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Andrew Weber (center) and Bruce Weber (in blue singlet at left) finish in the top ten.
Nearly 700 participants showed up on October 6 for the annual Main Street Mile, contested here in Newark on the straightaway between the east end of East Main and the Deer Park Tavern. There were three Creek Road Runners among the standouts in the race.
First of all, CRR Andrew Weber and CRR Bruce Weber (no relation, other than similar top-end speed) both cracked the top ten. “Weber A” finished 7th in 5:13.8 (5:12.9 chip), taking 2nd in the 30-39 age group, and “Weber B” finished 10th in 5:18.4 (5:16.9 chip) while winning the 50-59s and notching the highest age-grade score of any of the competitors at 85.1*.
The second highest age-grade score was turned in by CRR Diane Kukich at 83.1*, by virtue of her 7:41.0 finishing time (7:31.2 chip). Kukich won the 65-69 age group.
*A score between 80 and 89 is considered “national” class.
Noah 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.
Olson 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.
A 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.
In Newark’s inaugural Lederhosen Half Marathon last Saturday, 38-year-old CRR Andrew Weber blitzed the course that covered most of the city, having to follow only a motorcycle and/or cyclist marshal, in 1:22:22. The younger Weber (no relation) won the race outright among 352 finishers.
Also competing in the Lederhosen Half were two other Creek Road Runners. CRR Doug Repetti, who took 3rd in the 60-69 age group in 1:54:45, finished 59th overall and was 18th among 56 masters runners. 
On the women’s side, CRR Julie Brewer was 90th out of 226 women finishers and the 30th masters woman out of 110, clocking in at 2:19:23.
CRR Dave Schultz traveled just north of New York City to run the Shawangunk Ridge Trail Half-Marathon—a grueling 13.1 miles over rugged mountain terrain. The race website bills it as “an adventurous trail with scrambles and squeezes.” Well, it about squeezed every bit of energy out of the 52-year-old Schultz, who didn’t expect it to be quite as menacing. Beginning in Minnewaska State Park and ending in Rosedale, N.Y., he completed the course in just over three hours (3:01:45), finishing 19th overall (13th male finisher) and winning the men’s 50-59 age group.
Right here in Wilmington, CRR Bruce Weber had a very different experience, as he won the inaugural Last Alarm 5K, during which he figures he only ran about 4.67K. Though he had a significant lead over the second-place runner, Weber followed the lead of the city policeman’s motorcycle, who was leading the way but made a 180-degree turnaround too early in the middle of the race. So much for course management. Weber clocked in at 17:42 but figures he would have been closer to 19 flat and would have won anyway had he actually run 5K.
CreekRoadRunners.org 