21; ERMIN RAMISCAL , 1:15:05; RACHEL RAYBURN , 1:33:47; JAMES ROEDER , 1:11:17; TIM ROONEY , 1:25:30; DAMARIS SARRIA , 1:15:15; AMY SCHELL , 2:05:18; JOHN SCHMIDT , 1:51:51; JOSEPH SMITH , 1:20:21; TIMOTHY SMITH , 1:29:14; JAYNA  SNYDER  1:35:19; LAYLA SNYDER  1:20:55; MARCELLA SOLOMON , 1:42:09; DAVID STARK  1:33:35; GARY STUTTE  1:02:49; NANCY TILLEY ,1:26:49; MATTHEW VAN DEN DRIESSCHE, 1:20:40; JENNIFER VAN DEN DRIESSCHE , 2:02:01; JOE WEHLEN , 1:24:58; DOROTHY WELLS, 1:22:20; JASON WHITE, 1:14:26; TERESA WILLIAMS, 1:22:20; JENNIFER YOUNG , 2:01:07.

DO IT FOR THE KIDS!

Seems like when the economy goes south, crime goes up and, sadly, child abuse is no exception. Since 1981 the Dick Batchelor 5K Run for the Children has raised more than $1,000,000 to help support our youngest victims and help increase awareness of their often undisclosed plight. Even with last year’s recession, the race that was started by Florida Representative, Dick Batchelor, donated more than $50,000 to the Howard Phillips Center for Abused Children, a part of the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.

Congrats to the 1,100 walkers and runners who came out for the Lake Eola event on Oct. 24. Brevard locals who competed included Ken Flieder, 33:01; Jessica Kriewaldt, 45:34; Jim Kriewaldt, 49:15; Joanne Kriewaldt, 45:41; Tara Lakin, 29:35; Leah Ivey, 49:09; Nancy Rowan, 26:19; Erin Rutenler, 34:42; Sharon Smith, 31:25; Patti Spoerle, 2^nd 45-49, 23:44; Jayne Wilkerson, 28:14; Karen Wysocki, 29:51.

Check out this 2007 Growing Bolder video on the race. There is quite a lot of smack-talk by some of Florida’s Grand Masters runners! http://growingbolder.com/media/living/volunteering/run-for-the-children-479437.html#content_tabs

140.6 IS TOUGH STUFF

No matter what ya call it, racing 140.6 miles is tough stuff. It’s kind of a shame that independent races can now get slapped if they use the term ‘Ironman’ to describe their 2.4-mile swims, 112 mile bikes and 26.2-mile runs. The Great Floridian is such an event. Established by Fred Sommer 19 years ago in Clermont, the race was the first IM distance in Florida and athletes came from all over the US to test their mettle on the course that is often described as ‘sadistic’ and ‘surprising’. Very few people expect what the weather and the un-Floridalike course throws their way.  Whether WTC owns the race or not, those who go the distance still deserve the title ‘Ironman’.

Congrats to Melbourne Beaches Brian LaJoie, left, who finished ninth overall in the insanely hot and humid Great Floridian on Oct. 24 and first in the 30-34 age group with his time of 11 hours, thirty-seven minutes and 10 seconds. This year’s brutal race made it hard to retain salt and electrolytes and probably saw record numbers walking on the run.

Happy anniversary to Matt and Joan Mahoney, who were married at the finish line of the 1993 Great Floridian after Matt finished the race in 14:18 and Joan in 17:30.

Congrats, also, to LaJoies wife, Sage (left), who took fourth overall in the corresponding short course race (1.2-mile swim, 38-mile bike and 15K run) in 3:52:34. LaJoie was joined on the podium by Melbourne’s Pam Maxwell who took Masters in 4:00:21 and Joseph Von Edwins, who placed third in the 20-24 division.

Both the LaJoies competed at Coeur d’Alene in August with Brian finishing in 10:44:40 and Sage taking sixth in the 30-34 age group in 11:38:28.  Sage also won the women’s division of the Great Floridian - her first Iron-distance event - in 2007 in 11:17:50. Both of the LaJoies and Maxwell have qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater next month.

WE ARE FAMILY-I GOT ALL MY SISTERS AND ME

More than 200 women lined the shores of Lake Mary Jane on Oct. 24 to participate in the 4^th Orlando Women’s Triathlon Festival. Buttar.com offered the ladies their choice of a semi Olympic-distance (.93/21.6/5.5); sprint-distance (.5/12.4/2.8) My First Tri (.25/12.4/2.8) and an Aqua-bike (.93/21.6)

Congrats to all who participated including Olympic distance finisher Christy Zieres, 2^nd 45-49, 2:32:35; Olympic Aqua Bike finishers Kathy Bryant, 1^st OA, 1:33:42; Sue Stidham, 1:43:44. Sprint distance finishers Bridget Beitel, 1:38:42; Melissa Evziere, 1:22:21; Carrie Fast, 1:31:40; Susan Goodman, 1^st 55-59, 1:24:31; Jamie Guth, 3^rd 25-29, 1:19:41; Joy Hess, 1^st 30-34, 1:16:17; Nicole Kurschat, 2^nd 25-29, 1:19:36; Kathy Lawler, 1:37:26; Kara Marcinek, 1:35:38. My First Tri finishers Aimee Asher, 2^nd 30-34, 1:18:16; Anthea Atkinson, 1^st 45-49, 1:20:52; Vanessa Dance, 1:45:28; Susan Ivey, 1:56:22; Casey Orlando, 1^st 14 & under, 1:29:03.

And, on Oct. 18, about 19,000 women, as well as a few gents, competed in the Nike Women’s Marathon and Half Marathon in San Francisco. The race partners with Team-in-Training and this year alone, more than $14,000,000 was raised in the fight against cancer. (Above left, Marisa Flint and Sharon Gillette at the start of the Nike event, photo courtesy Sharon Gillette)

Liz Plosser’s race blog about the expo and finish (never mind the spectacular views on the race course) will give you an idea why this race closes out in just a couple of days after Nike opens registration in March.

“…It’s an expotique! Taking over Union Square in the heart of SF were the red and white tents of the race expo. Every participant wandered through in order to pick up her timing chip and race number. In keeping with the girl-power vibe, the expo featured uber-feminine bells and whistles. There were manicures. Smoothies. Chocolate samples. It was girl heaven. Across the street at the mega Niketown, runners were drinking more of the Nike Kool-Aid. In a tiny font, the names of every runner racing on Sunday, October 18 took over a massive window.

Just beyond the finish line arch, there were firemen. Wearing tuxedos. Smilingly offering every runner turquoise Tiffany boxes. (Yes, I’m serious.) Inside, I found the race medal—a silver necklace from Tiffany with the Nike swoosh and etched with the words “Run Like a Girl.” It was the kind of race (and bling) that made you very happy to be one.”(photo, left, courtesy Sharon Gillette)

Congrats to local marathon finishers Barry Birdwell, 6:14:21; Marisa Flint, 4:45:00; Hatice Foell, 4:35:11, Pamela Peters, 4:45:41 and half marathon finishers (yes, they got the necklace too) Michelle Birdwell, 2:58:17, Sharon Gillete, whose bum knee forced her to walk, 3:21:05 and Marla Rhodes, 3:06:21.

Read Plosser’s entire blog at Time Out Chicago at:

http://www3.timeoutny.com/chicago/blog/out-and-about/author/lbaker/

TWO-TIMING CHIN

Congrats to Steve Chin on his repeat win at the Second Annual  Witch Way 5K in Indialantic on Oct. 17.  Running only three years now and charging with Brevard's best, Chin beat his 2008 course record by 11 seconds as he crossed this year's line in 17:43.

COMING UP:

Saturday: Witch Way 5K, 7:30 a.m., Nance Park, Indialantic Info and registration at http://mattmahoney.net/tmp/09witch.pdf

Saturday: Cycling Tour of KSC/CCAFS - sold out at 500 participants

Saturday: Nike 26.2, Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco; lots of local TNT participants. Complete info at http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikerunning_events-en_US/?tags=nike_womens_marathon

Sunday: 3^rd annual Ride 4 aBreast to benefit the Cancer Care Foundation. 100 percent of the proceeds earmarked for breast cancer patients. Ride 12, 28, or 42 miles.  Info and registration at http://spacecoastvelosport.com/downloads/RFAB_09.pdf

Sunday: Free long runs from Riverfront Park (Harrison St.) in Cocoa Village. Runners leave at 6:30 a.m. and head out-and-back along Indian River Drive -- the same course as the Space Coast Half Marathon.  Water and Gatorade are provided at no charge by Space Coast Runners at miles two and four on the way out and same spots on way back. All distances/paces welcome. Contact Linda Cowart at landclearing@bellsouth.net for more info.

RIDING FOWARD

CONGRATS to the newly elected Space Coast Velo Sport (SCVS) Officers. Leading the 2010 charge will be President-elect Tom Hoffman supported by Vice President Keith Cook; Treasurer and Secretary Geri Egan; Membership Coordinator, Laura Blackwood; Sponsorship Coordinator and Director Sportif, Terry Crovo and Advocacy Coordinator, Rob Downey.  Not a member? Check out the benefits of belonging to the club at www.spacecoastvelosport.com

JUST WHEN YOU THINK IT WON’T END…

It’s been a long season for cyclists competing in the Florida Points Series. 2009 issued a challenging combination of 30-plus races including time trials, road races, and criteriums staged throughout the state from early February through mid-October.

Last weekend, Jos Chalmers, left, was awarded the State Championship Time Trial (15-18 division) jersey as well as his trophies for finishing second in the Junior 15-16 division of the Florida Points Series and second in the Florida State Cup.  Oh, and don’t forget that after a week at a training development camp in June, the Holy Trinity sophomore whose interim GPA is currently a 4.1, blew the field away in North Carolina to take the State Road Racing Championship (15-18 division) on June 13.

Kudos also to Phil Moore who, with only four races under his belt, finished 6^th in Cat 5; Gary Stern, State Time Trial Championship, Masters 35+; Anselm Teather who took first in the Junior 10-12 and Anselm’s brother, Christian, who placed fourth in the Junior 13-14.

HOW FAR IN THIS HEAT?

Although the Withlacoochee forest was named one of the "10 Coolest Places in North America" by the World Wildlife Fund, the temperatures at the John Holmes 50K and 16-mile trail run on Oct. 11 were anything but.

“At the 7:00 AM start it was 74 degrees F with a dew point of 72 degrees,” said 50K competitor Jim Schroeder. “The high was 90 F, dew point 78 and mostly sunny with a heat index of 105 in the shade. Most people were still running in the hottest part of the day.”

Luckily the pine and scrub offered some protective shade and gentle footing.

“The trails are peaceful with copious pine cones to kick and pines needles to soften the footing,” said Schroeder. “Much of the course is hilly too, a nice change from running in Brevard County.”

Brevard locals represented the county well and 50K finishers included Stu Gleman, 7:50:34; Matt Mahoney, 2^nd 50-59, 5:21:33; Joe Ninke, 3^rd OA, above left, 1^st 40-49, 4:43:57; Drew Peterson, 6:25:32; Jim Schroeder, 2^nd 60-69, 6:12:31.

In the 16-miler, Jessica Crate, Steve Chin and John Davis finished 2^nd, third and 4^th overall respectively with one second between each of them. Crate, left, who won overall female, went 2:03:50; Chin scored Masters in 2:03:51 and Davis took the 30-39 division with his 2:03:52 -- there was no second or third overall trophies awarded. Other local 16-miler finishers included Chi Cam, 3:03:10 and Autumn Evans, 2:23:32.

GREAT PAY IF YOU CAN GET IT

Beating out a field of 45,000 at the Oct. 11 Chicago Marathon meant a healthy payday for Kenya’s Sammy Wanjiru, left. The reigning 2008 Olympic marathon champ not only earned $75,000 for his 2:05:41 victory but he was awarded an additional $100K for beating the course record -- by one second -- set by Khalid Khannouchi in 1991. And, if that wasn’t enough, Wanjiru’s victory also sewed up the top spot in the World Marathon Majors Championship giving him an extra half million to play with.  In the ladies race, Russian Liliya Shobuknova, who scored third overall in her London Marathon debut this year, took the top spot and $75,000 with her 2:28:50.

Chicago’s chilly temperatures combined with consistent training in Florida’s heat also helped four locals snag their Boston qualifiers including Sarah Guttery, BQ, 3:26:18; Juan Perez, BQ, 3:24:03; James Shaffer, BQ, 3:18:28, left training with his furry, three-legged friend, Fred; Angela Wells, BQ, 3:26:23.

Other Brevard locals who completed the windy city race included Naweed Akram, 4:04:11; Greg Aker, 3:55:04; Kate Davis, 4:45:54; Kyle Durr, 4:21:27; Eric Mcintyre, 5:18:26; Everette Martin, 6:22:12; Lindsay Roseland, 5:11:33; Chris Sorensen, 5:27:15.

LAST CALL

More than 100 locals joined a throng of 4,000+ on Oct. 11 for the 7 a.m. fireworks that kicked off the Race for the Taste 10K at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Athletes ran a point-to-point course that took them through Hollywood Studios and Epcot before crossing the finish line and being treated to a small taste of the delights being offered at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. Sadly, for many, this was the last year Disney will offer this race.  Locals who received the special finisher’s medal included JANET BAINBRIDGE, 1:32:44; DARLEEN BARFIELD, 1:07:08; DANNY BARRETT, 42:12:00; SEAN BLACK, 41:47:00; JOHN BLACK, 1:13:45; JULIA BLACK , 1:13:45; JOHN BOEHMER, 1:23:31; RYAN BOEHMER, 58:51:00; JO-ANNE BOLAND, 1:01:24; BRIAN BRIDENBECKER, 1:09:18; ROBERT BRUCKART, 1:22:11; LISA BURK, 1:08:30; BETSY BUTLER, 58:16:00; ASHLEY BYRNE, 59:44:00; KATHY CAMICK, 48:50:00; CEDRIC CHING, 54:48:00; ED CLOAK, 1:09:00; GERALD COX, 1:13:22; MARGUERITE COX,1:26:47; CHRISTI CURTIS, 1:10:57; GABRIELLA DANCE, 1:32:07; VANESSA DANCE, 1:32:08; CATHERINE DAVIS, 1:27:57; ELIZABETH DAVIS , 1:21:56; LESLIE DAVIS, 1:41:42; RACHEL DAVIS, 1:41:44; VICTORIA DAVIS, 1:21:56; CHERYL DAY, 1:37:38; WALTER DAY, 1:06:48; ALAN DIAMOND, 55:39:00; STEPHANIE   1:22:38; JENNIFER FAIRBANK, 1:02:31; MIKE FAIRBANK, 1:02:31; AMY FARNER, 1:35:28; MARK FIELDS, 1:04:44; BILL FLOYD, 1:14:18; LYNNDA FLOYD, 1:46:27; JOSEE FORTIN, 59:42:00; CINDY GAFFNEY, 1:01:19; MICHAEL GAFFNEY, 54:13:00; SANDRA GARCEAU, 1:25:57; ALEX GASPARD, 1:27:41; RUSS GASPARD, 1:28:51; SANDI GASPARD, 1:28:51; STEVEN GILLIS, 1:17:47; JULIE GLOVER, 1:19:43; RENE HARDEE, 1:38:04; SHERRY HEARD, 1:19:30; LEEANNE HEROLD, 1:20:07; RYAN HEROLD, 1:14:22; CHRISTOPHER HILL, 48:14:00; NYLA HILL, 1:19:15; KEN HILL, 1:04:30; SUSAN HOUTS, 1:07:27; SUE HOYT, 1:01:40; BILL HUDKINS, 54:29:00; KARRAH HUDKINS, 1:18:22; MITCHELL HUGHES, 1:05:27; MARK JACKSON, 43:35:00; DEBRA JOHANSEN, 49:22:00; ASHLEY JOHNSON, 53:11:00; MORRIS JOHNSON, above left, 1:15:47; DANA KELLER, 1:35:15; CHRISTINA KOPP, 1:24:44; BRIAN KURINSKY, 59:45:00; TARA LAKIN, 1:09:00; THOMAS LASKO, 1:28:14; SERENA LEDIG, 1:07:37; CHRISTOPHER LOINES, 44:58:00; SHARON LOINES, 1:30:49; TOM LOOMIS, 1:20:10; ADAM MARSHALL, 1:00:06; CHARLOTTE MCCLURE, 54:51:00; SALLY MEMMOTT, 1:01:20; JENNIFER MIRENDA, 1:38:03; ANNE MITCHELL, 1:19:24; JOHN MITCHELL, 1:11:24; HEATHER MITCHELL, 1:24:04; AIMEE MOLINEAUX, 1:08:40; SUSAN MOLINEAUX, 1:45:03; ROSE MYERS, 1:11:31; ALLI NEVIN, 56:35:00; TERESSA NGUYEN, 1:14:50; DIANNE ORTT, 1:25:16; CORY PATRICK, 1:07:43; NOEMI PEREZ, 1:27:55; DAVID POPE, 1:28:20; LAUREN PRICE, 1:09:22; RICK RAMNATH, 50:08:00; ANNE RAMSEY, 1:24:44; MARTHA RANSOM, 1:24:04; BETH RIEDER, 59:05:00; JOHN RINGENBERG, 56:39:00; JIM RINGROSE, 1:24:44; HEATHER ROGERS, 1:11:38; TIM ROONEY, 1:01:31; SEAN ROSELL, 1:07:42; JILLIAN ROTHEN, 1:19:43; JAMIE SANCARTIER, 50:28:00; TINA SCHANTZ-GROSS, 1:21:14;AMY SCHELL, 1:29:58; LEW SCHWARTZ, 1:07:39; CHRISTINE SEDLOCK, 1:12:49; ANGELA SHOE, 1:04:05; TIMOTHY SMITH, 1:12:49; JOSHUA SMITH, 1:22:44; JOANN SOMMERS, 1:38:40; SUE STIDHAM, 1:18:28; GAIL TAGLIAFERRO, 1:20:20; CANDY THOMAS, 1:19:47; MATTHEW VAN DEN DRIESSCHE, 1:02:28; JENNIFER VAN DEN DRIESSCHE, 1:35:58; CHRIS WATERMAN, 1:14:53; DEBORAH WEAVER, 1:37:39; JOE WEHLEN, 1:05:21; MICHAEL WILKES, 1:03:49; SHARI WILLIAMS, 1:07:34; TAMMY WILLIAMS, 1:22:29; LORI WILLOUGHBY, 1:26:38; DEBORAH YARBROUGH, 1:38:41; KEITH YARBROUGH, 1:22:28; CYNTHIA YOUNGBLOOD, 1:49:12; DOUGLAS YOUNGBLOOD, 1:06:32; MICHELLE ZEPPIERI, 1:08:21.

HEALTH FIRST RESULTS CORRECTED: CHRIS SEINKNER, SUE MATSCHNER SPRINT VICTORS

A huge CONGRATS to all who participated in yesterday’s Health First Triathlons. Pacing and hydration became key concerns as yesterday’s brutal heat and humidity presented the very real threat of heat exhaustion.

Race organizers did an excellent job with course and traffic support. A huge ‘thumbs up’ to all who volunteered their time to ensure a safe and memorable race for each athlete.
What could have been near-perfect race execution was marred by the numbers of questions that came up about the accuracy of the race results. Chips were lost in the swim, other’s times were missing all together -- including the women’s Olympic 50-54 division. And there was still uncertainty about who really won both the men’s and women’s sprint races.

“There were issues with people swapping back and forth between the sprint and the Olympic distance without bib numbers or chips getting changed,” said race director, Chris Moling, of DRC Sports, the company that provided the timing. “We knew there were some problems after the awards got started. We should have stopped and asked for more time to sort things out and then announce the correct results.”

Moling and his crew were super responsive to making sure everything was corrected post-race. DRC is the same crew that put on the excellent Atlantic Coast half ironman up in Amelia Island last weekend and they are sincere about doing the best they can by and for the athletes. This is one of those ‘stuff happens’ things that no one likes and no one likes being responsible for….but it happens and we all move on.

Congrats to Indian Harbour Beaches Chris Seinkner, 41, left, and Merritt Island’s Sue Matschner, 43, upper left, who were overlooked yesterday as the 2009 Health First sprint champs. Seinkner, a father of two and an Air Force pararescue, became a three-time HF sprint tri champ as he hit the line for the victory yesterday  in 1:06:53.  Matschner, a pharmacist and mother of one, moved up two notches from last year's third place overall to this year's 1:16:05 top spot.

Trophies will be sorted out and Denise Piercy at Running Zone said there would be no problem giving Seinkner and Matschner gift certificates for new shoes - a winner’s perk.

Congrats, again, to our local Olympic-distance champ, Ed Donner. The six-time Ironman who has only been in the sport three years, grabbed the win yesterday in 2:21:21.

Congrats, also, to Team Goddess, the all 40+ women's team of Christy Zieres (swim), Sue Daily (bike), Nancy Buonanni (run), who cruised through the Olympic relay division in 2:33:07. Sadly, all men's, women's and co-ed teams were lumped together, so the groovy goddesses had to settle for second behind the male team Triple Threat, who finished in 2:31:01.

Check out the now complete and correct results at http://www.drcsports.com/races/healthfirst/res09.shtml

Also enjoy Ken Horton's photos from the race at http://icunphotos.com/pics/run091011/index.php

BE A BUDDY

Maybe you’re doing the Health First Tri or Race for the Taste 10K on Sunday and want something a little more laid back tomorrow.

Suzie Enlow suggested the Brevard Buddy Walk to benefit Down Syndrome. Registration kicks off at 8 a.m. at Riverfront Park in Cocoa Village and the 9 a.m. start will take participants out-and-back along south Rockledge Drive. A $15 donation gets you a t-shirt, lunch and most-importantly, a chance to help out some really special kids and their families. For complete info and an entry form, log on to

http://www.fedsofbrevard.org/Resources/2009BuddyWalkBrochFinal.pdf 

BUT WHY IS THE RACE NAMED AFTER A PORN STAR?

There are few spectators on this course unless you include the curious eyes of some of Mother Nature’s furry and hopefully friendly  family. Water stops are bring-your-own or serve-yourself-style as you check off another lap. With few exceptions, there is only the abundant scrub and long leaf pine to cheer or -- depending on the heat and where your head is at -- mock you.

Welcome to the John Holmes 50K Trail Run and 16-Mile fun run that kicks off tomorrow in the Withlacoochee State Forest, northeast of Brooksville.

“It is a beautiful course, but is rather hilly,” said ultra-runner Jim Schroeder, who has cruised this course and its Croom’s Fool 50-mile cousin a few times. (That's Jim at left at this year's Fool's 50) “The race is run entirely on the north side which is the hilly side, approximately four, eight-mile loops.

Schroeder, a Wickham Trails regular, will be lining up at 7 a.m. with other locals Stu Gleman,  race director of the Ancient Oaks 100-miler; ultra, ultra runner Matt Mahoney, left who finished this race fifth overall last year in 5:05:02 and is the director of the crazy 100- and 200-mile Wickham Park ‘fun run’ and Cape Canaveral’s Drew Peterson.

Those who will be taking off an hour later to start the 16-miler include Chi Cam, Steve Chin, Jay Claybaugh, Jessica Crate, John Davis and Autumn Evans. Chin, Crate and Davis are using the race as a training run for their first marathon in Dec. in Vegas.

Check out the video below of last year’s Holmes race. Gotta love the laid back start and some of the comments made by the runners including “is this still one loop? we’ll be out here for eight hours,” as well as the grunts and groans of folks slogging their way up a really steep, short hill.  At about six minutes and 55 seconds into the video, look for Kristen Dea grinning at the camera. Kristen, who is now pregnant with her and husband Jon’s first child, won the women’s 30-39 age group last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXAR_WUlcsA

Wanna read about some super hard core ultra running adventures? Check out Matt Mahoney's site at http://www.mattmahoney.net/

ON THE TUBE

Pete Carabetta reminded us that the Versus Network will be showing back-to-back triathlon on Sunday afternoon. At 3 p.m., the station will air the 2009 St. Anthony's O-distance triathlon; followed at 3:30 by a show on St. Croix 70.3.  Nice way to veg!

ARE YOU IN?
Check out tomorrow’s advance and Monday’s post-race coverage at www.floridatoday.com of this year’s Health First Triathlon. Look to see who is registered for the closed out sprint and O-distance races by clicking the link at the right!

THE AC WORKS AGAIN!

According to the Weather Channel, heat should be the least of the challenges for the ~45,000 participants from 50 states and 100 countries participating in the 32nd Chicago Marathon on Oct. 11. The race, which is part of the seven-race World Marathon Majors Series, moved the starting time back half an hour to 7:30 a.m. this year after record highs forced them to pull the plug at about the three-hour mark in ’07. One man died and at least 49 runners were taken to hospitals because of heat-related ailments; hundreds more were treated on site. Last year’s race was also considered warm but highs topped out near 80 -- about 10 degrees cooler than the previous year’s fiasco.

This year’s current forecast should make organizers and many athletes happy as temps are expected to only top out near 50 degrees on race day. With a huge pack of elites and a purse worth $450,000, this could be an extra exciting event for distance buffs. Morocco’s Abderrahim Goumri and Kenya’s Vincent Kipruto hold the fastest PRs of 2:05:30 and 2:05:47, respectively, in the men’s race. In the ladies field, USA favorite Deena Kastor and Germany’s Irinia Mikitenko are the only two with sub-2:20s under their race belts.

Locals also making the trek to the air-conditioned north for the race include Naweed Akram, John Andrews, Greg Aker, Kate Davis, Kyle Durr, Sarah Guttery, Eric Mcintrye, Everett Martin, Juan Perez, Lindsay Roseland, James Shaffer, Chris Sorensen, Dustin Whitehead, Angela Wells.

You can follow the race live on-line on Sunday at www.universalsports.com and also track your favorite runners and their splits along the course at www.chicagomarathon.com

END-OF-SEASON BOOST

This time of year, it’s hard to keep stoked about multisport as our Florida season is such a long and toasty one. Get your groove back this week at www.ironman.com as journalists, race officials and pros weigh in daily on who’s who and what’s going on at Kona’s Big Dance - known also as the Hawaiian Ironman World Championship -- on Sat., Sept. 10. The same site will also provide live race-day coverage.  Get some!

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Even though Cypress Gardens has been closed down, the final and championship event of the eight-race Family Fitness Weekend sprint tri Series will kick off Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. in the lake made famous for its ski shows. Locals Rob Downey and Garry Branch will be racing the 600-yard swim; 10-mile bike through Winter Haven and a 5K through the now defunct yet beautiful and decades-old park.

Branch is hoping to hold on to his 2^nd place ranking in the 45-49 division and Downey merely has to ‘just finish’ to retain his top spot in the 55-59 age group. After grabbing the goods for the tri-gods, Downey will head back to Brevard where he is registered for the Health First Sprint Tri the following day.

A SAFER RIDE

Tom Hoffman, veteran club member and kick-butt runner and triathlete will be teaching a class called Traffic Skills 101. With the increase of traffic on local roads and the mindless texting and twittering of those behind the wheel, some extra knowledge could be a life-saver. The class consists of nine hours of instruction held over two days and is designed for beginner-intermediate cyclists.  Topics include bicycle safety, basic bike maintenance and flat tire repair, riding in traffic and vehicular safety, and bike handling skills and crash avoidance techniques.

The class runs from 6 until 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16 and continues the following day from 8 until 3 p.m. Both sessions will take place at the Melbourne Pro-Health and Fitness Center. Only 10 spots are available and cost is $25 per person. Contact Tom, an LAB certified Instructor, for more info or to sign up at thoffman11@cfl.rr.com

AMELIA ISLAND ACCOLADES

Next year at this time, we’ll have a choice of five half ironman or 70.3-distances to choose from: Florida Challenge; Augusta 70.3; Miami 70.3; Miami Man and the Atlantic Coast Triathlon on beautiful Amelia Island. From all reports, the latter seems to be the best bet for those looking for a low key, laid back, very well run non-M dot course with a shady run.

Now in its second year, the flat and fast course -- that starts with a swim in the Atlantic -- provided a plethora of personal bests for participants on Sat., Oct. 3. Leading the charge from Brevard was Indialantic’s Bob Cooper who won the men’s 50-54 division in 5:09:18. Bob’s victory was hugely inspiring as it had been more than a decade since one of Brevard athlete’s favorite orthopedics (left-Bob at work) had been unable to run due to issues with his own back. Cooper took the ag win with a 30:42 1.2-mile swim; 2:32:50 or 22 mile per hour bike and a 2:01:10 (9:15 per mile average) half marathon.

Merritt Island’s Nancy Buonanni (left, 2008 Get Up & Go 10K, Rick Andrews photo) had the second fastest local race and her 5:18:52 gave her second Masters (40+). Nancy popped out a 41:07 swim; then averaged 20.3 on the bike and finished it off with her running prowess with a 1:48:43 half marathon.

“Everything fell into place,” said Buonnani, who credited her improved cycling skills to the ladies ‘A-team’ ride championed by Shelley Christian and Sue Daly. “The swim was peaceful; there were big, wide shoulder and good traffic control on the bike and the run was beautiful, mostly shady.”

Congrats to all locals who finished including Kelly Aleman, 2^nd 40-44, 6:03:21; Bill Buonanni, 6:27:45; Nancy Buonanni, 2^nd Master (40+), (left) 5:18:52;  Rachelle Butler, 7:01:14; Alisha Causey, 7:29:43; Jackie Clifton, 3^rd Master, 5:30:05; Bob Cooper, 1^st 50-54, 5:09:18; Suzanne Coullias, 6:28:47; David Daly, 5:42:20; Melanie Elkhorn, 6:35:43; David Friedland, 5:49:00; Patti Hamilton, 6:42:01; Belinda Jorgenson, 6:57:07; Lisa Mangino-Friedland, 7:38:34; Ana McQueary,7:01:08;  Liz Parker, 8:44:12; Richard Ricant, 3^rd 55-59, 5:57:06; Loran Serwin, 6:01:27; Eric Turner, 5:57:58; Christy Zieres, 2^nd Athena, 6:17:56.

NOW BRING US OUR DAIQUIRIS, DAMNIT!

Normally the waters on Siesta Key are calm and clear, but race day chop and minimal buoys made swimming and sighting difficult for those competing in the Siesta Key in Sarasota for the 2009 Daiquiri Deck Tropical Splash open water 1K, 3K and 5K open water swim on Oct. 3.

Congrats to local finishers Kathy Bryant, 3^rd 45-49, 1:16:53, second from left; Kelly Hunter, 2^nd 40-44, 1:33:40, left; Mike Rochelle, 1:24:52, center; Sue Stidham, 2^nd 45-49, 1:15:36, right,  and Teresa Williams, 1:22:27, second from right.

The following morning, both Kelly Hunter and Teresa Williams joined about 500 others lining up on the beach for the 25^th annual Siesta Key triathlon. Awards went five deep, allowing Kelly to bring home fifth place hardware for her 1:31:06 finish. Teresa also returned to Brevard with an award for 2^nd Athena with her 1:36:37 race.