My wife Lenore (the other half of the Dolphin Marathon Team) and I find the Capital City Marathon at Olympia, WA, to be especially enjoyable because of the social aspects of the event. We visited with more runners and their families at the Sunday, May 16, 1999, marathon than at any other race. The talkfest started at packet pickup in Sylvester Park on Saturday and continued the next morning at the same park where volunteers attached plastic chips to all runners' shoes with velcro tape.

Just prior to the scheduled 7:30 a.m. start under overcast skies, we gathered at the starting line near the Capitol for further visitation. Without warning, the gun went off a few minutes prematurely, causing a wild scramble to get rid of excess clothes, kiss loved ones, punch wristwatches, cross the starting line, and get into the race.

On the course, there were countless greetings and brief conversations with many as they passed me. One that was especially memorable was in crossing paths in the eighth mile with Mike Dutton, 29, Marathon Achiever of Seattle, our adopted grandson. Mike is a comeback kid in marathoning as he is increasing his training miles and dieting. This was his first marathon in a year as he kept his Capital City streak alive. After the race he brought us up to date on his family---wife Diane and our great grandson Miles (as in miles and miles to run".)

In the fifteenth mile I passed a young fellow and found out that he was David Massulo, 13, of Fort Lewis, WA. He was running his first marathon and would finish with a time of 4:20:57 to take home a second place trophy. He was the youngest runner in the race by six years. When I told him that I was one of the oldest, he said, "Cool!"

In the last 10K as I was having my usual wall and leg cramp problems, three friends had kind words as they passed me to run the final miles. It was good to see these three---Frank Fleetham, Ray Wold, and Lynne Werner, even if I couldn't run with them. I passed 20 miles at 3:00 and had time to finish under four hours, but my body held me to a 4:03:04 (9:18), 244th of 388 and second of six in the 65-69M age class.

The race was won by Phil Jasperson, 32, of Olympia in a repeat performance. His time was 2:28:44. Karen Steen, 34, also of Olympia won the women's division in 2:52:21 and placed tenth overall. Another front runner was our friend Jeff Giesbrecht, 30, of Vancouver, BC. Re ran a PR 3:00:08 for 20th overall and fifth in his age class.

Congratulations to a fellow Yakima Hard Core Runners Club member, Terry Cliett of Selah, who ran his first marathon in a time of 3:27:04. Lenore saw him cross the finish line just ahead of our friend Mel Preedy. However, with the "chip" adjustment Mel's fantastic time of 3:26:59 (1st in 65-69M group) listed him as finisher #76 and Terry as finisher #77.

Our longtime friend Ron Nicholl, 56, director of the Marathon Achievers, was on hand to run his first 26.2 mile marathon in two years (in 3:36:05). In the past two years he has concentrated on running ultramarathons---averaging 16 per year. A Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run finisher, he has completed over 200 marathons/ ultras. One of his most recent accomplishments was completing the Iditasport 100 Mile ultra on February 15, 1999, at Big Lake, Alaska, in 39 hours and 38 minutes (8 hours ahead of the race cutoff time!) He accomplished this feat by pulling a sled with supplies and running on river and road ice in sub freezing temperatures!!

As a volunteer at many races, Lenore meets other runners' family members who also help out. The Capital City Marathon was a "reunion day" for her, too. Waiting with her at the finish line was Verna Kartes, a coworker at Fred Willet's March Pacific Rim 24 Hour Run in Longview. Her daughter Jodi Kartes from Lake Oswego, OR, ran the marathon in 3:40:49. Diane Bemrose from Gresham, OR, had worked with Lenore at the Columbia River Gorge Marathon in May 1998 and at the Autumnn Leaves 50's Ultra at Champoeg State Park in Oregon last October. Her husband Richard ran this marathon in 4:07:45.

The Dolphin Marathon Team enjoyed all aspects of the Capital City Marathon and looks forward to the race on May 15, 2000, by which time the "running half" of the team will have had a birthday to move him on to a new age division--safe from Mel Preedy's competition for 3 years!!!

Thanks Bob Dolphin for sharing your report with us !

Look here for complete 1999 Capital City Marathon Race Results

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