Chicago Run-Times

Lincolnwood Opens Week of Turkey Trots

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:47:00 +0000

The annual Lincolnwood Turkey Trot, always well-managed and full of fast runners, was run on Sunday with 690 5K finishers and 509 10K finishers. The 5K men's field was led by Emisael Favela, 32, of Cicero, consistently one of the area's top runners, in 15:34. Felipe Lopez, 33, of Chicago, was next in 17:05, and third went to Mark Dolgin, 27, of Chicago, in 17:45. The women's top three went like this: Columba Montes, 30, of Chicago, in 17:47; Kayoko Hamamura, 48, of Chicago, in 19:53; and Michelle Thom, 40, of Chicago, in 20:30.In the 10K, Oscar Ramos, 35, of Chicago was first across the line in 34:32. Second went to Alberto Perez, 27, of Chicago, in 35:29, and third went to Bo Muzikowski, 18, of Chicago, in 36:22. The women were led by Michelle Rich, 35, of Chicago, who ran a 40:39. Runner-up lady was Karen Grabowski, 34, of Chicago, one of the toughest competitors I've ever met, who ran a 41:18. Third went to Erica Sitkoff, 30, of Chicago, who ran a 41:45.

Pilgrim Pacer 5K Draws 454 Finishers

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:45:00 +0000

The Pilgrim Pacer 5K in LaGrange, IL, had almost perfect conditions on Sunday (Nov. 22) as a large field came out to begin building their appetites for Thanksgiving, when it will be considerably colder. Sarah Grzybek, 29, of Tinley Park, won the women's competition in 18:28.7, while Archie Bareikis, 23, of Oak Forest, took overall honors with a nice uncontested 15:49.4. Second and thrd women were Meghan Kennihan, 28, of LaGrange, in 18:33.9 (close!), and Charlotte Walsh, 16, of LaGrange Park, in 20:04.5 On the men's side, John Flores, 13, of Countryside, was a distant second in 17:24, and Ronald Lavaire, 23, of Shelbyville (not sure which state),took third in 17:27.6. With 454 finishers, I'd say the race was a success.

York (Kroy) Wins Nike Midwest

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:20:00 +0000

The York (Kroy for post-IHSA races) boys put their losses to Neuqua Valley and Loyola at the state meet behind them on Sunday, beating both of their rivals at the Nike Nationals Midwest Regional in Terre Haute, IN. Andrew Smith and Jack Driggs went 5-6 to lead the Dukes. York (Kroy or Elmhurst depending on the year) is the only team to qualify for the nationals in Portland, OR, all six years the Nike event has been held. Please check out Dyestat for all the info. They do a great job of reporting.
http://www.dyestat.com//?pg=us-2009-XC-NXN-Midwest-Region

Alexander, Peters Gobble 'Em Up

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Brent Alexander and Claire Peters were clear winners on Sunday in the Oswegoland Park District's annual Hobbler Gobbler 10K in Oswego. Alexander 29, of Wilmette, cruised to 33:50 victory. Peters, 23, of Naperville, also won comfortably in 43:37. Hats off to masters winners Bill Holstine, 43, of Aurora, who ran a 35:37.2, and Mary Bogdan, 40, of Frankfort, who posted a 44:00, which also got her second-place overall in the women's standings. There were 452 finishers.

Boston Is Filled; Registration Closes

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:24:00 +0000

Yep, it's true. The Boston Marathon has hit its 25,000 limit and registration for 2010 is closed. Here's the story:
http://www.bostonmarathon.org/News.asp?NewsID=408

I had heard it would close Friday from Mr. Boston, Mark Buciak of Chicago. Mark, who has run 30 consecutive Boston Marathons, lives for the event (well, almost!).

M25-29, A CARA Conundrum?

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:45:00 +0000

Jeff Jonaitis (M25-29) probably is the best or almost the best runner in the Chicago area. In CARA Runners' Choice Series races this year, he ran a 24:29 in the snowy, slushy Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle; 49:58 at the Soldier Field 10-Miler; 30:58 at the DeKalb Cornfest 10K and 2:18:01 at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. He easily won his age group in those four races, but to win your overall age group in the Runners' Choice standings, you need to have run seven races. A closer look at the M25-29 group shows that no one ran seven or more races. I don't recall anything like that ever happening except in age groups like 0-14 and 80-plus. First, hats off to Jeff for a great season on and off the circuit. Second, what happens in that age group? Third, does anyone remember a similar situation in the past?

Westchester Veterun Goes to Ware, Marinangeli

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:14:00 +0000

And what a race it was. The previously blogged Veterun in Westchester produced two top-notch victories as a pair of 25-year-olds, Chad Ware of Deerfield (top photo), and Jean Marinangeli of Arlington Heights, grabbed the overall titles in the 10K, which was the season finale on the CARA Runner's Choice Series circuit of races. Both winners have done well this year and put their championship stamps on a great year with their wins. Ware won in a fleet-feeted 31:12 while Marinangeli was top woman in 36:35.On the men's side, second through fourth went like this: Emisael Favela, 32, of Cicero, 31:31; Lars Juhl, 32, of Chicago, 31:37; Julius Rotich, 34, Kenya via West Des Moines, Iowa, 32:26; and masters master Dave Wilson, 40, of Brookfield, 33:03. Two through four for the women were: Columba Montes, 30, of Chicago (shown in photo at about 3.3 miles with Marinangeli, who is wearing No. 1234), 37:16; Christina Overbeck, 23, of Chicago, 37:19; Tammy Lifka, 39, of Glen Ellyn, 39:53; and Erika Vazquez, 29, of Chicago, 40:26. There were some nice battles in various age groups, and a total of 529 runners finished.

Veterun -- A Day to Run and Remember

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:48:00 +0000

I'm a veteran, drafted from 1971-'73 during the Vietnam War. I was not im combat and consider myself very lucky. For me, it's simple. I know others weren't as fortunate as I was, and to honor them, I don't miss the Veterun in Westchester. Because of injuries, I'm not running right now, but I went and watched this year's race, which was run in unseasonably warm conditions. It was great with many of the top names from the local running scene making the CARA Runners' Choice Series finale a hot one to say the least! I don't want to post any results until I see the official ones, but there were some sizzling times. They had quite a crowd out there today, too, watching at various points along the course. It was truly a remarkable day. As part of the big picture, they also had the traveling version of the Vietnam Memorial set up in the park behind the tent. I went and took a look, hoping to find the name a high school friend who died over in Nam while I sat behind a typewriter in Washington, D.C. I didn't find it, but saw names of thousands of other members of the armed services who made the ultimate sacrifice in that war. Those few moments behind the tent put me in a somber mood as I remembered those days I spent in the Army. But watching the race picked me up in a hurry! Congrats to all who ran today.

Tessling,Nagel Win Fall Frolic

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:56:00 +0000

I've only run it twice, and it's been a while, but one of the best runs a lot of people don't know about is the annual Fall Frolic/Jennie Hamilton 4-miler in Hammond, IN. Over the years, a lot of big-name runners have stopped in to do this race in the place where Chicago Marathon director Carey Pinkowski grew up. Sunday's version was more locally oriented as John Tessling, 20, of Glenwood, IL, and Karen Nagel, 30, of Valparaiso, IN, took individual honors. Tessling won it in 21:41.29, and Nagel posted a 24:16.40. Second and third men were James Elia, 18, of Valparaiso in 21:48.87 and Alberto Perez, 27, of Chicago, in 21:56.39. Second and third women were Christine Leslie, 17, of Griffith, IN, in 25:59.71,and Chris Wickard, 39, of Crown Point, IN, in 26:18.22. Special kudos go to male masters winner Dave Macknick, 45, of Chicago, who ran a strong 23:48.55. I've known Mac for a long time through our ties in past years with the Chicago Marathon. Way to go, Mac! Women's masters champ was Angelia Erb, 47, of Hammond, in 30:00.73. Put this race on your to-do list for the future.

Imig, Marinangeli Sweetest at Hot Chocolate 15K

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:45:00 +0000

The Hot Chocolate 15K and 5K attracted close to 10,000 runners to the north lakefront on Sunday. I wasn't there, but I would be interested on hearing how crowded the course was or wasn't. According to preliminary results, 4,172 people finished the 15K (9.3 miles) and 4,473 finished the 5K. Congrats go out to Steve Imig, 32, of Geneva, who wom the overall 15K title in 49:11, and Jean Marinangeli, 25, of Arlington Heights, who took women's honors in a nice 56:32. Ryan Hopper, 27, of Chicago, comfortably placed second overall in 50:58, and Mac McCulley, 25, of Grayslake, nabbed third in 51:29. No. 2 woman was Suet-Fei Li, 34, of Schaumburg, who is at or near the top at every CARA Runner's Choice Series race. She ran a 59:30. Third went to Emily Inskeep, 27, of Chicago, in 59:41. Two of the many notable performances in this race were by Mike Egle and Nancy Rollins. Egle, 47, of Glenview, finished eighth overall and was top master in 53:45. Rollins, 63, of Evanston, was 38th woman overall and easily won her age group in 1:05:49. In fact she beat all the male 60-64 runners as well. In the 5K, Brent Alexander, 29, of Wilmette, won in 16:06, and Angelo Kidd, 32, of Clarendon Hills, was women's champ in 18:38. So how was it today? Comments are welcome.

Favela, Montes Alive for Sure at Day of the Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:29:00 +0000

Saturday's Carrera de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) 3.2-mile race (that's right) in Chicago went to Emisael Favela, 32, of Cicero, in 16:38.5, and Columba Montes, 30, of Chicago, in 19:10.9. The festive Halloween run had 1,034 finishers. On the men's side, Matthew Lavine, 35, of Crystal Lake, took second in 17:38.7, a full minute-plus behind Favela. Chris Sengenberger, 24, of Chicago, was third in 17:58.6. Runner-up to Montes on the female side was Clara Prouty, 34, of Oak Park, who ran 19:29.6, and third went to Alexis Carabello, age and hometown not available, in 22:01.3. Thanks to F50-54 winner Eileen Skisak for the great photos.

Setzlers Carve Out Wins at Sycamore

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:04:00 +0000

Chris and Cari Setzler of Wonder Lake took home the hardware on Sunday at the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival 10K run. Chris, 37, left no doubt about who would break the tape on the golf course with a strong 32:50. That left the battle for second to Jan Myrda, 38, of Palos Heights, and Mark Heintz, 26, of Schaumburg. Myrda, the No. 1 cross-country ski racer in Illinois, tuned up for the upcoming Nordic season, beating his younger foe, 34:18 to 34:20. Cari Setzler, 31, also had breathing room, winning the women's race with a 41:36. Finishing second and third were Sarah Bailey, 26, of Elgin, with a 42:55 and Jennifer Fox, 29, of North Aurora, with a 43:01. After countless years on the CARA (competitive Circuit, the race was not included in the CARA Runners' Choice (formerly the Circuit) this year, losing out in the popular vote to the Frank Lloyd Wright Run in Oak Park (see separate report). But I'm happy to report that Sycamore, still designated a prestigious Best of Chicagoland race, had 1,185 finishers, an increase from last year when 1,175 finished the 2008 Circuit race.

Fleetest Feet Rule Trick or Treat Trot

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:23:00 +0000

Note: I have updated this to be correct as per the first comment, which was made when I had another runner finishing second in the 10K.
The annual Trick or Treat Trot Presented by Fleet Feet Sports drew more than 1,500 runners to the lakefront on Sunday. In the 5K, Emil Bojanov, 25, of Chicago, took overall honors in 15:28.7 with Columbia Montes, 30, of Chicago, easily taking the women's competition in 17:58.2. Taing second and third in the men's race were Jeff Hojnacki, 35, of Chicago, in 16:16.9 and Jesse Kleinjam, 25, of Chicago, in 16:22.3. Elizabeth Waterstraat, 34, of Lisle ran a 19:18.6 for runner-up on the women's side, with Veronica Laureano, 25, of Chicago, garnering third in 20:15.8.
In the 10K, the women were impressive as Heather Prekop, 27, of Chicago, won in 37:50. She was followed in second and third by Christina Overbeck, 23, of Chicago, in 38:18, and Michelle Densmore, 28, of Chicago, in 39:34. Men's 10K winner was Eric Hofmann, 22, of Homewood, who cruised in with a 33:58. Second was Sam Ramirez, 42, of Chicago, in 36:12, and third was Chris Dumbrowski, 25, of Chicago, who ran a 36:52. There were 827 finishers in the 5K and 719 in the 10K. Hats off Fleet Feet for another quality event.

Tharaud, Langford Have 'Wright' Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Jerome Tharaud and Jessica Langford were the winners of the Frank Lloyd Wright Races 10K on Sunday in scenic Oak Park. Tharaud won the CARA Runners' Choice Series race on the just-about-flat near west suburban streets in 32:20. Tharaud, 29, won a close battle against Michael Ptack Jr., 23, who was second in 32:23, and Dave Wilson, 40, who was third in 32:25. Langford, 38, of Rockford, made her long trip worthwhile, taking the women's field in 37:51. Runner-up was Amber Druien, 24, just slightly back in 37:54, with third place going to Clara Prouty, 34, who ran 38:26. There were 805 finishers with some outstanding times turned in by CARA runners looking for points as the overall season nears it end. In the accompanying 5K, there were 705 finishers with Michael Straza, 39, winning in 16:37, and Sanya Syrstad capturing women's honors in 19:28.

The Tragic Side of Running

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:35:00 +0000

By now, I'm sure you know three runners died on Sunday during or after the half-marathon portion of the Detroit Free-Press Marathon. Temperatures were in the 40s and the race's medical staff was on the scene in seconds in each situation. We'll never know if the three runners had heart conditions they didn't know about. We'll never know anything more than they died of heart attacks. I feel terrible for the families of the runners and for the Detroit race organizers who worked hard to put on a safe event. This isn't the first race to have deaths in the headlines this year and probably won't be the last. My good friend Mark Buciak, who has 30 straight Boston Marathons despite having open-heart surgery in 2005, has good advice. Get an annual physical. I have advice for race organizers. Do what they do in a lot of the European races; require a physical as part of the entry process or at least a note from a doctor saying that the applicant is in good health and capable of running a marathon, half-marathon or whatever. Comments???

Chris Siemers Wins Denver Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:45:00 +0000

Bensenville (Fenton grad) native Chris Siemers won the Denver Marathon on Sunday with a 2:23:08. He trailed defending champion Jynocel Bosweti, 22, of Kenya, until the final mile. At that point, 28-year-old Siemers, now of Arvada, CO, surged and won going away. He was quoted in a race report as saying teammate Michael Aish told him he was only 19 seconds behind with a mile to go and Bosweti was fading fast. So, Siemers said, he threw off his glasses and got to work. Bosweti finished second in 2:23:56. Siemers had trailed by as much as a half-mile midway through the race. The women's winner was Holly McIlvaine, 36, of Seattle, in 3:00:26.

Amsterdam: Another Record by 1 Second!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:01:00 +0000

The odds of this happening weren't great, especially when Haile Gebrselassie had the course record, but young Kenyan Gilbert Yegon ran a 2:06:19 on Sunday to win the Amsterdam marathon and erase Geb's 2:06:20 in 2005 from the record books. With Chicago and Amsterdam in the books, what marathon will make this a hat trick (three one-second record breakers for you non-hockey fans). Anyway, I thought you woud like this bit of trivia.

M. Wehrman, Becque Top Pumpkins in the Park

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:50:00 +0000

Mark Wehrman, younger brother of well-known Chicago runner Chris Wehrman, won this year's Pumpkins in the Park 5K. Wehrman, 23, of Chicago, took the "scary" race in Lincoln Park with a 15:56. Eric Hofmann, 22, of Homewood, was second in 16:12, and Dan Kittoro, 21, of Chicago, was third in 16:14. Claudia Becque, 33, of Chicago, placed 11th overall in the finishing field of 1,499, easily winning the women's division in 16:58. Jennifer Langford, 38, of Rockford, was next in 18:07, and was was followed for third by Joan Cundey, 28, of Chicago, in 18:58. Congrats to the organizers and finishers for another first-rate event.

Marathon Highs Great to See

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:03:00 +0000

It's been fun being around people who are still experiencing the after-glow of a cold but very satisfying Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Everywhere I go in running circles, there is talk of fast performances, great crowds and a mighty chilly final three miles into the wind. When you go through the top couple of hundred men and women in the results, there are familiar names with phenomenal times. What contrast to to the two previous years of oven-baked marathoning that cursed Chicago worse than a Billy Goat at Wrigley Field. Enough said. There are those of you who are just getting ready to run other marathons such as Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Columbus, Detroit etc. etc. etc. If you're going 26.2 this weekend, the weather looks good. Grand Rapids, for instance, expects 45 to 60 degrees, almost ideal for running. Wherever you go, good luck! For those of you staying home, there is a potpourri of short, non-pressure races around Chicagoland. And if you don't want to race, the conditions for nice runs on the many pathways around the area will be close to perfect.

Just-In-Time Economics for Wanjiru!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:44:00 +0000

Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya easily was the class of the field on Sunday at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. On a cold day, Wanjiru won it in an event-record 2:05:41, ONE second ahead of Khalid Khannouchi's previous mark set in 1999, also run in chilly weather, but not temps this cold. Not knowing the Chicago record (shades of Steve Jones back in 1984), Wanjiru unintentionally cut it close, waving to the crowd while motoring in on Columbus Drive. He made it though, and in addition to the $75,000 for first place, he earned another $100,000 for the course record. Of course, he also gets maybe $250,000 in hidden appearance fees. Mr. Runner-up Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco took second in a tactical run that got him across the line in 2:06:04. Third went to touted Kenyan Vincent Kipruto, who was in at 2:06:08. I'm sure you know the strategies and drama already. It was nice to see Chicago back on marathoning's main stage. I must say that having seen Berlin's course on TV last week, I'm not sure Chicago's layout is as fast. I admire Sammy for trying to break Haile G's 2:03:59 world record set in 2008 at Berlin, but maybe this course isn't fast enough. We won't know for at least another year. And kudos to Russian Liliya Shobukhova, who made all the right moves at the right time to win a tactical race for the ladies in 2:25:56. Germany's Irina Mikitenko (born in Russia) took second in 2:26:31 to sew up the World Marathon Majors' two-year title that ends with New York on Nov. 1. Third went to Russian and 2008 Chicago champion Lidiya Grigoryeva in 2:26:47. One-year plus after her Olympic foot injury, American Deena Kastor was 10 minutes off her real goal, and finished sixth in 2:28:50. Chicago-area native (Batavia and then St. Charles High School) Tera Moody led the first 10K and wound up ninth in 2:32:59, a PR, I believe. Back on the men's side, here's a salute to Schaumburg native Patrick Rizzo, who was 10th overall in 2:15:48! Hats off to locals Jeff Jonaitis (15th. in 2:18:01), Lars Juhl (thanks, Denmark -- 22nd in 2:20:05) and Chad Ware (24th in 2:20:47). Many others of both genders and all ages ran and rolled excellent races. It was a good day to run for the 34,792 starters and a great way for executive race director Carey Pinkowski to enjoy his 20th year in charge of the race.

Goebel DQ'd from Win at Milwaukee

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:34:00 +0000

Jennifer Goebel of Lombard listened to her iPod during the late stages of the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon on Sunday, a violation of USATF rules, and it cost her the victory, which she only had gotten after the original winner, Cassie Peller, was DQ'd because she accepted a bottle of water from a friend in between official aid stations, also a USATF rule violation. The disqualification of the top two women has raised quite a stir, and late Wednesday, Corina Canitz, 42, of Brookfield, Wis., the two-time defending champion, was declared a winner after Goebel's appeal was turned down. Goebel, a physical therapist in Elmhurst, finished in 3:02:50. I have been tied up and I am a friend of Goebel's, so maybe it's best that I refrain from too much reporting on this one. The last time I saw her was a week ago today when I wished her good luck. I don't think she had any idea she would be in contention to win or be embroiled in a controversy. There has been good reporting of this story from Tom Held of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Please read the following:

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/63708807.html

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/63668622.html

Goebel First Woman at Milwaukee

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:13:00 +0000

Jennifer Goebel, 27, of Lombard, Ill., was the women's winner on Sunday at the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon. Goebel, a physical therapist at Olympic Chiropractic in Elmhurst and a member of the Elmhurst Running Club, crossed the line in 3:02:50. Corina Crantz, 42, of Brookfield, Wis., was second in 3:04:20, and Katlyn Regan, 24, of Chicago, was third in 3:05:22. On the men's side, Ryan Miessen, 31 and a strong regional powerhouse from Mukwonago, Wis., won in 2:24:55. He was followed in second and third by Aaron Nodolph, 31, of Menomonee Falls, Wis., in 2:28:49, and Austin Johnson, also 31, of Madison, Wis., in 2:33:44. There were 1,884 finishers; 1,121, men and 763 women.

Lukas V. Wins ITU Junior Duathlon Title!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:01:00 +0000

I'm a litttle late with this, but national phenom Lukas Verzbicas of south suburban New Lenox won the ITU Junior Duathlon championship on Sept. 26 in Concord, NC. He did it with a great kick at the end of the second run to beat a competitor from Spain. Lukas, who is a sophomore at Sandburg High School in Orland Park, also is expected to be atop the leaderboard at the Illinois state cross-country finals in November at Peoria's Detweiller Park. He is one to watch and keep watching. He's been featured in Runner's World, Running Times, the Trib, the Sun-Times and elsewhere. I first saw him at his "coming out" at the 2008 Community Bank of Elmhurst 4 on the 4th, which I direct. I had no idea who he was when he was right there with three top regional runners with a mile to go. Now, I do! For a good report on the Junior Duathlon championships, check out: http://usatriathlon.org/news/article/16338

Torres Running New York Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:59:00 +0000

With the 2016 Olympic bid announcement affecting Chicago due in two days and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon 11 days away, the New York Road Runners have been busy pumping out publicity for the ING New York Marathon on Nov. 1. One thing caught my eye yesterday. Jorge Torres, who was a four-time state champion at Wheeling High School before going on to the University of Coloardo with his twin brother Edwardo, is making his marathon debut in New York. I wish it would be in Chicago, but that's the way things are playing out. Torres, 29, of Boulder, CO, will be taking the plunge after much success at the 5000-meter and 10,000-meter distances. In 2008, he finished third in the 10,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials to secure his first Olympic appearance (Beijing), and finished second at the USA Cross Country Championships. Torres placed fourth at the USA Cross Country Championships this year. Edwardo ran Chicago in 2006, but had trouble in the latter stages of the race, finishing 61st in 2:22.07. It will be interesting to see how Jorge does.

Moody Tunes Up at Park Ridge Charity Classic

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Richards) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:26:00 +0000

U.S. marathoner Tera Moody, a native of St. Charles and a prep star in Illinois in her earlier days, warmed up for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Saturday, winning the women's division of the Park Ridge Charity Classic in 16:14.59. Moody, 28, of Colorado Springs, CO, finished fifth overall in the very tough CARA Runners' Choice Series field of runners. A distant second, but with a very good time, was Jean Marinangeli, 25, of Arlington Heights, who ran a 17:32:20. Third went to Columba Montes, 30, of Chicago, in 17:34.45. On the men's side, Dave Wilson, 40, of Brookfield, last year's CARA male runner of the year, won in 15:49.59 on the fast out-and back course. Runner-up was Nathan Kennedy, 23, of Bolingbrook, in 15:57.51, and third went to Elliot Havel, 18, of Evanston, who clocked a 16:07.73. There were some amazingly fast times in what were very good conditions. Many of the age groups featured top names with excellent times. Go to www.drkomputing.com to see the results.