Category Archives: Race Results

Virtual UD Homecoming 5K

06 Friday Nov 2020

Posted by in Race Results

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Recently, the University of Delaware held its annual Homecoming 5K, though the competition itself was an individual thing due to the coronavirus pandemic and its associated local restrictions on large gatherings.

photo of Bill Rose
photo of Bruce Weber

Two Creek Road Runners continue to put together good 5K efforts. Placing second and third overall, respectively, were CRR Bruce Weber and CRR Bill Rose. Though socially distant, their times were separated by only a minute, Weber notching a 19:53 and Rose coming in at 20:53.

Out of the 109 runners, two other CRRs ran as well. CRR Diane Kukich posted a 26:42, finishing 15th overall and 4th among the women. CRR Julie Brewer was 26th overall with a 28:50.

Virtual winners

29 Tuesday Sep 2020

Posted by in Race Results

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

photo of Bruce Weberphoto of Bill RoseCRR Bruce Weber and CRR Bill Rose have been 5K competitors in the senior brackets for the past several years, but they probably hadn’t faced off virtually until two weekends ago. Well, they both went at it, albeit in different locations at different times, in the Blue Hens Virtual 5K.

Luckily, they were also in different age groups for this “race”—Weber, the younger of the two, in the rather unique 46-59 group and Rose in the 60-and-overs. Each won his respective age group.

Blue Hen Virtual 5K and 1-mile Fun Run logoWeber, running at the Wilmington Friends School track, came in at 20:42, while Rose, running at the McKean High School track, was just 17 seconds back in 20:59. Each had no real competition within his own age category, so it is only fitting that their times should be so close.

Guys, we trust that you either had accurate watches or that someone else was timing. In any case, well done!

New Delaware outdoor mile record set

25 Tuesday Aug 2020

Posted by in Race Results, Stories

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

News Journal photo of Kieran Tuntivate4:02:21 is now the official outdoor mile record in Delaware. This mark was set on the track at St. Mark’s High School this past Saturday by recent Harvard grad and Charter School of Wilmington alum Kieran Tuntivate in a special event meant to help eclipse four-minute mile barrier for the first time on Delaware soil. Unfortunately, Tuntivate fell just short of the intended goal.

But Tuntivate wasn’t disappointed. He hopes to catch on with a professional team this fall and step up his training, with an eye toward representing Thailand in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. “It would have meant a lot,” Tuntivate said. “The one thing I’ll say is it’s gonna happen eventually. If it’s me or someone else, it’s fun to be part of the group that’s trying to get it done in Delaware.”

Tuntivate had already two sub-4 miles, including a personal-best 3:57.36 indoors in February and a 3:57.87 outdoors just a week ago, on Aug. 15 in Nashville. He knew he was in shape to do it again, and he knew it had never been done before in Delaware.

Tuntivate has been one of Delaware’s brightest stars on the college running scene lately. photo of Sam ParsonsComing on the heels of a stellar college career and early professional racing success by Newark’s CRR Sam Parsons (read about Sam’s accomplishments), the former Charter School of Wilmington sensation put up some impressive numbers while running for the Harvard Crimson. He was an All-American at Harvard, where he holds school records in the mile, 3,000 and 10,000 meters. He won five Ivy League titles, gaining national attention in 2019 after earning an Ivy 3,000 crown despite running most of the race without his left shoe.

photo of Bruce WeberBased on the aforementioned milestones, former Harvard runner and CRR Bruce Weber calls Tuntivate “the best Harvard distance runner ever.” He added, “I thought Kieran’s results eclipsed [those of] Adam Dixon (’82-83), who won multiple Heps championships in track and made the 1984 Olympic Trials final in the 1,500. [Tuntivate] set the American record in the 1,000 meters, and that time—2:19.8—may be the best record at the school.” Weber should know, as the 1984 grad once held both Harvard’s two-mile and 3,000m records.

photo of Jim BrayThe fastest mile time run in Delaware (4:01.1, by a West Virginia runner) occurred way back in 1971 at an indoor meet at the University of Delaware Fieldhouse. Notably, CRR Jim Bray, who ran for Newark High School, once held the Delaware scholastic mile record for an astonishing 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.

> See full story in News Journal (for Delaware Online subscribers)

Kukich crushes the pandemic

25 Thursday Jun 2020

Posted by in Kudos, Race Results, Stories

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

photo of Diane Kukich outside Carpenter Sports BuildingSo, it’s been relatively silent here at CreekRoadRunners.org since the Covid-19 pandemic gripped our region and the world. However, that doesn’t mean that runners have not found ways to adapt and stay in shape and, yes, even “compete” (For example, see the previous story, posted three months ago.)

Such is the case with CRR Diane Kukich, the Newark woman with the still-intact streak of more than 10,000 consecutive days of workouts, dating back some 30 years. So, it figures that, while not a fanatic racer, she would design ways to push herself and compete (against the clock) as one of the top masters females in the area.

photo of Diane Kukich's Crushing the Pandemic plaque and ribbonEnter the Crush the Pandemic competition, organized by Tri-Sports Charitable Events. The competition involved ten 5Ks, all self-timed. Perfect for Kukich, who simply pushed herself while working this into her fitness routine.

And, voila! Kukich took home (er, was mailed) hardware for winning the female masters category with the fastest cumulative time (4:25:27) for her series of 5K runs. That equates to a 26:33 average per 5K—not bad for anyone, let alone someone in the 65-69 age bracket.

Such a unique concept and award. Hopefully, we won’t have to see such a thing become the norm.

Stay healthy, and keep running.

Three CRRs pirate a good time in Florida

05 Thursday Mar 2020

Posted by in Race Results

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

photo of April AndersonCCR April Anderson and her husband, CCR Bruce Hubbard, ran the Gasparilla Distance Classic 5K on February 22. Anderson wanted to try out the competition in her new age group (75-79) and got second out of 32 women, which, because she finished within the top 10 percent of her class, netted her a mug and a doubloon award. There were more than 10,600 participants in the 5K. Anderson’s time was 37:41 (37:01 chip).

She was aiming for something in the upper 35- or at least 36-minute range, but it was too crowded, especially at the beginning. Anderson reported that there were five corrals but (as is often the case) many of the runners did not go into the correct corral for their average speed and just stopped and walked in front of her, congesting the way and slowing her down. Hubbard’s finishing time was 42:57 (42:33 chip), slowed a bit by the same issue.

Anderson says, “I hope I can report a placing in the Shamrock Sports Fest in Virginia Beach. I bought a cool medal hanger with a picture of a long, rural road that says ‘There will be a day when I can no longer do this. Today is NOT that day.’ But, at 75, who knows!”

Arrrrr! CRR Rachel Mroz details her Gasparilla Half Marathon experience, which included nearly 4,200 other finishers:

Escaping the “winter” in Delaware to head to sunny Florida for a weekend? Sign me up! The Gasparilla Distance Classic is a weekend filled with four races—5K and15K on Saturday and Half Marathon and 8K on Sunday. Runners can opt for challenges by signing up for combos of the races. I just did the half. 

photo of the 2020 Gasparilla Half Marathon medalWhile not part of the Gasparilla pirate festival in Tampa, this race keeps with the pirate theme and has an awesome medal (don’t judge, but I only do races with good medals)! 

The run is very well organized, and the course is pancake flat with views of Hillsborough Bay along Bayshore Boulevard for 80 percent of the course. With the half marathon capped at 6,500 runners, the course never felt crowded. It was my first time doing the race, and I will definitely do it again and maybe try one of the challenges next year. 

The weather was perfect for running—51 degrees at the start with very low humidity. My chip time was 2:37:22 [2:42:41 gun], which I’m happy with, considering (1) the amount of training I put in (not extensive), (2) the stops along the course to take photos (including one with Chewbacca), and (3) just generally taking my time to enjoy the course and the views. Got a shout out from the finish-line announcer who corrected his pronunciation of Newark to “New-ark” as I was crossing the line. 

Runners are allowed to hang out in the Convention Center before the short walk to the start line, so that means a real restroom, a place to top off the phone battery, and a comfortable place to get some pre-race stretching done.

Can’t guarantee the perfect weather for next year, but if you want a super flat, fast course and to escape Delaware for a few days (maybe next year will be snowy?), this is a great race to do.