Category Archives: News

Shenton does distance in Sweden

21 Sunday Oct 2018

Posted by in News, Race Results

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

photo of Tripp Shenton with medal in Stockholm

A happy Tripp Shenton after finishing in Stockholm Half

University of Delaware professor and CRR Tripp Shenton, on sabbatical from in Sweden, checked in recently to let us know he’s been having some fun at some big races over there.

On September 15, he ran the Stockholm Half Marathon in 1:47:02, which placed him in the top 25% of his age group.

photo of starting line in cross-country race

Massive starting line for Lidingöloppet 15K

More recently, he competed in the Lidingöloppet 15K, which is billed as the “largest cross-country race in the world.” He said that the trails in White Clay Creek State Park were a big help in his training but that it was still a tough race. Shenton finished in 1:21:23.

Son of CRR completes Ironman

04 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by in Kudos, News, Race Results

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

Leave it to the next generation. Those of us who are now in the twilight of our running years can now take a major degree of solace in the successes of our children (also see previous post).

Ironman Maryland logoNoah Olson, son of CRR Tom Olson, recently completed the Ironman Maryland competition on Sept. 29. His official time was 13 hours, 6 minutes, 23 seconds, including transition times. He finished in the top half (31st) in his age group (25-29), gender grouping, and overall.

photo of Noah OlsonOlson had a plan for the day, which unfolded pretty much like he had hoped it would. His time for the 2.4-mile swim was 1:21:22. Then he hit the bike for the long and draining 112-mile distance. His bike time was 6:28:20, an overall average of 17.38 mph, which is super. The challenge was for him to keep the bike leg within reason so as to have enough left in the tank for the marathon. He did so, completing the marathon distance (26.2 miles) in 4:50:02.

According to the elder Olson, who recently completed the local Top of Delaware Sprint Triathlon, “The two transitions were 13+ and 12+ minutes each, as [Noah] took time to stretch, eat, etc. He looked and said he felt good at the finish. I am sure that taking a few extra minutes during the transition was very helpful. It was pretty inspiring to be at various stages of the race and watching and cheering on all the athletes out there demonstrating true grit!”

Son of CRRs goes sub-4

04 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by in Kudos, News, Race Results

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Sam Parsons, son of CRR Christina Parsons and CRR George Parsons, achieved a personal milestone recently and became the first Delawarean to run a sub-four-minute mile. In fact, he was so juiced that he did it twice in one week in major races.

The following is an excerpt from the official race website of the annual New York Road Runners Fifth Avenue Mile, contested on September 9, 2018.

Newark’s Sam Parsons leads the pack in the 2018 NYRR Fifth Avenue MileIn the men’s race, Sam Parsons bolted to an immediate 5-meter lead, his mind clearly on the halfway leader’s bonus. He hit the first quarter in 57 seconds, while the pack, led by Johnny Gregorek, came through in about 59. Defending champion Nick Willis of New Zealand, seeking his fifth title in this event, was in the center of the chase group, patiently waiting for the real racing to begin.

Parsons reached the half mile in 2:00 with a 10-meter cushion on the field, but that gap quickly disintegrated. Just past three-quarters of a mile (3:00), the pack swallowed up the leader, with Chris O’Hare of Scotland making a bold surge to the front from the far right-hand side of the course. [Scotland’s Jake] Wightman, Willis and Neil Gourley, yet another Scot, covered the move best.

Wightman seized the lead in the final 200 meters, and held off Willis for the win, 3:53.5 to 3:54.2. Gourley (3:55.3) took third, with American Eric Avila (3:55.5) and Aussie Sam McEntee (3:56.0) rounding out the top 5. Parsons was only 14th (3:57.7) but scored his early-leader payday [$1,000] by meeting the sub-4:00 finish requirement. Olympic 1500 gold medalist Matthew Centrowitz didn’t factor in the final sprint and placed 16th in 4:00.2.

Just four days earlier, Parsons had broken the 4-minute barrier for his first time, finishing in 3:59.7 and placing 10th in the Hoka One One Long Island Mile. He runs professionally for Tinman Elite out of Boulder, Colo., and is sponsored by Adidas.

photo of Sam ParsonsA Newark, Del., native and 3200m state record holder, Parsons ran locally while at The Tatnall School and then went on to log a stellar collegiate career at North Carolina State. In June, he competed in the USA Track & Field Championships in the 5000m final, where he actually led the race with 800 meters to go.

Mom and Dad need to help him work on his finishing kick (just kidding).

West Coast visitor, longtime CRR

05 Wednesday Sep 2018

Posted by in News

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, ,

photo of Bill Rose and Dan SimmonsCRR Dan Simmons (right in photo) was spotted by CRR Bill Rose (left in photo) working out in the Carpenter Sports Building gym at the University of Delaware on Sept 4.

Dan and his wife, Sue, are on an East Coast trip, visiting family and friends. After Dan retired from UD’s biology department in 2014, they moved to California. They are healthy, doing well, and enjoying traveling, to such exotic locales as Alaska, Australia, Bordeaux, Sicily, and…to Rehoboth Beach this coming Saturday, where Dan plans to run the 42nd Annual Bottle and Cork Ten Miler. Welcome back, Dan, and good luck!

In memoriam: CRR Tom Brill

03 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by in News

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

photo of votive candleOn a sad note, one of the original Creek Road Runners, CRR Tom Brill, died on July 23 of complications from Parkinson’s Disease. Having retired from the University of Delaware in 2006 because of Parkinson’s, Brill also had to stop running, but he walked as much as he could in the ensuing years.

photo of Tom BrillBrill wrote his own obituary, a portion of which says, “He enjoyed hiking, running, canoeing and mountain climbing. He and his wife [Pat] won the Gore-Tex triathlon mixed pairs in 1985.”

CRR Mark Deshon remembers the day he first met Brill. Deshon met Creek Road Runners co-founder CRR Bob Bennett that same day during a 4.5-mile race in Newark. “This was my first road race in which I experienced running with the lead pack. Tom and Bob, 12 and 15 years my senior, respectively, were among a group of seven runners who were battling for the lead that day. Bob ended up winning, I finished third, and Tom finished right behind me in fourth.

“Tom was always such a kind and humble person,” Deshon continued. “In 2016, he came to an arranged 75th birthday lunch get together in honor of Bob, who had been one of Tom’s running partners back in the 70s.”

CRR Charlie Riordan, UD vice president for research, scholarship and innovation, called Brill “a true scholar-teacher,” and said, “He was a thoughtful and understated [chemistry department] colleague and mentor, whose scientific impact continues through the careers of the excellent students he produced.”

See University of Delaware article.