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CCR 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.
While 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.
Notably absent from last Saturday’s Turkey Trot races here in Newark was CRR Andrew Weber. That’s because he ran the Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday. The 40-year-old Weber placed 400th overall in a huge field, breaking the 3-hour mark in 2:59:44 and qualifying for the Boston Marathon in the process. Congratulations to him on a major accomplishment in his new age group.
In the Rothman Orthopedics 8K (rough metric equivalent of a five-mile race), part of the Philadelphia Marathon Weekend, 52-year-old CRR Bill Farquhar finished in 29:59, 4th in his age group and 122nd overall (out of 4,130 competitors). That’s a six-minute/mile pace for this speedy senior!
Short-distance speedster CRR Bruce Weber (no relation to Andrew, except for similar fast-twitch acumen) took care of winning the 55-59 age group in 19:31. An annual racing event for her, CRR Ann Jornlin won the 65-69 age group with a 30:06.
In the 10K race, coming off having run both the 
Chilly, but calm, conditions provided a near ideal day for the 47th Annual Turkey Trot 10K and 5K races here in Newark. There were several notables among the Creek Road Runners, as several took age-group awards.
In the 10K, CRR Clark Ridge of College Park, Md., placed 4th overall (out of the 195 finishers) and took 1st among the 35-39 men in a fast 36:38. (Yes, the photo at left is one from his college days.)
In the 5K, CRR Mark Deshon led the Creek Road Runners, placing 39th overall (out of 541 finishers) and turning in an inspired 7-min./mile pacing at 21:42, taking 1st place in the 60-64 age group. This is Deshon’s 10th consecutive age-group win, dating back four years to the 2015 Turkey Trot. OK, the jinx is now on!
CRR Emma Beisheim finished behind only three men in the annual Delaware Memorial Bridge Run to Acceptance for Special Olympics, held on Sunday, Oct. 6. She clocked in at 21:06, easily winning the prize as the top overall female at this unique 5K on the bridge. She’s obviously in good racing form. Congrats!