Category Archives: Kudos

Big five days for newest CRR

08 Friday May 2026

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photo of Laura Carlson

The middle of April turned out to be a whirlwind time for our newest Creek Road Runner and the first University of Delaware President among our connection of runners past and present—CRR Laura Carlson.

From the very beginning of her stint as Interim President at UD, Carlson had made a point of getting runners on campus involved by holding weekly early-morning 5K group runs. On April 16, however, the eve of her inauguration as President of the University of Delaware, she held a special 3 p.m. version, which was attended by nearly 100 runners. The field for this fun run, led by Carlson, included CRR Bill Farquhar, CRR Mark Deshon, CRR Tripp Shenton, CRR Jeff Chase, and CRR Artika Rangan Cassini. Leaving from Mentors’ Circle next to Hullihen Hall, which houses Carlson’s office, the run headed south to UD’s outdoor track for a lap around the track and back.

The following day was a gala celebration on campus, as Carlson shed the “Interim” title and officially became President. For her, that pre-inaugural 5K was just a leg loosener, as she was due to run the Boston Marathon the following Monday morning.

Carlson is no stranger to the Boston Marathon, having grown up in the Boston area. She completed her 15th Boston, the 130th edition of the storied marathon, on Monday, April 20, clocking in at 3:51:10 (3:48:04 chip). As one of more than 30,000 competitors, she placed 19,339th overall, 7415th among all females, and 119th in her age division. Pretty impressive.

In relation to her position at UD, here’s what Rangan Cassini said about Carlson in the recent issue of University of Delaware Magazine. “Carlson’s approach is steady. Like a seasoned marathon runner who knows that the journey of 26.2 miles begins with a single step, she leads with skills gleaned on the course: preparation, consistency, purpose and an uncanny ability to listen…. Now as president, she’s zeroed in on one question: How do we position ourselves for success 10 years from now? It’s the kind of endurance Carlson knows well.”

Welcome to the group, President Carlson.

Three generations compete in the DMR at Penn

21 Tuesday Apr 2026

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Three generations of the Ridge family, including two Creek Road Runners—81-year-old CRR Doug Ridge and his 46-year-old son, CRR Clark Ridge—participated in the Philadelphia Runner Track Club Indoor Classic: All-Comers Meet, which was held Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Ott Center—the University of Pennsylvania’s new indoor track facility.

photo of “Team Ridge”
Team Ridge—Doug, Violet, Calvin, and Clark

The two CRRs were joined by the elder Ridge’s 16-year-old granddaughter, Violet (who was recovering from bronchitis), and 14-year-old grandson, Calvin. The four entered the distance medley relay (DMR) as “Team Ridge.”

Calvin did the 800m leg after having already run a ten-second personal best (4:47) in winning his mile heat. His dad, Clark, was participating in the DMR after having run 3km (9:56, 3rd Masters) and mile (5:16) races.

Going into the DMR, Doug’s goal was to match his high school 880-yd. time (1:57) for his 400m leg, roughly half the distance but at five times his high school age. He accomplished this by a matter of seconds.

Violet opened with the 1200m leg in 4:35, then passed the baton to grandfather Doug for the 400m, which he covered in 1:54. In turn, he passed the baton to grandson Calvin for a 2:17 800m, who then passed the baton to his dad, Clark, who finished with a 5:17 1600m anchor leg for a total time of 14:04—just four seconds off their aimed-for target.

Team Ridge placed 18th of out of 24 teams. They believe they would have won among three-generation family teams or among teams spanning 67 years of age and including at least one female.

Although Clark Ridge and his family live in College Park, Md., they are in Newark frequently and take every opportunity to continue the long family tradition of running along White Clay Creek on Creek Road. Doug still routinely runs Creek Road several days a week.

Certainly, one can conclude that, beside the baton, this family has also passed to one another the “speed” gene.

Barlow and Rose honored at UD

10 Friday Apr 2026

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graphic for the announcement of the Barlow-Rose Center for Anatomy and Physiology Education

CRR Dave Barlow and CRR Bill Rose were feted last night during a ceremony at the STAR Tower atrium on the University of Delaware (UD) campus. The two retired professors were honored by having a new UD center named for them—the Barlow-Rose Center for Anatomy and Physiology Education.

photo of Bill Farquhar
Bill Farquhar talking about the honorees

Among the attendees and UD dignitaries were about a dozen Creek Road Runners, who came to help honor Barlow and Rose.

The event’s emcee was CRR Dave Edwards, who introduced UD interim provost CRR Bill Farquhar. Farquhar, one of Rose’s running partners when Rose was teaching at UD, presented a brief synopsis of the impact that Barlow and Rose’s teaching have had in the academic areas for which the center has been named. During their careers (Barlow’s having spanned 50 years!), each honoree at one time had been named as UD’s prestigious Teacher of the Year awardee.

photo of Bill Rose and Dave Barlow
Bill Rose and David Barlow

Rose and Barlow then spoke in turn, talking about the honor, what it meant to them, and how important the education of students in the field of anatomy and physiology had been to them in their respective careers at UD. Barlow stressed that the importance that UD has placed on this field of research and education has placed it “on the map” with respect to other institutions nationwide.

Congratulations to both of you for this well-deserved honor!

Halloween in April?

19 Saturday Apr 2025

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Delaware News Journal photo of Andrew Weber as Captain America in a 5K

Well, no. But this archival photo showed up in the April 11th edition of the Delaware News Journal. It shows CRR Andrew Weber as Captain America in the Halloween-themed Boo and Brew 5K back in 2021. Masked and all, this superhero won the race in an impressive 17:51.

We suspect that, three-and-a-half years later, Weber can still run with the wind.

Some might say he is “faster than a speeding bullet.” Then again, that would have been a different costume.

On the Olympic Matt

02 Tuesday Apr 2024

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Matt Robinson (right) is congratulated by IOC President Thomas Bach

A year ago this month, CRR Matt Robinson, “self-appointed CEO” of the Creek Road Runners, graduated from the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program. In the photo above, he is being congratulated by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

Robinson heads the University of Delaware’s Community Engagement Initiative, but he has spent the last 20 years doing sport development work funded by the U.S. Department of State, the IOC, and the U.S. Olympic Committee. He has collaborated with the NBA, FIFA, U.S. Soccer, and the Olympic committees of multiple countries. 

Robinson leads the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program (ICECP), which has trained more than 400 coaches from 120 countries in 25 sports. He is a sought-after speaker on the topic of sport diplomacy, athlete and sport development, and developing legacy plans for cities and countries that host major international sporting events.

Plus, Robinson has always been a staunch supporter of running, and particularly the Creek Road Runners. Congratulations to our “CEO.”

Photo courtesy of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee