May 8, 1998 Carol Dellinger celebrated a milestone of 100th marathon finishes with a fine gathering of close friends and running buddies at a catered party this evening. April 26th's Big Sur Marathon in Carmel, California (at which she was issued bib number 100) marked the 100th finish for the 35-year-old Spokane resident, originally from Clayton, Washington. According to Carol's best friend Sheryl Storro, some of Carol's secrets of success are to bless her socks before a marathon, and to always have the bib number on straight - "even in gale-force winds," quipped Carol. The pair believe they have been race companions since Carol's 19th marathon, and that Carol has travelled by air to as many as 77 of her 100 marathons - which has kept their travel consultant Sharon Fisher very busy. Carol will utilize some of those bonus miles in June with a trip to the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon in Alaska.

Carol was presented at the party with a very handsome marble statue crafted by local ultrarunner and skater Mario Marcella. By design, the fifteen-pound sculpture incorporates 100 marble ring-fissures in the base, while immortalizing Carol's achievement in a combination of brass hollow relief & fashioned letters, with a handmade caricature on top. She was also recently named Northwest Runner's runner-of-the-month; partly for this milestone, but also for her direction of the Women's Run, a large area event to raise funds for breast cancer research. Carol was also a president & executive board member of Bloomsday Road Runners Club.

Carol, always jovial, credited all those present, believing that each person must have somehow played a part in her accomplishment. Her co-worker Gayle put together a fantastic array of fine, fresh foods for the festivity. One of her training friends had ran with her virtually before every marathon she's done. Her teammates on the WSU 100K relay honoured her with a "100 Bun Salute" five weeks before - they mooned her to a total of 100 cheeks during her leg, in "tribute." But Sheryl received a round of ovations when Carol credited her with everything she's done - in addition to being her friend, she's also been her massage therapist, motivator, chauffeur, and now - agent? Carol's sponsors, GU and STOKER energy supplement products, have figured that the top Northwest female megamarathoner should have a liaison. It indeed is difficult to imagine one of the two being at a race without the other - Carol calculates that Sheryl has waited nearly 500 hours for her, and that she should never complain that she had to wait for Sheryl.

What's next for Carol? "To the next hundred!" she says. Next Sunday she will finish her 101st at the same place she finished her first - at the Capital City Marathon in Olympia, Washington.

"The first step . . . is the one on which depends the rest."
- quoted from tonight's invitation

Submitted by Steven A. Pierce
Thanks Steve for sharing !

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