Darkness had complete sway in this local 5K, which benefits Special Olympics of Delaware. However, there were three bright spots among our contingent in the race this year, which took place on Friday, Nov. 30.
CRR Kyle Chappell turned in the best time among three Creek Road Runners who placed in their respective age groups. He came in 37th overall and third in the 55-59 age group in 20:32. CRR Keith Crispin placed third among the 50-54s, finishing 70th overall, in 22:08.
CRR Diane Kukich, who is coming off some minor foot injuries, won the 65-69 age group in a very respectable 25:11.
Speedster CRR Andrew Weber, who will turn 40 next year, had been chipping away at the goal of running a marathon in under three hours. This past weekend, he accomplished that feat in the City of Brotherly Love, completing the Philadelphia Marathon in 2:59:15. He placed 337th overall out of the 9,509 finishers and 36th in the 35-39 age group.
In the 10K, CRR Christina Parsons won the 50-54 age group, finishing 40th overall out of 178 runners in 48:36. Parsons margin of victory in her age group was more than seven minutes! CRR Steve Tague, who finished 24th overall, ran a solid 44:37 and took second in the 55-59 age group.
In the 5K, the honors go to two 70-and-over seniors, who each won this ever-thinning division. CRR Doug Ridge won in 28:28, and CRR April Anderson won in 42:12 (no doubt walking much of it).
The fastest time among CRRs in the 5K belonged to CRR Doug Repetti, who ran a 27:05, taking second place among the 65-69s.
On Sunday, CRR Bruce Weber placed 5th overall out of 188 finishers in 1:04:14. An unusually long course for this natural sprinter, Weber won his age group (50-59) and was the second master’s finisher.
CRR Bill Rose finished just off the podium in the same age group, turning in a very respectable 1:07:47 while placing 13th.
The Annual Scott Mackler 5K was contested on October 21. This race continues in memory of CRR Scott Mackler who had battled ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) for years before his death and added significantly to the quest to find a cure, not only through his own research, but through the proceeds from this race—the toughest road 5K in Delaware.
In the men’s field, CRR Ryan German won the 40-49 age group, placing 10th overall in 22:38.
CreekRoadRunners.org 