The News Journal’s Brad Myers wrote a great article on the secret behind the success of the running program at the Tatnall School in Wilmington—its coach, Pat Castagno.  On “National Signing Day” this past week, five of his current protégés signed running scholarships for college.  This is an amazing thing for a school with such a small population.  But Castagno, a product of the coaching of CRR Jim Fischer at Delaware, has done amazing things with Tatnall’s program, recognized as one of the best nationally.

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Two former Tatnall runners, siblings Molly and Sam Parsons, are scholarship runners at Richmond and North Carolina State, respectively.  They are CRR George Parsons and CRR Christina Parsons’ kids.

CRR Ken Seaman, 1950–2013

Well before his knees gave out on him, CRR Ken Seaman was a force to be reckoned with—on the road, in the water, on the bike, or some combination thereof. Even with substantial discomfort in his knees, Seaman would often jump in a local 5K or two and go as hard as he could. He loved the beach life and often ran the popular Bottle & Cork 10 Miler. In his heyday, Seaman competed with fellow triathlete buddies CRR Chip Fletcher, CRR John Zolper, and CRR Willie Cain, who was his next-door neighbor and one of his best friends.

Professionally, Seaman had been an instructor and academic coordinator of clinical education in the Physical Therapy Program at the University of Delaware for over 20 years, a testament to his love of health and fitness. He had great passion for volunteering and outreach, which earned him the Jefferson Award in 2002 and the Volunteer of the Year award from the MS Society of Delaware.

Seaman had retired a few years ago and had had his share of more serious health problems in recent years. He was 62 and died at his home in Newark early this week.

Seaman Obituary

CRR Mark Deshon with the bubbly

Since 1999, Creek Road Runners have been gathering on Dec. 31 at Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area to “Wring Out the Old, Ring In the New,” celebrating the end of the year and the promise of a new one while enjoying camaraderie along a 7.5km trail loop.

Check out this year’s event review and those of previous years.

Interim City Manager Carol Houck, Councilman Jerry Clifton, Secretary Bhatt, Mayor Vance Funk, U.S. Senator Carper, Gov. Markell, State Senator Liane Sorensen, and Secretary O’Mara join in the ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 10, 2012.

Good things are happening for runners here in Newark.  U.S. Senator Tom Carper, Governor Jack Markell, DelDOT Secretary Shailen Bhatt, DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara, and city officials cut the ribbon yesterday on the new two-mile multi-use trail that runs north-south from Creek Road along the old Pomeroy and Newark railroad bed to the east-west-running James F. Hall Trail along the southern portion of the center of the city.

This should give runners more choices, particularly in terms of off-road routes to and from Creek Road.

Note that the only portion of the Pomeroy Trail that is still under construction is the portion between the Laird Campus trailhead and the northernmost trailhead at Creek Road (at the “S” curve). Both new bridges are in place, but they’re not very “runable” at this time.

For construction-stage photos on the northern half of the Pomeroy Trail, see posts from August, April, and February of this year.