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CreekRoadRunners.org 

~ Newark, Delaware

CreekRoadRunners.org 

Category Archives: News

New CRR dean at UD

13 Thursday Oct 2022

Posted by deshon in Kudos, News

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

apple, farquhar, jacobson, riordan, weber

photo of Bill Farquhar
photo of Bruce Weber and Bill Farquhar after the race

CRR Bill Farquhar has been named the new Dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Delaware, effective on November 1. Farquhar follows in a growing line of Creek Road Runners who have assumed high-ranking positions within the academic leadership of the First State’s flagship educational institution. With Farquhar’s new position, two of UD’s colleges will be led by Creek Road Runners, the other being CRR Bruce Weber, current Dean of the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.

These two academic leaders are also fast. Both were regulars in the teams that Creek Road Runners fielded in recent years past in the Delaware 4-Person Marathon Relay, including its winning marathon relay team in 2018.

CRR Eric Jacobson insists that this is “more evidence that UD leadership considers CRR membership and 5K times when selecting deans and [other high-level administrative positions].”

photo of Charlie Riordan
photo of Tom Apple

Other UD leaders among Creek Road Runners have included CRR Charlie Riordan (former Vice President of Research, Scholarship and Innovation) and CRR Tom Apple (former Provost), both of whom were on the chemistry faculty.

“Bill Farquhar is the ideal person to build on the College of Health Sciences’ momentum and strong reputation as we develop new opportunities and innovations,” said UD president Dennis Assanis. ”A nationally respected researcher and scholar, he also brings a deep knowledge of our college and our University that will serve him well in this important role.”

From 2011-17, Farquhar served as chairperson of the College of Health Sciences’ Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology. A fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology and fellow and vice president of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), he also served on the Board of Directors of the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology and co-chaired ACSM’s World Congress on the Basic Science of Exercise and Vascular Health.

Congratulations from the global CRR community!

> See UD article on Farquhar being named dean

Watch Sam run…,

05 Monday Sep 2022

Posted by deshon in News, Race Results

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Tags

1500m, parsons

…run, Sam, run.

Here’s a video of CRR Sam Parsons displaying his speed on the track, stepping down to the 1500m distance at a professional race in Germany and setting a new personal-best time by about a second. The USA runner in the race, Craig Engels, was Parsons’ roommate during his freshman year at N.C. State. Parsons has had quite a successful year on the track (see related stories below the photo). Click on the photo below to launch the video.

photo of Sam Parsons being introduced in Berlin

> Parsons finishes 6th in European Championships
> Parsons 15th best at World Championships in Eugene, Ore.
> Parsons first to break the 4-minute-mile barrier in Delaware

Parsons 6th in Euro 5000m championship

16 Tuesday Aug 2022

Posted by deshon in News, Race Results

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Tags

5000m, 5K, championships, European, parsons

photo of Sam on the starting line
Parsons on the line and ready to roll

Though he’s only half German, CRR Sam Parsons, son of CRR George Parsons and CRR Christina Parsons of Newark, was Germany’s gem in the 5000m race at the European Championships in Münich on August 16.

photo of top 6 finishing times

Finishing 6th out of the 25 competitors from all over Europe, Parsons, who clocked in at 13:30:38, bested his last month’s World Championship finishing time by 15 seconds. Unfortunately, as in the 5000m at the Worlds in Eugene, Ore., he couldn’t hang late with Jakob Ingebrigsten of Norway, who took the European title as well.

photo of Parsons finishing
Parsons finishing 6th

In the stands and cheering on his son during the evening’s race was German-born and -raised Christina, a good local runner in her own right.

photo of Christina Parsons
Parsons’ mom Christina (in white hat) cheering on her son

This race capped a successful running season for Parsons, who trains professionally with Boulder, Colo.–based Tinman Elite. In high school he had run for The Tatnall School in Wilmington prior to a stellar collegiate running career at North Carolina State.

> Check out the video of the race with Parsons sightings as indicated below (times approximate).
5:00 – Sam looking around mid-race, taking it all in, enjoying himself
9:58 – more Sam
12:40 – Sam moving up on the outside
12:55-13:01 – Sam and Jakob Ingebrigsten running together
15:20 – Sam hitting the bell lap in 6th place
16:17 – Sam finishing
18:09 – Christina cheering

> See related article about Parsons at the World Championships.

Parsons conquers Mile Challenge

10 Sunday Apr 2022

Posted by deshon in Kudos, News, Race Results, Stories

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Tags

bray, Delaware, fischer, mile, parsons, state record, Tinman Elite, track and field

The Delaware Mile Challenge was a unique event, to be sure, on the recently renovated track at The Tatnall School. On Saturday evening, April 9, runners of all ages took to the track to challenge the mile distance. Well after dark, the excitement had built to a crescendo, as the elite men and women took to the oval to compete.

photo of a victorious Sam Parsons
A victorious Sam Parsons is all smiles after clocking the first sub-4 mile in Delaware.

“Homefield” advantage theoretically should have meant nothing, as among the field of 13 elite men there were four runners who had already broken the 4-minute-mile barrier at least once. One of those competitors, however, was CRR Sam Parsons (son of CRR George Parsons and CRR Christina Parsons), who grew up in Newark and ran track and cross country for Tatnall during his high school years.

It appeared early on in the men’s elite feature race that Parsons, who trains with Colorado-based Tinman Elite, was ready for the challenge. Through the initial lap, he was in good position in fourth. Moving up, he took over third during the second lap, staying close to a 60-seconds-per-lap pace while battling with three professional runners from Baltimore’s Under Armour club—two in front of him and one right behind him.

By the back stretch of the final lap, Parsons had moved up and positioned himself right behind the race leader, Casey Comber. With just a half lap to go, both were right around 3:30, setting up what would be a frenetic sprint finish.

With the volume increasing to a roar from the hundreds who lined the track to cheer him on, Parsons out-sprinted Comber on the final straightaway and, in doing so, eclipsed the 4-minute mark—the first time this had been done on Delaware soil. Parsons clocked in at 3:58.17; Comber finished just 0.27 seconds behind, also going sub-4. The previous best mile run in Delaware had been run 50 years ago, indoors, at 4:01.1.

photo of Sam Parson addressing the crowd
Sam Parsons addresses the crowd after his historic win.

While not taking a victory lap, Parsons did take the mic to thank the crowd for helping to make The Delaware Mile Challenge such an energy-filled and memorable event. He also thanked his high school coach, Pat Castagno, who is Tatnall’s track-and-field and cross-country coach and whose own coach while at the University of Delaware was Delaware’s legendary CRR Jim Fischer, who presented the master’s mile race during the event.

By winning the elite race, Parsons bagged $2,500 in prize money. By breaking the 4-minute mark, he also walked (or maybe ran?) away with a $500 bonus, making it a very satisfying (and profitable) trip home!

The elite women’s winner, Molly Sughroue, of the Colorado Springs Track Club, ran away with the race, a new in-Delaware women’s record, and the same prize money.

Collectively, Creek Road Runners congratulate one of our own. Way to go, Sam!

Of local note is the fact that CRR Jim Bray, a Newark High School alum, once held the Delaware high school mile record for 28 years before it was broken in 1999.

The world record in the mile is still a mind-boggling 3:43.13, set by Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999.

Attacking the record books

08 Friday Apr 2022

Posted by deshon in News, Race Results

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

15K, 5K, kukich, state records

About every five years, CRR Diane Kukich hears opportunity knocking at her door—specifically, looking at the age-group state records that may be within her grasp. Well, it didn’t take long for Kukich, who turned 70 in February, to take aim at and break a couple state age-group records.

photo of Diane and Christine Kukich
Record breaker CRR Diane Kukich with running daughter Christine in Philadelphia

On March 5 at the Attack Addiction 5K in New Castle, Kukich placed first among the 70-and-overs, finishing as the 25th female and 103rd overall out of the massive local field of 1,567, with a 25:08. Her time eclipsed the old 70-74 state record by 47 seconds.

Perhaps even more impressive was the most recent record she broke, which had stood for 31 years. At the Hot Chocolate 15K in Philadelphia on April 2, amid 1,779 runners from all over the East Coast as well as a few other parts of the country, Kukich smashed the Delaware 70-74 age group record for the 15K (9.3-mile) distance—a long race for her—by a whopping 6:05! She crossed the line in 1:28:13, finishing as the top 70-and-over female and placing 305th among all women and 549th overall.

Five years ago, Kukich broke and still holds Delaware’s 65-69 age-group record for the five-mile distance as well. For a time, she held the 10-mile record in the 50-54 age group, and, until last year, also held the 20K record in that same age group.

Currently, Creek Road Runners now hold 15 state age-group records in total, with Kukich keeping her eyes on some upcoming races at other distances.

Best of luck to a super senior!

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You’re a real runner if…

acronyms like PR and DNF are verbs.

the thought of signing up for a 401K is scary.

your blood pressure is 92 over 56 and you are conscious.

you drive 100 miles to a 5K race.

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you know that PR stands for something other than Puerto Rico.

you use your bib numbers to wallpaper your garage.

your resting heart rate is too low to give blood.

you look forward to birthdays when your age changes to a number ending with a 0 or 5.

you consider your latest race shirt “formal wear.”

you mentally measure junk food in miles rather than calories.

you have your own name for all the local public trails.

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