Run for Hunger Weathered Out

Race organizers of the Run for Hunger 5K in Elmhurst tried hard to pull off their race this morning, but the lightning proved to be persistent, and after a one-hour delay, the decision was made not to have the race in the name os safety. This is never an easy call, but I really think they made the right one. They still had the raffle and offered post-race food to everyone. This is a class act, race or no race.

Now That Was Xtreme!

Today's Xtreme10 miler at Waterfall Glen was jinxed again by heavy rain in the pre-dawn hours and subsequent flooding, but it didn't stop runners in this already difficult CARA Runners Choice Circuit race. To say conditions were tough would be an understatement. Standing water in the open field section, a wet and eroded trail and yes, the bridge under troubled water at about 1.5 miles. It was incredible, funny and slightly scary as we turned right to cross the short footbridge early in the race, only to find water raging over it. I think we were in close to a foot of water with a pretty strong current. I hung onto the person in front of me as we walked across. The shoes and socks would have been wet anyway, but they got a good early soaking. The breathing was never at full throttle as the high humidity wreaked havoc with many a finely tuned machine out there. It was an adventure in running, taken to the Xtreme by Illinois standards. Somehow, the really good runners really ran well despite everything. Kyle Brady. 23, of Naperville was the winner in 53:48.6. He was followed by Tyler Jermann, 18, also of Naperville, in 54:04.6. Emisael Favela, 34, of Berwyn,grabbed third in 54:51.5. On the women's side, Jean Marinangeli, 27, of Schaumburg, was the class of the soggy field in 1:02:31. Margaret Connelly, 19, of Western Springs was the runner-up in 1:04:11, and Angelina Anlika, 31, of Chicago, took third in 1:05:02. Some impressive masters performances were turned in by 40-and-over powers Dave Wilson, 42, of Brookfield, who ran a 58:01, and Tammy Lifka, 41, of Glen Ellyn, who posted a 1:08:27.1. Overall, there were 749 finishers on a very tough day to just park the car in the muddy field. Race organizers did a great job of pulling it off after another huge rainfall made things very difficult.

Run for Hunger 5K

Sunday's fifth annual Run for Hunger 5K in southeast Elmhurst is a great run for a great cause. All runner proceeds go to local food pantries, and these days, there is a big need. Although I won't be at full strength, having run the Waterfall Glen Xtreme10-miler the day before, I will get from the starting line to the finish line on Sunday morning in Elmhurst. You can continue to sign up online, but you can't get your packet ahead of time unless you signed up before Tuesday (The Runner's Soul, 124 N. York). Here are the race vitals:
Run for Hunger, 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, July 24 at 8:30 a.m. Yorkfield Presbyterian Church, 1099 S. York Rd., Elmhurst, IL.
USATF certified. Discount for CARA members. All participants receive a custom-designed T-shirt, a goody bag, post-race refreshments and a chance to win great door prizes. Proceeds benefit local food pantries. Call 630-833-6600 or go to www.run4hunger.com

Rollins 1st from USA in F60-64 at Worlds

Nancy Rollins from Evanston ran a 3:36:15 on Sunday to place second in the F60-64 age group at the World Masters Championships marathon in Sacramento, CA. Nancy was first runner from the USA in her age group. Way to go again, Nancy! Also, Chris Nemeth, who also is from Evanston, ran 3:31:32 and placed ninth out of 23 in the M60-64 group. He was third runner accross the line in his age group from the United States. Awesome, Chris! Fantastic.

Kern, Rollins First from USA at World Masters

Elmhurst's Charlie Kern and Evanston's Nancy Rollins didn't win but were the first Americans in their events this past week at the World Masters Athletics (Track and Field) Championships in Sacramento, CA. Kern, heavily involved in the July 24 Run4Hunger 5K in Elmhurst, made it to the finals of the M40 1,500 and then finished second out of 16 in the final. Charlie, 42, ran a 4:04.33, losing to Rich Tremain, 40, of Canada, who won with a 4:03.37. Rollins, 64, placed fourth overal in the W60 10,000 meters with a 45:57.27. She lost to two runners from Great Britain and one from New Zealand, but none from the USA. She isn't finished. She is running the marathon tommorow at 7 a.m. Chicago Time. So is her fellow Evanston Running Club distance ace Christopher Nemeth in M60. Both are on the Fossil Velocity relay team I rave about each year during the Ragnar Madison-Chicago relay. I am sure there are more locals competing in Sacramento. There is no way for me to know. Please let me know and we'll give them the recognition they deserve. Way to go, Charlie! Way to go, Nancy, and good luck Nancy and Chris!

Pair of Summer Beauties Tonight

Two of the best summertime races in Chicago take place tonight. They are the Bastille Day 5K and the Chicago Fire Fighters Run for the Kids 5K. If you're down in the city and have your gear, get out therte and run! I'm up in Door County where I'll be in charge of a water station on Sunday at the Door County Triathlon. I'll get to service people on the 11th mile of their run in a hot, humid half-ironman. The race has added water, ice and additional stations. It will be something, but I think everyone is prepared. As for pure running in the Chicago area, the next big one on a lot of personal calendars is the Xtreme 10-miler at Waterfall Glen near Darien on Saturday, July 23. I'll be there.

Spain, Boyle Capture 2011 4 on the 4th

Mike Spain and Kyle Brady know each other well from their North Central College connection, and on Monday at the Community Bank of Elmhurst 4 on the 4th, they stuck together pretty much from the start to the finish. Neither could break the other and it looked like a dead heat, but Spain was the official winner with Brady, the defending race champion second. Both were given the same time: 19:31. Spain, 22, of Schaumburg, and Brady, 22, of Naperville, broke away from a pack of 10 runners near the two-mile mark and worked off of each other the rest of the way. Matthew Flaherty, 26, of Chicago, was third in 19:49; Tyler Jermann, 18, of Naperville, was fourth in 19:54; and Eric Wallor, 28, of Chicago, was fifth in 20:08. The women's race was won by Elizabeth Boyle, 23, of Elmhurst with a 22:26. That was just good enough to beat Jean Marinangeli, 27, of Schaumburg, who ran 22:28. Columba Montes, 32, of Chicago, placed third in 22:53; Amanda Laesch, 23, of Wheaton, placed fourth in 23:05; and Kathryn Hague, 23, of Chicago, placed fifth in 23:40. The top three men and women earned $200, $125 and $75 and received certificates for free Saucony Shoes redeemable at The Runner's Soul in Elmhurst. Some great runners in all age groups took to the streets of Elmhurst on a day with tolerable heat and humidity. There were 809 official finishers in the race, which is part of the CARA Runner's Choice Circuit.