Getman & Hoebeke Brush With Greatness at the Boilermaker

Chris Getman and Rick Hoebeke had close encounters of the elite kind July 9 at the 23rd annual Utica Boilermaker 15K -- the largest 9.3-mile road race in the United States.

Ithaca's Getman placed 38th among 7,889 finishers, recording a Boilermaker personal best time of 48 minutes, 6 seconds. The 25-year-old architectural designer, employed by Thomas Associates, was sandwiched between Olympic trials marathoner -- rebel-rouser Jerry Lawson, 35th in 47:54; and the 2000 Boston Marathon women's winner, Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, who placed 40th overall and won the women's title in a course-record 48:43.

"I didn't know (Ndereba) was there until I crossed the finished line, and heard the PA announcer saying she was coming with a guaranteed course record," said Getman, who has a 2:37 marathon on his resume, and train 85 miles per week. "I've run where she was right with me (at Philadelphia's Broad Street 10-Miler), and she's incredible.

"And I could see Lawson, and at one point pulled up even with him," said Getman, competing in his 12th Boilermaker. "But I realized he probably was not having his best race, and has had to readjust his goals since the Olympic trials."

Modesty aside, it was a good day at the races. "I was happy with my finish -- it'll keep me hungry," said Getman. "I came away with a good feeling, more focused on racing, with more clarity. I have no excuses not to do well. I set realistic goals, and I'm lucky to have the support of a good coach, friends in the running community and good training partners. I like to run with people who are having a good day; I like to be in a large pack -- not alone. At the Boilermaker, I'll always see people in front of me."

The 51-year-old Hoebeke, of Trumansburg, placed 107th in 53:35, and was outkicked over the last half mile by the legendary Bill Rodgers, who hit the tape 10 seconds ahead in 53:25.

Forget the thrill of seeing the four-time champion of the Boston and New York City marathons whiz by. That brush with greatness cost $100. Rodgers, 52, took second in the men's 50-59 age group and pocketed $200 for his trip back to Sherborn, Mass; Hoebeke, the assistant curator for Cornell University's insect collection, collected $100 for third. Frank Lewis, 52, of Mississauga, Ont., won the age group and $400 with a time of 52:42.

"It was deja vu from '99, when Rodgers beat me by 15 seconds," said Hoebeke, director of the Hartshorne Memorial Masters Mile. "The race went off in an interesting manner with me working hard the first mile. Tom Carter -- another local luminary -- was right there with me, and we squared off the whole way.

"I remember going by Bill in the first mile, and he did not come around me," said Hoebeke, who runs for High Noon. "But between miles eight and nine, it was the same thing as last year. I tried to stay with him for a quarter mile, but I couldn't. He's steady throughout the race, or he's increasing his cadence. (Rodgers) is still do extremely well, and he's extremely talented."

It's always nice when Rodgers already knows your name.

"(At the finish), I introduced myself, and Bill remembered me as a 50-year-old from other races," said Hoebeke. "We discussed who was ahead of us, and we thought maybe we were one-two. But that wasn't the case. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know who Bill Rodgers is, and to finish that close to him -- or be mentioned in the same breath -- is a thrill."

But what is it going to take to beat him?

"He goes out slow, so I need to get more distance on him or be stronger over the last half mile," said Hoebeke, who won the men's 45-49 division in '94. "I have to stay focused in the middle miles, and the last 5K is crucial. I didn't lose on him -- or gain, but I couldn't keep up the pace. Bill can still do the job, but I'll get him one of these years."

Getman, an Illion native who grew up with the Boilermaker almost in his backyard and loves going home to see his family, finished in what he describes as QT"no man's land."QT He was one of a handful of Americans -- others absent preparing for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials -- in the top 50, where most of the front runners hailed from Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa. Nine out of the top ten finishers were from Kenya, with Reuben Cheruiyot No. 1 in 43:04.

"I can't think of a way to describe it," said Getman, bound for the Empire State Games track 10K next week. "Boilermaker is a strange race, with a reputation for having an immense gap between the elite runners and elite Americans, who get scared away. But every year, we are getting closer, and I see it as a challenge. It would be great to see Americans in the mix."

The consensus among runners is that if you make it at the Boilermaker, like Getman and Hoebeke, you can make it anywhere. But it's also a peoples' race, where the last-place runner gets the same cheers as the first across the finish line. If you haven't done it, what's holding you back?

"The elite (international) runners do validate the race," added Getman, who is coaching a beginning runner's group at Courtside. "It's also a difficult situation for the African runners, because not all of them get the prize money either. But they come for pride, because people all over the world know what the Boilermaker means. It has an aura, and it's a common thread that runs through the community."

-- Diane Sherrer