This weekend saw the Creek Road Runners perform at their collective best during the Delaware Marathon Running Festival.
When one race just isn’t good enough (or apparently long enough), CRR Diane Kukich doubles up. She ran and won the 65-69 age group in the 5K on Saturday evening in 24:47 and then celebrated Mother’s Day by winning the same age group in the Half Marathon in 2:10:21. No doubt her daughter Christine, who also ran both races, was her inspiration, …or is it the other way around?
Local standout and 37-year-old CRR Andrew Weber placed 2nd overall out of 821 finishers in the Half Marathon, with a stellar time of 1:21:27. Wow! CRR Dan Weile cracked the top 20 himself in the Half, running a 1:33:49 and taking 3rd in the 40-44 age group.
Just having come off a 3:51:28 finish at the Boston Marathon, CRR Tripp Shenton placed 58th overall in the Half Marathon with a 1:40:18, giving him a 2nd place finish among the 55-59s.
Of particular note was Dimitri Kaliakin (son of CRR Vic Kaliakin), who placed 12th overall out of 328 finishers in the Marathon with a wonderful 3:06:07, a pace of approximately 7:05 per mile for the 26.2-mile distance. Kaliakin placed 2nd in the 20-24 age group.
CRRs Rose, Farquhar, Weber, and Crispin
In the event where Creek Road Runners have historically shone brightly—the Marathon Relay, two CRR teams placed in the top 10 out of the 92 teams that competed.
The “Creek Road Runners” team smashed its own team record, set last year, by nearly 5 minutes, finishing 3rd overall in 2:48:26, and (by virtue of the winning team being a masters team as well) took top prize in the masters category!
CRR Bill Rose ran a 44:06 in the first of four 6.55-mile legs. CRR Bruce Weber, despite having encountered some calf cramping and having to walk a bit, finished leg two in a quick 41:16. CRR Keith Crispin, who a week ago ran a 1:04:33 at the Broad Street Ten Miler, finished leg three in 43:08. The fastest and youngest (turns 50 this fall) of the team, CRR Bill Farquhar, who ran 59:54 at Broad Street, sizzled in the final leg with a 39:56!
CRRs Dombroski, Chappell, Brett, and DiIorio
The Creek Road Runners “B” team (a.k.a. “Team UMS”) of CRR Kyle Chappell (46:11), CRR Joe Dombroski (55:23), CRR Bob DiIorio (57:24), and CRR Andrew Brett (47:57) finished in 9th place overall, clocking a combined time of 3:26:55.
Well done, everyone!
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.
