This is always a very congenial race, and this year was no exception. Low key, but very well run. No problems. Weather was fine (high 70s and a little humid), but of course drier and 20 degrees cooler would have produced better times -- for me anyway. But warm is nice for standing around afterwards and talking -- a nice feature of this race especially.

A little sobering to note from the results that I was the oldest person in the race, by quite a bit (except for 88 year old Bruce Robal--I wonder why he didn't get an award, especially with the surely world record time of 18:16!). But I suppose I will have to get used to that :-) Bob Betzler was the only other 60+. He was in front of me for the first 2 miles and probably caused me to run harder than I might have otherwise. Passed him at the second water stop coming out of Stewart Park (he stopped, I didn't) and pulled away some in the last mile. Finished in 21:48, a little better than I expected in the heat, but it would have been nice to cut off 10 secs and finish under a 7 minute pace. Still in the top half of the finishers tho.

Fun to see the kids run in this race, and some of them are pretty fast. Marty Kintner (10 and the son of Paul who is in the office next to mine) led all but 14 year old Jeff Abbot (who was 25th in 19:34). Marty (24:15) beat his father for the first time this year, but was not too far ahead of tiny Emily Lockett, 11 (24:30). Youngest finisher was only 8.

Thanks to all the organizers and helpers, who did their usual great job.

Don