Several Creek Road Runners mitigated any potential weight gain over the Thanksgiving holiday this year by running fast. Notables are the age-group awardees in the MS 10K and 5K races on Thanksgiving day and the Delaware Open XC Championships two days later.

Once again CRR Dan Simmons doubled his pleasure, this time by blitzing his age group (65-69) in both the 10K and 5K races in the PNC Bank Run for MS. Simmons posted a 44:05 in the 10K. He led a Creek Road Runner trifecta in the 5K (22:27), as fellow 65-69s CRR Doug Ridge (23:55) and CRR Bruce Hubbard (24:30) finished second and third, respectively.

One can easily make the case that the fastest old men in the state are Creek Road Runners, particularly if you add 70-and-overs CRR Bob Bennett and multiple state-record holder CRR Bob Taggart.

On the distaff side, CRR Theresa Kauffman once again ran both races and took seconds in each among the 50-54s, with 48:01 and 24:44, respectively. Not to be outdone, CRR Ann Jornlin won the 60-64 age group in 25:50.

In the men’s masters race at the Delaware Open XC Championships, CRR Dan Simmons placed third among the 60-and-overs with a strong 24:31, coming in 41st overall out of 83 competitors.

Congratulations to all.

Dan Simmons strides out on Valley Road in the 10K.

CRR Dan Simmons won the 65-69 age group in Newark’s Turkey Trot 10K and then did the same in the subsequent 5K. His 10K time was 44:01, and he came back with a 22:23 5K. Congratulations!

CRR Theresa Kauffman nearly equaled that feat, winning the 50-54 group in the 10K with a 48:00 and taking an age-group second in the 5K with a 24:58. It is worth noting that CRR Tripp Shenton’s 10K finishing time was also 48:00, but he had a faster chip time while placing third in the 50-54s among the men. CRR Bruce Hubbard placed third in both races in the 65-69 age group with a 52:00 and 25:27, respectively.

In the 5K, CRR Diane Kukich, reveling this year in her new age group, broke the course record for women 60-64 in 24:28. Way to go!

Other 5K age-group awardees included CRR Mark Deshon, who took third among the 55-59s in 21:07, and CRR Bob Taggart and CRR Bob Bennett, who placed second (24:56) and third (26:42), respectively, among the over-70 set.

This was the 39th Annual Turkey Trot, which is the second oldest road race in the state.

In the November 11th Engineers Without Borders 5K on Creek Road, three CRRs took age-group awards. Their places were inversely proportional to their times. CRR Mike Chajes took third in the 50-59 age group with a 22:21. CRR Bruce Hubbard placed second among the 60-69s in 24:01. CRR Bob Bennett won the 70-and-over group in 25:53. Way to go, guys!

On Saturday, November 3, three Creek Road Runners strutted their best stuff, albeit probably not in tutus. The inaugural 5K was held on the Creek Road course.

CRR Diane Kukich (60-69) and CRR Bob Taggart (70+) each took age-group top honors, in 24:50 and 25:38, respectively. The fastest time of the three was turned in by CRR Tripp Shenton, who ran 22:55 and placed 2nd in the 50-59 age group.

In two races on the Saturday before Hurricane Sandy hit, four Creek Road Runners shone like the sun.

In the Halloween Hoopla 5K, CRR Natalie Rosenberg was the overall female winner, placing third overall, with a stellar 19:59. Nice to see she’s still running well.

Among the slightly older set, CRR Dan Simmons, CRR Diane Kukich, and CRR Bob Taggart each took home age group wins in the Turkey Round Up 5K. Simmons and Kukich dominated the 60-69s with times of 21:53 and 24:32, respectively. Racing veteran Bob Taggart’s winning time in the 70+ age group was 24:37.

Way to go, each of you!