ORC Grand Prix runners enjoy Marbletown Run
The annual Marbletown Run, a 2.3-mile point-to-point race on the Fourth of July, got a nice boost this year as the seventh offering in the Onteora Runners Club Grand Prix Series.
The annual Marbletown Run, a 2.3mile point-to-point race on the Fourth of July, got a nice boost this year as the seventh offering in the Onteora Runners Club Grand Prix Series.
Less than a week after completing the sixth race in the series, club members were back at it to claim points with just three races left.
The Marbletown Run, ably organized by Larry Skalla and Bob Johnson, sends runners from the Kripplebush Firehouse to the finish line at the Marbletown Elementary School in Stone Ridge.
Another draw of the race is its 13 different categories that include a division for town runners and the time estimation division.
While full results won’t be available until next Sunday, but here is a recap of the top finishers in each division.
Teenager Logan Linares took first place overall in the open men’s division with a time of 12:33.
He held off John Nolis, winner of the previous GP race, who took second in 12:44.
Ryan McCann was third in 13:43, followed by Chad Duffy in fourth at 14:12 and David Wilhelm in fifth at 14:25.
Renee Darmstadt added another victory to her season in the open women, with a time of 14:57.
Second place went to Caitlin Donovan in 16:13, Jacque Schiffer was third in 16:30, Alex Gruner placed fourth in 17:14 and Kristen Kaczynski was fifth in 17:16. Jason Taylor grabbed the top spot in the senior men at 15:31, followed by Dave Seche in 16:23 and Steve Schallenkamp 16:32.
Carol Dewar led the senior women with a winning time of 17:49, then came Deb Domack in 19:03 and Theresa Baker in 19:20.
In the town men division, Mike Halstead picked up another win at 13:59, just ahead of Caleb Carr in 14:33 and Tony Sakellariou in 15:51.
Caroline Chant was first in the town women in 17:52, chased by Kathleen Laux in 18:11 and Yolanda Wu in 21:50.
Douglas Jelliffe won the men’s walk division in 24:58 and Kim Tegler topped the women’s walkers in 27:44.
In the time estimation division, Max Gruner had the best guess, missing his actual finishing time by just six seconds. Dennis Skalla was close, but was off by 10 seconds.
Lorenzo Platt won the junior boys in 18:26 and Claire Taylor claimed the top spot for the junior girls in 19:14.
Chace Snyder was first in the youth boys at 16:38 and Grace Coonrod won the youth girls in 25:11.
The Grand Prix Series next race, No. 8, is on July 26 at the Kingston Summer Cross Country Series at Williams Lake in Rosendale.
Other Summer Races to Consider
While the two summer cross country series will dominate the local running community over the next six weeks, there are a few other area races for your consideration.
Most people in this area have run a race or two directed by Phil Carducci and he always puts on a top-notch event.
Next Sunday, Carducci will host the Helderberg 5k Run for Domestic Violence Prevention at Voorheesville High in the Albany County town.
The race starts at 9 a.m. and proceeds benefit domestic violence prevention programs in the area.
You can get more details from Carducci by calling him at (518) 8616350 or sending an email to alta5k@yahoo.com.
On July 20, the Gardiner Fire Department hosts its annual Gardiner Classic 5k at 6:30 p.m. at George Majestic Park in Gardiner.
Entry fee is $25 for adults and $10 for kids, with all proceeds benefiting the fire department.
The race travels on a course over the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, and if I remember correctly, there is a delicious post-race barbecue.
Plenty more details can be found by calling (845) 255-5887 or online at www.gardinerfireandrescue.org.
Watch for Dangers on the Trail
In a group Facebook post this week (I won’t name names to protect the innocent), there was a lively discussion about the rail trail, especially the piece on Route 209 in Hurley.
It is summer time and time to remember that we are sharing the trails with nature, and that can mean things like snakes, ticks, bees, horseflies, fast running streams, overgrown roots, misplaced rocks, and the occasion loose dog.
Be safe and be aware while you are out there, and if possible, take a running buddy along in the event of any mishaps or negative interactions with all of the above.
In my opinion, organizers of trails races should, at the very least, have a first aid kit available to address any of these issues that could come up during a race.
Email all race results and information to runerichrun@gmail. com. Follow Eric Houghtaling on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ runerichrun