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As co-directors of the inaugural Yakima River Canyon Marathon (March 31, 2001), Lenore and I pay more attention now to how marathons are organized than ever before and learn something from each one that we attend. We found the Couer d' Alene Marathon to be well-organized, and it's obvious that the race directors are making an effort to improve the quality of the event. This is evidenced by the prompt posting of accurate results and the new scenic course that runs by Lake Coeur d' Alene and provides vistas of the lake, forests, and mountains.

As the marathon approaches its silver anniversary, the number of charter runners who have run all 23 annual marathons has been reduced to four. As usual, Sylvia and Pat Quinn of Spokane, WA, and Russ Akers and Mac Bohlman of the Walla Walla area were on hand to run their 23rd consecutive Coeur d' Alene Marthons. Regrettably, Harold Copeland, 80, of Richland, WA, who had run the previous 22 marathons at Coeur d' Alene, couldn't participate this year due to illness.

It was good to see many of our running friends on hand at the marathon and the concurrent half marathon on race day, May 28, 2000. The race was won by Uli Steidi, 28, a graduate student from Germany who is attending the University of Washington in Seattle. He set a course record with a time of 2:26:09. Only three weeks earlier Uli won the Vancouver Marathon (2:18:53) reflecting his ability to race often and well. Six months ago he was the winner of the Seattle Marathon with a 2:30:05. Jacqueline Van Allen, 36, of Spokane was the women's division winner with a 3:04:16.

With the long out-and-back section by the lake one gets to see the whole race field in the second half of the event. Eventually, the front runners, friends, acquaintances, and competitors all pass going in the opposite direction. This adds to the interest of the event.

Friends and acquaintances whom I saw on the course or talked to in the start/finish area are listed below:

Russ Akers, 67, College Place, 4:20:20
Will Aslin, 53, Spokane, 4:29:19
Charles Badldridge, 77, Garden Valley, ID, 6:26:35
Mac Bohlman, 65, Walla Walla, 4:32:01
Steve Burt, 48, Pasco, 3:21:52
Larry Carroll, 60, Liberty Lake, 3:11:40
Sharon Carroll, 57, Liberty Lake, 3:55:55
Yau-Ming Chien, 57, Bellevue, 4:30:59
Bill Close, 40, Spokane, 3:54:31
Dennis Clute, 47, Spokane, 3:42:44
Mary Ann Clute, 47, Spokane, 4:32:41
Bob Dolphin, 70, Renton, 4:05:57
Richard Friedrichsen, 57, Clarks, NE, 3:46:19
Ed Galiger, 61, Lynnwood, 5:51:00
Trish Hruby, 42, Everett, 3:29:41
Davey Jones, 54, Seattle, 4:49:01
Evan Jones, 44, Colville, ID, 4:49:01
Jim Kunz, 51, Seattle, 3:58:37
Steve Love, 46, Mansfield, 4:15:28
Steve Pierce, 38, Coeur d' Alene, ID, 4:24:52
Mel Preedy, 67, Ravensdale, 3:30:21
Coeur d' Alene Marathon
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Pat Quinn, 66, Spokane, 5:00:15
Sylvia Quinn, 63, Spokane, 3:58:16
Monty Robbins, 52, Kennewick, 3:45:25
Dave Vent, 63, Spokane, 6:05:55

There were good representations of Marathon Achievers and of the 50 States and DC Group. I talked with John Wall from New Orleans, LA, and Don Wither of Mobile, AL, who were adding Idaho to their state list. Richard Friederichsen is close to the required 20 marathon total to become a 50 States and DC Club member. He and his wife Marlene came from Clarks, Nebraska. In three consecutive weekends his running of the Capital City Marathon in Olympia, WASHINGTON, on May 21st, Coeur d' Alene Marathon in IDAHO on May 28th, and the Newport Marathon in OREGON on June 3 gets him to within one race of that goal.

Lenore and I stayed with Gunhild and Jack Swanson at their Spokane home and had a delightful visit. Both are injured and ran the half marathon instead of the full. Gunhild, 55, came in first for the 55-59 women with a 1:37:46. Jack, 66, finished second for the 65-59 male division with a 1:59:35. They have run marathons all over the country, in Canada, and in Germany, Gunhild's native country. She has run 104 26.2 mile marathons and 11 ultramarathons since September 1980. Jack started running marathons in 1979 and has run 116 26.2 mile marathons and 13 ultras. While both have many age class awards, Gunhild is the only woman whom I know personally who has been the overall women 5 winner in 26 marathons.. four times at Coeur d' Alene. . . and at the inaugural (and very difficult) Columbia River Gorge Marathon in 1998. She also has five first place finishes in the Masters' Division. Her age class performances include an additional 35 first places. The impressive list goes on and on!!! Her PR of 2:56:28 was registered at the Seattle Marathon in 1982. What a runner and she still runs some sub- 3:20's every year!

My race went well in spite of losing time to a 15 mile per hour headwind for part of the race. I finished with a 4:05:57 which was a few minutes faster than my time a week earlier at the Capital City Marathon and my Coeur d' Alene finish time a year ago. My finishing position of 177th of 342 was near mid-field, and I was the only runner in the 70-74M division.

We enjoyed the race, and I hope to run it again next year to keep my 14-year string of Coeur d' Alene Marathons growing.