Big Sur Marathon Report

From Jan, who squeezed in a sub-4 hour marathon on a really hilly course (hubbie Rick ran a ~3:45):

Big Sur lived up to its reputation as a beautiful marathon. Runner's World magazine said "if you are only going to do one marathon in a lifetime, do Big Sur". So, we flew there on Saturday, and Sunday morning found us shivering in the redwoods at 6:45 am waiting at the starting line. Someone sang the national anthem, a flock of white doves was released, and off we went.

We ran the first 5 miles in the redwoods, and then the rest along the ragged coast-- the waves crashing down below, gulls flying, spring flowers and grasses waving in the wind. Oh yes, did I mention the wind? It was (and usually is) a headwind for the entire run, peaking around Hurricane Point where it was blowing heavily. And it is a HILLY marathon. Up and down. Not a fast marathon. However, there was a great variety of music about every 3 miles-- from the middle school bands to the reggae singers and their plastic pot plants (at least I thought they were plastic), to the grand piano at Bixby bridge. Over 3,000 runners are in the marathon.

There are other, shorter, races that day also along the highway, so as you near the finish line you converge with everyone else. I was hanging on by my teeth by mile 22 and watching others go whipping by me, wondering if they were in a shorter run. It keeps you humble.

Rick reports he felt like Ryan Hall for the first 8 miles, and then like Ryan's grandma for the last eight.

We flew home Monday, with hopes of returning next year for Big Sur's 25th anniversary.

Run for Your Life 5k Results

I counted 37 runners and a few walkers for the 5th annual Run For Your Life 5k Run/Walk. Between all of the happy volunteers and the great turnout, it made for a wonderful Saturday morning race.








Sue and Brian also have a better collection of the start:
http://picasaweb.google.com/borchers.brian/RunForYourLife#

Below are the results:

Name	Age Group	Time
Julie Aster	8-12	0:27:55
Anastasia Lewark	8-12	0:47:29
Antoinette Lopez	8-12	DQ
Brianne Loya	19-29	0:22:47
Stefanie Azevedo	19-29	0:24:06
Rebecca Galvan	19-29	0:30:34
Katarina Florance	19-29	0:32:18
Kim Shaffer	40-49	0:25:00
Denise Contreras	40-49	0:35:55
Karen Haughness	50-59	0:31:11
Fran Hazlewood	50-59	0:33:51
Rheda Brown	50-59	0:40:58
Addy Bhasker	50-59	DQ
Lynette Napier	60+	0:37:12
Catharine Stewart-Roach	60+	0:40:59

Name	Age Group	Time
Adrian Avalos	7 & Under	0:51:29
Adonis Lazano	8-12	0:31:58
AJ Baca	8-12	0:37:55
David Avalos Jr.	8-12	0:38:01
Richard Lewark	8-12	0:39:50
Juan Gamez	8-12	0:52:34
Sierra Cahall	13-18	0:21:11
Isaiah Vigil	13-18	0:21:11
Sergio Leyba	13-18	0:40:14
Tyler Haughness	19-29	0:18:41
Adam Deller	19-29	0:19:52
Aaron Meurer	19-29	0:21:30
Howard Rios	19-29	0:29:06
Felix Martinez	19-29	DQ
Brian Borchers	40-49	0:22:17
Juan Alvarado	40-49	0:25:54
Robert Cordova	40-49	0:26:15
Robert Abernathy	40-49	0:26:34
Matt Perini	40-49	0:27:29
Pat Contreras	40-49	0:29:01
Dave Finley	60+	0:25:14
Clint Janes	60+	0:33:42
Bill Holmes	60+	0:40:42

Tour of Socorro Article in Mountain Flyer

For a fun take on the 2009 Tour of Socorro, check out Mountain Flyer, an online and print magazine devoted to all things cycling in the Rocky Mountain area.

Tour of Socorro Complete

On Saturday 120 cyclists climbed South Baldy Hill Climb and even more did the Cerrillos del Coyote on Sunday. The results will be posted on the tour website, so stay tuned. All told we had 170 people pre-register with 40 more added by Sunday's start. That is a wonderful turnout!

Congratulations to our participants and especially the winners of each day's races and the Omnium. Finally, thank you VERY much to Camille (director), Mark (official), and everyone who volunteered on either race day and in the days leading up.






Some more photos from the South Baldy Hill Climb are here.

Dave Finley Nearly Wins Stetson Homecoming 5k

If it wasn't for a quiet runner who snuck up on and then passed him with a just a little bit to go, Dave was in the clear to win Stetson's homecoming 5k. Regardless, he still had a great time (24:58) and represented both SSR and the class of '68 quite well in the mid-March race.

http://www2.stetson.edu/alumni/events/homecoming/hc09archive/post_awards.html