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FLRC Newsletter - Mar 2004 |
| Egle and Kennedy Win Hartshorne Mile Elite Titles | |
It was strength versus speed for the men, and a strategic chess game for the women in the elite invitational races Jan. 24 at the 37th annual Hartshorne Memorial Masters Mile held at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
Mike Egle of Des Plaines, Ill., an 800-meter and mile
specialist, won his first Hartshorne elite men's title in 4:21.74,
defeating long-distance cross country and road race standout Steve Boyd,
of Kingston, Ontario, who placed second in 4:24.47.
Egle won a prize purse of $300 for the victory, and a performance bonus of $400 for breaking the 4:26 barrier.
Men's Section II Start, Hartshorne Mile (Photo by Adam Engst)
Two-time Hartshorne Mile runner-up Tom Dalton, 44, of Schenectady placed third in 4:31.81.
In the elite women's race, earmarked by tactics -- not time, Karen Kennedy, 45, of Portland, Ontario won her first women's elite title in 5:37.26, and earned an equal prize purse of $300 for the victory.
Suzanne Myette, 46, of Endicott placed second in 5:37.68, aand Kingston, Ontario's Agathe Nicholson, 43, was third in 5:38.58.
But in the men's elite mile, the 42-year-old Egle, a WAVA Games (world masters championships) silver medalist in the 800- and 1,500-meters, closely trailed Boyd for five laps. Dalton stayed close to the duo for four laps. Designated pace-setter Scott Weeks, the Groton High School track and cross country coach, pulled Egle and Boyd through the half in 2:09.
"I felt really good out there the first quarter, and the rabbit (Weeks) did an excellent job," said Egle, who competes for Fleet Feet Racing of Chicago. "I asked Scott for a 2:08 or 2:09, and he hit that perfectly for me. That keeps the race honest, because win or lose, you'll at least get a good time."
Egle tried to pass Boyd twice, but the first time Boyd blocked the move.
"I tried to hold him off, by staying in the inside lane and keeping my line," said Boyd, 40, who in 2003 ran the Canadian 10K cross country nationals in 31:00, and claimed the Syracuse Festival of Races 5K masters title in 14:51. "I haven't run an indoor mile in 17 years, so it was a bit of a shock in the first lap how awkward and how badly I felt. I had no rhythm at all, and had to muscle my way around the track. When Mike did go by, he had tons more left than I did."
With three laps to go and still in second, Egle searched for another gear.
"I tried to get around Steve once, and he wouldn't let me go," Egle said. "The second time, it was do or die. I switched to yet another gear, and got about 10 to 15 yards on him. With a half lap to go, I started to tighten up, but maintained the lead. If you take second place, it's a wasted trip. So, I had to get first. It's a big gamble."
"I was flat today compared to last year when I had a couple of other track races under my belt," said Dalton, a former USATF masters cross country runner of the year. "I wasn't comfortable between 600- and 800 meters, and in the mile you have to be comfortable at least through 1,000 meters. Those two guys up front were running really strong, especially Mike. He has the leg speed for the shorter stuff, and I'm a little stronger on the longer stuff."
"It was the track guy versus the cross country guy," said Boyd, who won $150 for second place. "And, the track guy won, which is predictable."
The elite women's race was anything but
predictable. With so much parity in performance among the top-seeded
women, the lead changed numerous times, with runners moving up and down
the line like pieces on a chess board.
Women's elite race starting line, Hartshorne Mile (photo by Adam
Engst)
"The time is slower than I had hoped for, but I've learned you race for time or you race to win," said Kennedy, third in 2003 and second in 2002. "I was happy to follow for six laps, then when I went through the half in 2:53, I knew strategically I had to go soon because a couple of the Ontario girls had good kicks."
Myette, who was fourth in 2003, also had a lethal kick. She stayed back with Kennedy while the others traded places, surging forward or falling back as some were swallowed up by sneak attacks.
"I thought this race was going to be a math race, based on calculations that you have to do a certain time per lap split," said Myette, a standout in track, road and cross country. "But once we got going, it turned into a race. We kept changing places, and I kept saying to myself, 'Stay up front.'"
Myette was then passed by Kennedy, Nicholson and Patti Ford of Lafayette, N.Y., who owns the American record in the mile for women ages 45 to 49. But Ford lost ground after her bold move, while Myette, beginning on the fifth lap, moved hard in pursuit of Kennedy, and passed Nicholson and Ford to regain her position. Kennedy was less than a second ahead at the finish.
"I pushed it, and kept pushing to get enough lead where I wouldn't be outkicked in the final 100 meters," said Kennedy, who attacked with 600 meters to go. "To come here and finally win it is awesome."
"I was trying to keep Karen in my sights, and when some ladies went ahead of me, I thought, 'That's OK. Just get going, find your rhythm, do your best and on the last lap kick it in,'" added Nicholson, who is coached by Steve Boyd. "I'm happy with third."
"It was like being a spectator in a chess game, watching people make their moves," Myette said. "When Patti went by me, I woke up and told myself it was time to get into the game. It absolutely wasn't my fastest race, but I've never enjoyed the mile more."
Among notable age-group performances, Frank Moore, 81, of Ithaca, N.Y. clocked a time of 7:17.98.
Rick Hoebeke, Hartshorne Mile organizer
(photo by Adam Engst)
Meet director Rick Hoebeke created the inaugural Charlie McMullen Memorial Award to honor the three-time Hartshorne Mile winner, from Rochester, N.Y. who died at the age of 52 in August after a long battle with cancer.
The McMullen award was given to the male who ran the fastest non-elite race mile time. This year's recipient was 48-year-old Fred Kitzrow of Delmar, N.Y., who finished the masters mile in 4:55.73.
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