Yumi Ogita has painted the park orange this fall. Since the team championships in August, Yumi has knocked out a streak of three consecutive faster races, all in the mid 80% range. At the Marathon Kickoff today, she ran a 52-week age-graded percentage PR, with a very strong 84.6% (31:31). She was the fastest CPTC woman in the race at any age, sixth overall, and won her age group by around three minutes.
Joining the elite national class 80% club for the first time was 57-year-old Chris Neuhoff. I feel like a voyeur when I look at a team member’s NYRRC race history, but sometimes it helps put an exclamation point on an achievement. In Chris’ case, he has been running NYRRC races for 12 years, and this is the first time he has hit the 80% mark. Even better, he is running just as fast now as he did as a 45-year old. So congratulations, and let’s hope for more.
While Yumi and Chris were the only PR setters today, Yasuhiro Makoshi (83.1%, 30:50) won his age group for the second race in a row. Peter Allen was the fastest CPTCer today of any age and finished third in his age group. Tom Phillips continued a very busy month of racing with a second place in his age group and the highest age-graded percent of any CPTCer today (85%) – the third time he has done so this year.
Moving north, CPTC has scored some age group wins up in VCP the past few weeks. Devon already offered some coverage of the orangish harriers already, but wins are wins and if they get mentioned twice that’s ok.
The October 19 race provided more hardware than the October 12 race, including a tight age group win for Tom Phillips, just squeaking it out by 6 seconds. Melvyn Stafford returned to the circuit after several months with a win in the 40-44 age group, which appears to be his first age group win in a NYRRC event. Congratulations! Sid Howard had no such breakthrough, winning his age group for the seventh time in ten races.
Tom supplied the only gold in the October 12 race, with another win in the 50-55, this time by several minutes.
dgreenb300@aol.com