Lukas V. Runs 3:59.1 at Main St. Mile

Lukas Verzbicas, 18, of Orland Park, no stranger to people who follow running locally and nationally, breezed to victory in the mostly downhill Foot Mechanics Main Street Mile in St. Charles on Monday with a 3:59.1. A distant second was Moses Waweru, 33, of Sun Prairie, WI, who won the Soldier Field 10-mile on Saturday, and just might not have been at full speed. He ran a 4:05.4. Shawn Lucas , 27, was third with a 4:10.1. Mason Cathey, 29, was the fastest woman in 4:37.3. Next was Kelly Whitley, 18, in 4:52.3, and third in the elite wave was Mariana Trejo , age unknown, in 5:10.01. A woman named Michelle Gagnard, listed as 50 years old, ran a 4:42.3 in the age-group division.

It's Hird, Hopper at Elgin 10-Miler

Like the Ridge Run and Tower Trot, this was No. 34 for the Elgin Valley Fox Trot 10-mile. Monday's heat and humidity didn't stop a field of 682 finishers in the 10-mile and 878 in the accompanying 5K. Taking the 10, which includes some good hills and nice views of the Fox River, was Nick Hird, 27, from the Quad Cities area. He ran a 53:03. Second was Emisael Favela, 34, of Cicero, in 55:21, and third was garnered by Joshua Bland, 24, in 55:55. In the women's competition, Amanda Hopper, 26, won it in 1:04:07. Runner-up was a neighbor of mine, Alyson Fosnot, 20, of Villa Park, in 1:06:16. Third went to Jennifer Sagat, 29, in 1:06:50. In the 5K, Kyle Brady, 22, of Naperville, well-known to me from his win last year at the 4 on the 4th, took the victory in 15:29. Women's winneer was Lydla Wong, 22, in 19:04.

Montes, Giuliano Best Balanced at Ridge Run

Summer arrived with heat, humidity and a ton of runners on Monday morning for the 34th annual Ridge Run in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood. The 10K went off at 8 a.m. and Mark Fruin, 25, of Elmhurst, took the win with a 32:17. Close behind was Ryan Giuliano, 26, of Schaumburg, with a 32:26 one week after he won the Galena Triathlon. Third went to Matthew Morse, 23, of Putnam, in 33:59. Columba Montes, 32, of Chicago, won the women's 10K in 39:01. Meg Sullivan, 31, of Oak Park, and very well-known through her work for CARA, was second in 40:10, and Kristen Heckert, 24, of Sugar Grove, was third in 41:32. Then at 9:30, the 5K runners, lined up. Included were many of the 10K runners. Emil Bojanov, 26, of Chicago, too overall honors with a nice 15:46. Second, as he was in the 10K, was Giuliano with a 15:55. Third went to Jack Keelan, 16, of LaGrange Park, in 16:19. Kathryn Hague, 23, of Chicago (Beverly), was female champ in 18:05. Montes was second in 18:55, and Jacqui Aubert, 25, of Crystal Lake, was third in 18:57. Based on her 1-2 finishes and his 2-2 finishes, Montes and Giuliano had the best overall combined finishes. 10K winner Fruin came back with a 17:09 in the 5K, good for sixth place. 5K women's winner hague did not run the 10K. There 898 finishers in the 10K and 1,668 in the 5K, many of them repeat customers.

Tower Trot a Family Affair in 5K

The Tower Trot, one of Chicagoland's long-standing Memorial Day weekend races, had a mother-and-son win in the 5K division on Saturday. Mom, Lisa Menninger, 46, of La Grange Park, won in 19:43, while son, Alex Lyons, 20, took the men's race in 16:51. Second and third females in the 5K were Angela Kidd, 34, of Naperville, in 20:12, and Nicole Finn, 12, of Western Springs, in 21:17. Second and third men were Jack Hostettler, 20, in 17:01, and Daniel Dziubski, 27, in 17:58. At the Tower Trot, you can run both races. In the 10K, run before the 5K, Hostettler won in 34:24 with Lyons taking second in 35:15. John Gervase, 48, was third in 37:23. Way to go, John (Mr. Xtreme 10 founder)! Samantha Kirkham-Iteld, 35, of Hinsdale, won the female 10K in 41:38. Runner-up was Lauren McCarthy, 29, of Westchester, in 43:35, and third went to Noriko Valenta, 50, of La Grange Park, in 45:44. At this point, I don't have the "Double winners."

Waweru, Ring Win Soldier Field 10

First off, I salute Fleet Feet Sports and its volunteers for a superb Soldier Field 10 Mile on Saturday. This race was well-organized and done with precision and patriotism. As a Vietnam-era veteran (I was not in combat), it was great to take some time for a Memorial Day weekend salute to members of the military, past and present, before we began our run. The race itself was run in great temperatures but high humidity. Still, for the most part, people were running good times, even PRs in a lot of cases.
There was no four-peat for Jeff Jonaitis. Moses Waweru, 33, of Sun Prairie, WI, came down to the Windy City and won in an excellent time of 49:41. He had to go that fast to beat runner-up Jordan Horwitz, 24, of Evanston, who came in at 49:59. Charles Gillespie, 23, of Wilmette, was third in 50:29; big-race regular Chad Ware, 26, of Deerfield, last year's CARA Male Runner of the Year, was fourth in 50:51; and Matt Flaherty, 25, of Chicago, was fifth in 51:54. Jonaitis, 30, of Tinley Park, winner of this race the previous three years, was 10th this time in a good time of 53:26.
In the women's race, Shannon Ring, 28, of Belvidere, won in 59:24. She told me after the race that she held 5:58 pace through seven miles and then picked it up lowering her average per mile by a second. Second went to Jean Marinangeli, 27, of Schaumbug, still running great a season after earning honors as CARA's Female Runner of the Year. She ran a 1:02:01. Pamela Staton, 24, of Chicago, took third in 1:02:20, masters marathoner Ann Schaefers-Coles, 46, of Cary, continued to show her comeback is for real as she grabbed fourth in 1:03:28, and Jill Czarnick, 22, of Chicago, another local powerhouse, placed fifth in 1:03:39. If you look below, you can see that runners 6-10 on both sides werealso very strong. Meanwhile, for the rest of us, it was a fun morning no matter what. For me personally, things were going great for about 3.9 miles. Then my right calf seized up and in a rare occurrence, I was forced to pull out and walk. I made the best of it and watched much of the race as I walked back to Soldier Field. Congrats to all who ran, walked and volunteered. Here are the full lists of the top 10 men and women
MEN
1 MOSES WAWERU 14745 33 M3034 SUN PRAIRIE WI 49:41 4:58
2 JORDAN HORWITZ 3420 24 M2024 EVANSTON IL 49:59 5:00
3 CHAS GILLESPIE 26 23 M2024 WILMETTE IL 50:29 5:03
4 CHAD WARE 2 26 M2529 DEERFIELD IL 50:51 5:06
5 MATT FLAHERTY 25 25 M2529 CHICAGO IL 51:54 5:12
6 JAMES AKITA 7 30 M3034 ELMHURST IL 52:07 5:13
7 JACEK KAFEL 36 35 M3539 RIVER FOREST IL 52:33 5:16
8 MATT BLUME 22 29 M2529 CHICAGO IL 52:35 5:16
9 JOSH YELSEY 4191 28 M2529 CHICAGO IL 53:01 5:19
10 JEFF JONAITIS 1 30 M3034 TINLEY PARK IL 53:26 5:21

WOMEN

1 SHANNON RING 28 F2529 BELVIDERE IL 59:24 5:57
2 JEAN MARINANGELI 27 F2529 SCHAUMBURG IL 1:02:01 6:13
3 PAMELA STATON 24 F2024 CHICAGO IL 1:02:20 6:14
4 ANN SCHAEFERS-COLES 46 F4549 CARY IL 1:03:28 6:21
5 JILL CZARNIK 22 F2024 CHICAGO IL 1:03:39 6:22
6 SANYA SYRSTAD 45 F4549 GLEN ELLYN IL 1:03:50 6:23
7 SHANNON JAVARAS 36 F3539 PALOS PARK IL 1:04:02 6:25
8 HEATHER SWINK 38 F3539 CHICAGO IL 1:04:13 6:26
9 PATRICIA LOUGHLIN 24 F2024 CHICAGO IL 1:04:35 6:28
10 LAUREN OSBORNE 27 F2529 SAINT PAUL MN 1:04:57 6:30

My Heart Goes Out to Family of Ralph Nosal

As you might have heard, Ralph Nosal, 61, of Elk Grove Village, collapsed during the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge 3.5-miler on Thursday night and was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital around 8:30 p.m. This was a very sad and tragic occurrence on a night when more than 23,000 people participated. My condolences go out to the family and friends of Ralph Nosal.

Will Jonaitis Try for Four-peat?

I don't have access to who is entered in the Soldier Field 10-miler on Saturday, but if Jeff Jonaitis of Tinley Park is on the starting line, he'll be gunning for his fourth consecutive victory in this classy CARA Runners Choice Circuit event on the lakefront. Although she didn't win last year, another three-time winner is Jessica Langford of Rockford. Good luck to both . . . if they are running! National elite Katie McGregor won last year. She races in Chicago from time to time, including the 2008 4 on the 4th in Elmhurst. Race time for the Soldier Field 10 is 7:30 a.m. with a registered field of close to 15,000. Getting there, getting race numbers and getting to a porta-pottie will be challenges as big as the run itself. It's a great one and organizers deserve some kudos. Also on tap this weekend are other long-standing events worthy of mentions. They include the Tower Trot 5K-10K Saturday in Western Springs, the Ridge Run 5K-10K in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood on Monday and the Elgin Valley Fox Trot 10-miler on Monday. Many other lesser-known events make this a big running weekend. People spend a lot of time putting these events together. If you can, get out and run one of them!

Verzbicas Takes Aim at Sub-4 Monday in St. Charles

Lukas Verzbicas, 18, the high school phenom from Sandburg High in Orland Park, will run in the Foot Mechanics Memorial Day Main Street Mile on Monday in St. Charles. Lukas broke four minutes last year, and according to race organizers, he wants to go even lower this time. Last year, he was second with a 3:56.88, losing to Richard Kandie, then 25, of Minnesota, who ran a 3:53.70! The women's winning time was 4:34. You don't have to be in Lukas' speed category to enter this community-family event. There are elite, high school, grade school and open divisions for males and females. Registration is still open. Check out www.footmechanicsmile.com for all the details.
In the meantime, directly from race organizers, here are some fresh takes on the event:
*New this year: runners with dogs have their own wave (very few races like this in Chicagoland)
*Introducing our 2011 Soul Surfer Award (“The Lexi”) recipients: Wheaton Christian Academy senior Lexi Youngberg, an amputee who just returned to the soccer field, as well as world-class triathlete from Geneva High School Kevin McDowell, who is battling cancer. .
*Also new this year is the Colonial Challenge, which will showcase the running rivalry between dueling high schools, St. Charles East vs. St. Charles North. Winners get a Colonial Kitchen Sink and bragging rights until next year.
*Up for grabs are awards for the Pet Pals Top Dog as well as the Zimmerman Ford Fastest Miler, which allows all runners from all waves to compete in an age-graded field. There is also a cash bounty for the fastest elite runner who can beat the course record.

Giuliano Wins Galena Triathlon

I don't cover a lot of triathlons on this blog, but as a follower of the sport, I couldn't help but smile when I saw that Ryan Giuliano, a well-known local runner, came out on top today at the Galena Triathlon. The event consists of a 660-yard swim, 16.8-mile bike ride and 4.3-mile run. From what I see, they held the swim as the water reached the magic 60-degree mark just in time. Giuliano, 27, of Schaumburg, did the swim in 9:02, the bike ride in 41:39 and the run in 22:29. Adding in his transition times, he won in 1:15:00. Mike Lavery, 26, of Madison, WI, was second in 1:17:42, and Dan Litwora, 36, or Chicago -- also a strong runner -- was third in 1:18:50. Christine Anderson, 29, of Boulder, CO, was the women's winner with a 1:28:02. Adrienne Shields,32, of Chicago, was second in 1:30:33, and Karin Langer, 34, of Chicago, was third in 1:34:39. Some good friends did well, including some age-group titles. There were at least 697 finishers. Way to go! In the duathlon (2-mile run, 16.8-mile bike ride, 4.3-mile run), 187 people finished with Tim Petrie, 32, of Fond du Lac, WI, winning in 1:26:34. Katie Iserman, 30, of Chicago was women's "du" champ in 1:40:31. I haven't done a triathlon or duathlon in a few years. I need to get back into it. Believe it or not, I was one of the "original 50" at the first Muncie (IN) Endurathon in 1980. Those were the days.

Catching Up: Cinco de Miler 5M

I've been out of town a lot and have had limited Internet access from time to time. At any rate, I didn't want to skip the Cinco de Miler 5-mile race on May 7. RAM Racing really did a nice job with 2,557 finishers in the race along the lakefront south of Soldier Field. Jason Ream, 29, of Chicago, was the victor in 26:44. Second was taken by Matthew Jeromin, 30, of Roselle, in 27:17, and third went to Larry Coons, 28, of Chicago, in 27:54. The women's competition was won by Cari Knapp, 27, of Chicago, in 31:01. Emily Inskeep, 28, of Chicago was second in 31:58, and Sarah Szefi, 25, of Chicago, was third in 32:34. There were some big names scattered through the age-group results in this race. If you're looking for more fun and one less mile, c'mon out to the Community Bank of Elmhurst 4 on the 4th on July 4! Check out www.4on4th.com. And speaking of Soldier Field, I'll be there next weekend for the Fleet Feet Soldier Field 10-miler.

Green Bay Was a 26.35

Organizers of the Cellcom Green bay Marathon acknowledged on Monday that the course was mismarked, resulting in about 800 extra feet. It happened early in the course, and according to reports, people running with GPS devices noticed the problem right away. People who just missed qualifying for Boston will be accommodated with adjusted times according to television reports in Green Bay. This race is extremely well-organized and thoughtful toward runners. Yes, this is a major surprise, but don't expect it to happen again. You might remember that 27.2 Lakefront Marathon in Chicago a few years back. Don't even try to compare the two. Green Bay is a class event.

Dubow, Neale Win Debut Chicagoland

The first Chicagoland Spring Marathon and Half-Marathon came off on Sunday with 237 going the full 26.2 and 552 finishing the half. The course started in Schaumburg and included many miles in Busse Woods. From reports I've seen, it was windy, cold and rainy. Jordan Dubow, 33, won the full marathon in 2:43:30.7, with Monika Neale, 28, winning the women's title in 3:27:15. Runner-up male was Rasmus Porsgaard in 2:44:15, with third going to Todd Gill, 37, in 3:04:18. Second-place woman was Catherine Diaz, 32, in 3:27:47 (close race), and third was taken by Katy Evert, 25, in 3:35:42. In the half, victory went to Greg Castady, 37, in 1:18:34, and Susan King ,33, in 1:34:25. Hometowns weren't readily available. Sorry about that.

Report from Race Results Weekly: Wanjiru Dies

Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru dead at 24

By David Monti, Race Results Weekly

Olympic Marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya has died, apparently from a fall from a balcony at his home. The news was reported to Race Results Weekly in a telephone call by Shadrack Biwott, the former University of Oregon Duck who had spoken to his brother, marathoner Duncan Kibet, in Kenya.

"He jumped out of a balcony and they tried to revive him, but he didn't make it," said Biwott.

Federico Rosa, Wanjiru's manager, confirmed his client's death via a text message. No other details about his death are available at this time.

Wanjiru won the Olympic marathon title in Beijing in 2008 with an Olympic record performance of 2:06:32. His other marathon victories included Chicago in 2009 and 2010, Fukuoka in 2007, and London in 2009. Wanjiru was the World Marathon Majors points champion for the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 seasons, and had a career best time of 2:05:10. He was also the former world record holder for the half-marathon with a 58:33 personal best.

After winning last October's Bank of America Chicago Marathon in a thrilling sprint finish over Ethiopian Tesgaye Kebede, Wanjiru faced several difficulties.

Last December, he was arrested at his home in Nyahururu and charged with threatening his wife, striking a security guard, and possessing an illegal AK-47 rifle. Wanjiru was released on bail, and his wife later withdrew her charges against him, but he still faced the weapons charge, however.

In January, Wanjiru was also involved in a car accident on the Nairobi-Nyahururu road, rolling his four wheel drive vehicle several times trying to avoid an oncoming truck. He avoided serious injury in the incident, but later withdrew from April's Virgin London Marathon with a knee problem.

American marathoner Ryan Hall reacted to the news of Wanjiru's death on Twitter, posting, "Incredibly sad news about Sammy. I am shocked and saddened."

Universal Sports contributed to this report

(c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission

Magellan Half to Lyon, Moffenbier

Kevin Lyon, 26, of Evanston, won the Magellan Development Chicago Spring Half marathon on sunday with a 1:17:00.8. On a windy day along the lakefront, Lindsey Moffenbier, also, 26, of Chicago, was the women's winner in 1:29:58. Second and third men were Jeff Thomas, 30, of Chicago, in 1:18:09, and Paul Rollet, 26, of Chicago, in 1:20:08. Second and third women were Laura Rufo, 30, of Chicago, in 1:30:53.3, and Britt Kelly, 27, of Chicago, in 1:32:59.7. I have to mention the fourth-place finisher as well. It was a flash from the past, none other than Megan Levin, now 41, of Chicago, who ran a 1:33:35.4. In the accompanying 10K, Eric Lesch, 34, of Chicago, won in 35:16.8, and Liza Morich, 40 of Chicago, led the women in 44:23.5. There were 1,259 women in the half-marathon and 833 men.

Rockford Marathon, Half, Ready to Go

On a very busy running weekend, the Rockford Marathon and Half marathon will commence at 7 a.m. on Sunday from that city's downtown area. Most of the course is along the Rock River, whch should be scenic. Let's hope it's not too close to flood stage! This is a well-organized event that does draw runners from the Chicago area.
Good luck to everyone competing here and at all of the other runs throughout the area on Sunday morning.

Magellan Half, 10K Set for Lakefront

Registration closes at 5 p.m. on Thursday for the third annual Magellan Chicago Spring Half Marathon --A Life Time Athletic and Endurance event. They say a field of 4,500 is epected. I'm not sure where they are on signups. The event venue location is "The Park at Lakeshore East." If you plan to run, act accordingly. If you're already signed up, good luck!

Spring Marathon/Half Marathon Set to Debut

The ever-changing Chicago running landscape express includes this weekend's first Chicagoland Spring Marathon & Half Marathon in Schaumburg and Busse Woods. Registration remains open for the Sunday races, which begin at 7:15 a.m. in the Schaumburg commercial district. Runners then will head into Busse Woods for some nice scenic racing on a great path familiar to many of us over theyears. Put on by All-Community Events, the new event is presented by Dick Pond Athletics. If you're looking for pacers, the Fast Track Racing Team will be providing them. If you haven't signed up and want to, get on it. Caps are 1,000 for the half and 2,000 for the full. I may update this as I hear about possible race favorites etc. Yes, it's USATF-certified and can be used as a Boston qualifier!

Favela, Druien Conquer the Quarryman

The annual Quarryman 10-miler in Lemont provided some big hills and big performances on Saturday with Emisael Favela, 34, of Berwyn, taking overall honors in 54:26. Matt Dettloff, 22, of Palatine was second in 59:14, and Charles Wiegand, 32, of La Grange Park, a guy I know well through the Runner's Soul stores, finished third in 1:00:09. Amber Druien, 25, of Woodstock, was the runaway women's winner in 1:01:51. Coming in second was Hailey Krzyston, 19, of Burr Ridge, in 1:11:14, and nabbing third was Tiffany Cruickshank, 40, of Hinsdale, in 1:11:21. Looking through the results, there were quite a few top-tier age-group runners in the field. Congrats to all who persevered on this tough, grueling course.

Meineke, Fredrickson Win Wisconsin Marathon

In a unique race that blends talent from Wisconsin and Illinois plus a few other states, Zachary Meineke, 23, of Wauwatosa, WI, won the Wisconsin Marathon in Kenosha, WI, on Sunday with a 2:37:58. Matthew Levine, 37, of Crystal Lake, IL, was a distant second in 2:47:07, and Brian Udovich, 36, of Oconomowoc, WI, took the "bronze" in 2:50:15. On the women's side in the event produced by Chicago Athlete magazine, Nacole Fredrickson, 31, of Milwaukee, won in 3:02:02. Next was Annie Fennema, 24, of Ann Arbor, MI, in 3:08:31, and third went to CARA executive director Wendy Jaehn, 36, of Chicago, in 3:16:26. Way to go, Wendy! In the half-marathon, Mac McCulley, 26, of Volo, IL, was the winner in 1:14:33. Runner-up honors went to Kevin Craigo, 26, of Columbus, OH, in 1:16:31, and third was taken by Andy Ruffalo, 31, of West Bend, WI, in 1:17:31. He won the marathon last year. The women's half was won by Rachel Paape, 32, of Elkhorn, WI, in 1:27:03. Second went to Jennifer Pfaff, 34, of Indianapolis, IN, in 1:27:30, and third was taken by Lindsay Garcia, 28, of Kenosha, WI, in 1:31:26. There were 711 marathon finishers and 2,075 half-marathon finishers. Nice job all around!

So Many Runs, So Little Time

This Mother's Day weekend racing schedule in and near Chicago is incredible. The Wisconsin Marathon, the Quarryman 10-miler, the Channahon 25K and many, many more will keep racing on the front burner at all distances and ability levels. Heck, the one I'm doing, the Door County Half Marathon, isn't even on the Chicago Athlete schedule, which is the most complete in the area. D.C. has 1,500 runners signed up for a hilly 13.1 in beautiful Peninsula Park. I can't want. I've never done it.
Enjoy the weekend. It should be good to go for running, even with a few showers possible here and there. It feels like spring is really trying to kick winter out for good. Let's hope so. Good luck if you're racing.

Cinco de Miler Virtually Filled

If you sign up now, you might in Saturday's Cinco de Miler, a five-miler on the south lakefront that finishes at Soldier Field. At this writing, race organizers say the field is 98 percent filled. Start time is 9:30 a.m. The course starts at 39th and Oakwood and heads south a bit before heading north with a finish just south of Waldron Drive. This one will be big, so if you're running, get there early! The post race party will be staged at the Soldier Field Stadium Green. Good luck, and have fun!

Wisconsin Marathon Ready to Go

My friend Jonathan Cain from Chicago Athlete magazine reports this Saturday's Wisconsin Marathon and Half Marathon in and around Kenosha, WI, are ready to roll. Cain said there are approximately 3,400 total runners signed up, with about 800 in the full marathon. For the marathon, who the top runners are is a question mark for now. Last year's marathon winner, Andy Ruffalo, 31, of West Bend, WI (2:39:14), will be running the half this year and will square off against defending champ Brice Young 25, of Boulder, CO. (1:13:17) among others. They include 2010 Sunday Schaumburg Turkey Trot Half champ Mac McCulley (1:11:52) and Matt Thor, who ran a 2:36:50 at Boston this year. Cain is not sure about the women's contenders, but a solid field is entered. Last year's marathon champ was Catherine Karam, 33, of Chicago, in 3:26:16. The half went to Valerie Hubbard, 24, of Kenosha, in 1:23:59.

Moffett, Cheruiyot Win SW Bank Half

Erin Moffet, 29, of Chicago, made it two big wins on the CARA Runner's Choice Circuit with a victory on Sunday in the women's division of the Southwest Bank Half Marathon. Moffett ran a 1:19:27, to beat women's runner-up Mary Ballinger, 22, who clocked 1:20:24, and third-place finisher Columba Montes, 31, of Chicago and a Circuit regular, who ran a nice 1:20:54. On the men's side, it was a Kenyan sweep as race director Mel Diab hosted some heavy hitters. These are guys to watch in the fall marathon season. First and second were Benson Cheruiyot, 28, and Julius Kiptoo, 28, who ran 1:05:01 and 1:05:05 respectively. Third went to Moses Waweru, 33, in 1:07:11. Fourth and first local was steady top-tier runner Chad Ware, 28, of Deerfield, who had a very nice 1:08:07. This race was loaded with talent top to bottom. The results are at the Racers's Hub web site.

Illinois Marathon Goes to Munoz, Mays-Sulewski

You really needed a scorecard to keep track of all the runs and runners in Champaign-Urbana over the weekend. The headline event of the Illinois Marathon weekend was the marathon itself. Jose Munoz, 26, of San Antonio, tX, was overall winner in 2:26:21, while Lucie Mays-Sulewski , 40, of Westfield, IN, was women's winner in 2:52:54. That's a great day for a master's runner! Second-place male and first Illinois runner was Paul Howarth, 33, of Charleston, IL, in 2:29:58. Third went to Jeffrey McLellan, 26, of Henderson, NV, in 2:30:56. Mike Sommers, 23, of Mundelein, 10th overall, was the next in-state finisher with a 2:41:10. Loryn Kromrey, 27, of Oak Park, was runner-up woman in 2:58:09, while Holly Fearing, 31, of Madison, WI, was third in 2:59:46. There were 1,885 finishers, 1,884 males and 701 females. The half-marathon drew the biggest crowd wth 6,404 finishers, 3,692 females and 2,712 males. Top three men were Mark Rode, 30, of Indianapolis, IN, in 1:10:14, Ronald Revord, 21, of Champaign, IL, in 1:10:59, and Arturis Bareikis, 24, of Oak Forest, IL, in 1:12:41. Leading women were Shannon Ring, 28, of Belvidere, IL, in 1:20:46, Jackie Rzepecki, 32, of Rochester, MI, in 1:21:43, and Kayla Brown, 23, of Petersburg, IL, in 1:22:00. The 10K had 1,755 finishers, 1,211 females and 544 males, with Ryan Hauser, 29, of Columbia, MO, winning with a 33:56. Rachel Zubricky, 26, of Champaign, was women's titlist in 42:54.

Akita, Prekop Top Podium at Ravenswood 5K

Jim Akita, 30, of Elmhurst, showed he is back on Sunday after injuries a year ago slowed him down. The Elmhurst College cross-country and track coach won the 18th annual Ravenswood Run 5K on its fast, scenic course on the North Side in a time of 15:07. That's a 4:52-per-mile pace, but it was needed to beat runner-up Brent Alexander (30-34) of Wilmette, who ran a 15:20 (4:56 pace). Third male was Andrew McCann (30-34), who posted a 15:36. It was a fast morning as five men got under 16 minutes. Fourth was taken by masters star Keith Mullhollon (40-44) in 15:51, while fifth went to Mark Wehrman (20-24) of Chicago, in 15:56. Heather Prekop, well-known on the local scene, was women's winner. Prekop (25-29) of Chicago, ran a very nice 17:35 to easily beat second-place Melissa Hardesty (30-34), who came across in 18:10. Third went to Kalina Michalska (30-34) of Chicago, in 18:50. There were 2,954 finishers in this blue-ribbon race. Congrats to the organizers at Fleet Feet and to all runners and volunteers.