Our 60+ men had an acute case of evaporating starters. The registration roll looked stout, but come gun time we had but three 60 runners 60 – 69; all crossed the line. Who would have thunk Dennis O’Donnell, our returned prodigal son of the 5k and marathon, would be our next high card?
Charles Parchment
Photo: Hank Schiffman
Noel Labat-Comess, 41:56 / 78.98% and Charles Parchment, 42:47 / 77.39% (last year 45:08 / 71.69%), both ran brilliantly. But our “would be” third fast scorer was vaporware . Had Dennis, 49:25 / 67.63%, known he was our third scorer, he surely would have been less profligate in his last 3 or 5 or 10 races. But all’s well that ends well. This race proved to be a hard one for our competition as well. We missed first place by one minute and six seconds to Witold’s, who trail us in the team points competition 54 to 42. We could use more fire power in the coming double scored Team Championships.
Meanwhile, our 70+ team finished 4th, with Chip Olsen, 57:30 / 63.61%, Alex Wilkinson, 59:17 / 62.50% and Captain Dave Delano, 66:51 / 55.43%, eight minutes and 22 seconds behind Front Runners. Dave’s effort by cajoling and sweet talking our most senior men to show up with a race bib earned us 8 points in the tally. However, we are out of 3rd place (Front Runners and Flyers tied for it) by 8 point. There is no 4th place on Club Night.
Witnesses
Dennis:
I just had nothing to give today.
I ran one 5K at 7:05 pace. Several others in the 7:20’s. 7:57 today?????!!!
Redemption of sorts: Ran the NYC Cyclones Coney Island 5K this morning.
Ran it at 7:19 pace to finish No. 1 out of 19 in my age group.
My son ran it at 7:09 pace to finish No 4 in his age group.
Maybe I should stop running 10Ks, or train better for them.
More from Dennis on his other races:
I ran the Ridgewood Run on Monday.
I would have placed as No. 3 in my age group, but I let a guy who looked like he was in his 50s surge past me in the last 50m of the race.
Guessed wrong; he was 62, and the result was almost too close to call. But I did not place, all the same:
3.Andrew Zucaro Park Ridge,NJ 62 M 108 882 23:11.01 7:28 69.98%
4.Dennis O’donnell New York,NY 62 M 110 1030 23:13.45 7:28 69.88%
For what it’s worth, I also ran two other 5Ks over the weekend. The first, on Saturday, was a USO-sponsored 5K up and down the Hudson near the Intrepid, where I competed against mostly active-duty Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard runners, to win all age groups above 50 with a 7:05 finish.
The second, on Sunday, was the L’Chaim 5K, a 400-person race sponsored by Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, in which I suffered through a hot and hilly Holliswood course to win my age group with a 7:46 finish.
Per usual, I ran 11 miles to the Saturday race and 13 miles to the Sunday race. Took it easy on the holiday and drove to Ridgewood.
Yes, I am crazy, but I so enjoy summer, it’s hard to resist. I’m in my glory for the moment.
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In other races:
The Italy 5 mile run:
Noel Labat-Comess, 33:53 / 78.04%, 3rd AG
Yasuhiro Makoshi, 37:31 / 73.78%, 4th AG
George Hirsch, 53:53 / 70.81%, 2nd AG
John Kenney spent the day as both race director and runner:
Well, I ran a relatively painful 10k in my hometown race here on Shelter Island: 47:29. I’m nowhere near race-fit. 3rd in AG.
David Blumel, last year’s wunderkind of 60+ at Queens blew away the field at the Philly Pride 5k, taking 9th overall, 19:01 / 85.36%. He is now #3 in our all time master’s list. The next younger runner in the top 10 at Philly was 49.
David:
for a top 10 finish. I went to Philly thinking it would be flat. One big hill and the last mile was gradual uphill. Good but not great run, for my first real race of the year. Probably my last-ever top 10 finish. Ha. Heading back to train for the Team Champs now.