The Bloomsday Road Runners Club did a great job of organizing the Fourth Annual Spokane Festival of Races on Sunday, October 17, 1999. This included the marathon, half marathon, and a 5 mile race. All runs started and finished at Riverside Park in downtown Spokane. With the beautiful scenery of the Spokane River in a deep, wooded valley for much of the race, the Spokane Marathon is a delightful experience for the senses.

In the fourth running of this event over 300 runners participated in the half marathon and 121 started the marathon. There is room for many more to get acquainted with this challenging marathon course.

Jerry Martin crossed the finish line in his wheelchair in 2:21:42, and the first runner was Bryan Schultz, 38, of Spokane in a time of 2:54:44 (6:40). The first woman to finish and win the women 5 race was Sherry Diezler, 37, of Valleyford, WA. Her time was 3:36:56 (8:17).

Our friend Mark Hartinger, 42, of Shoreline, WA, was fourth overall and second 40-44M with a time of 3:06:50. He has run here before and likes the course. Mark was recovering from running the grueling, hot Angeles Crest 100 Miles successfully two weeks previously and still ran well in this race, his 99th marathon/ultramarathon. Mark is a Marathon Achiever (MA). Another MA, Steve Frederickson, 53, of Kent ran a 3:36:49 for 2nd 50-54M. He, too, was at the Angeles Crest in the California mountains. Coincidentally, he was running his 99th marathon/ ultra at Spokane closing in on his 100th milestone, also.

Steve Pierce, MA, 37, of Coeur d' Alene, ID, ran a 3:35:51. He runs 25-30 marathons/ultras every year. This is more than anyone else in the Northwest---a remarkable achievement.

My running buddy, Mel Preedy, MA, 66, of Ravensdale, WA, has completed 192 marathons/ultras. He was first for the 65-69M runners with a time of 3:48:20. John Parrott, 67, of Spokane, came in second with a time of 4:10:30. Longtime friend, Russ Akers, MA, 66, of College Place, WA, was third in the division with a 4:23:03. Dave Vent, MA, 63, of Spokane, ran a 5:13:37 and was first in the 60-64M division. Dave belongs to the 50 States and DC Club and has run marathons in all the states, Washington, D.C., and all the Canadian provinces. His total count is 148 (or more) marathons/ultras.

As in so many of my marathons, I had a good first half (2 hours) and a struggling second half to finish in 4:17:48 for an age class first. I believe that I am the first 70 year old to run this marathon. This race was my 200th 26.2 marathon. I have also completed 45 ultras and usually add the two figures for my megamarathoning count.

It was nice seeing marathoners Gunhild and Jack Swanson volunteering at the marathon. Both are injured and have had to put marathoning on hold. In spite of her foot injury, Gunhild ran the 5 mile race and placed first in the 55-59F division with a time of 36:40. Seeing Jack at the finish line was a welcome sight as I wrapped up my run.

At the end of my Victoria Marathon article I had a "JEERS, CHEERS" section. Lenore was a volunteer at the finish line in Spokane and provided comments for these categories.

JEERS: to the many turkeys of the half marathon who crossed the finish line and came through the finishers' chute and to the only turkey who crossed the finish line for the marathon, came through the chute, and then expected a finisher's medal for cheating!! Turkeys need to ~realize that they're really thieves who are taking what the legitimate runners are paying for--aid on the course, police protection, ambulance availability etc.

CHEERS: to the local high school cross country track teams who were willing volunteers at the aid stations and to the ones from Rogers High School who worked at the finish line with Lenore. She has nothing but positive comments about this great group of young people.

CHEERS: to the Bloomsday Road Runners Club for donating around $4,000.00 in 1998 for support of the high school cross country track teams, for providing perfect weather for the race, and for making this a "gem of a marathon."

look here for full 1999 results

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