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FLRC Newsletter - December 2004 |
| Interlaken Steeple Chase 5K | |
This year’s Interlaken Steeple Chase 5K started off very much like last year: The race field doubled on race day morning, the air was cool and crisp, and once again we were fortunate to be serenaded at the start line by Dave Unland on tuba. He impeccably performed the national anthem and then “First Call” (the traditional tune to signal the start of a horse race).
The finish line crew then hustled to the finish line and began to wait, and eagerly look down the road to catch a glimpse of the lead runner. Then the whispers began. “Is it?” “I think it is…” “Is that a--?” Yes, indeed. It was a woman! Barb Wells of Ithaca was our overall winner, and top woman finisher with a time of 20:50. David Jones (Interlaken) and Steve Shaum (Newfield) battled it out neck and neck at the finish to come in second (21:14) and third (21:15) respectively. Mr. Jones took home an additional prize because he was the first Interlaken resident to cross the finish line. Thomas Williams (Ithaca) was the third place male finisher with a time of 21:52.
Ann Brewer (Trumansburg; 22:09) got to add a second steeple to her collection: she was our second place female finisher last year as well. Another Trumansburg resident, Nancy Kleinrock, (22:27) won third place in the women’s division. The top three men and women finishers received beautiful steeple-shaped trophies, handmade by church member Al Ganoung. Al’s granddaughter, Kari Ruiz, once again provided a classy graphic design for our race T-shirt, this time rendered in deep cranberry, with antique-white print.
Inside the church, finishers feasted on homemade soups, stews, fresh fruit, and baked goodies. After all, any participant who completes the grueling 5K around the church block deserves refueling! (No, we didn’t get around to using a bulldozer to level the hill, as one runner suggested last year.) Many runners who participated last year vowed to return this fall—simply because of the fabulous food! We were pleased to see quite a few familiar faces, and new ones, too.
One face new to the running scene was Anna Danner, age 7. She did a great job, and won an age group award, along with big sister Sarah Danner, age 11.
We also had another first at the Steeple Chase: a participant crossed the finish line asleep! Granted, it was one-year-old Larsson Wing, pushed in a stroller by mom Maureen Callahan-Wing.
I am so pleased with the area businesses that supported the race and provided us with awesome prizes to offer to our first place winners in each age group. One participant looked at the display of prizes, and said, “Wow! It looks like Christmas!” We had gift certificates from area restaurants, bird food wreaths and feeders, photo-shadow boxes, and CDs to name a few. For coming in “right in the middle of the pack”, our mid-pack winner Melissa Brechner took home two boxes of yummy doughnut middles (doughnut holes)! Sweet success!
Our Steeple Chase 5K was a success, and I am grateful to all the participants and volunteers who made our “sophomore year” go just as smoothly as our first. One runner asked, “I see that you are getting close to meeting your fundraising goal. Does that mean that the Steeple Chase won’t be ‘on’ next fall?”
Au contraire; we are getting so much positive feedback that I think a lot of folks would be disappointed if we didn’t. So—the race for the steeple is on! And maybe we’ll have some new spires gracing the crisp autumn skyline by then!
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