Lenore and I were pleased to learn that the North Olympic Discovery Marathon that was scheduled for Sunday, June 13, 2004, fit well into our spring marthoning schedule. We had a good time at the Sequim to Port Angeles inaugural race last year, and we wanted to return.

The 135 mile drive from Renton to Port Angeles on Friday, June 11th, was a pleasant one as we drove across the Narrows and Hood Canal bridges, through small towns and into forests with native pacific rhododendrons in bloom.

On Saturday morning we arrived at the Red Lion Hotel race headquarters early. To accommodate a bigger turnout this year, the host hotel provided a large conference room for packet pickup and a runners expo.

We were pleased that the race committee invited our YAKIMA RIVER CANYON MARATHON to have a booth at this expo. On two folding bulletin boards we displayed pictures and newspaper clippings of our 2003 and 2004 races. We "showed off" our awards, finishers medals, pins and shirts and distributed flyers for our 5th Annual YRCM on April 2, 2005. We also promoted the Marathon Maniacs Club and the 100 Marathon Club North America. There were a lot of interested visitors who stopped by, and we felt that our first "Expo Booth" was a success.

A Marathon Maniac carbo-loading dinner at the Bella Italia Restaurant at Port Angeles was next on our schedule. Attending were the club founders, Tony Phillippi, Chris Warren & Steve Yee, plus Sue Fauerbach, Earl Fenstermacher, Rian Rosenthal, Lenore and I. Locally, Tony is leading the club in maniacal accomplishments. By the end of the weekend he had run 10 marathons in 9 consecutive weekends.....and he has plans to continue this pursuit for the next few weekends!

As we were leaving the restaurant, Lenore and I stopped to visit at the Evil Triplets' table. These runners are friends from the Seattle area, and I've been running marathons with them for over 10 years. Ron Fowler, 56, (3:41:04) and Paul Emmett, 58, (3:47:36) started the group as the Evil Twins. Then Greg Judge, 55, joined them prior to running the Mt. Rainier to the Pacific Relay in 1998.....and they became the Evil Triplets. Each ran 50+ miles in that event and finished second in their division. The name, Evil Triplets, was retained as members Jon Eaton, 44 (3:37:56) and Jim Kunz, 55, (4:19:32) were added. Each of them ran 8-10 marathons last year with the exception of Greg who ran 19!

On race morning most of the runners and walkers were bused to the staging areas of the marathon and half marathon for a 9:00 a.m. start.

My race went reasonably well. In the first mile I could tell that the cold that plagued me the previous weekend at the Newport Marathon was not affecting my running.

The tour of Sequim and nearby fields and parks was interesting as we ran on paved pedestrian trails and streets. We passed one striking patch of escaped red poppies in a field. (This is the poppy that doughboys saw in Flanders Field in World War I.) As we ran westward in Sequim, we had overcast skies, temperatures in the low 60's, and a 10-20 mph headwind. The wind was tolerable, but it was the talk of the day as it affected running performances. On the frequent wooded trails there was protection afforded by the windbreak trees.

The high point of the course was leaving farmland and running on the Railroad Bridge over Dungeness Creek. It was very scenic with huge douglas firs and lush shrubbery in a swamp below. There were at least three segments where we ran on similar wooded trails. I like the one by Morse Creek that runs to the shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Port Angeles and the finish area in view several miles away.

Some of the hills in the last 10 miles were steep, but short, and it didn't take long to walk them. Near a seawall in the 24th mile my right hamstrings cramped and brought me to a halt. Headwinds always have this effect on me as I get dehydrated from evaporation. I continued at a shuffle pace, ran against the wind and crossed the finish line in 4:53:36, 304th of 365 finishers, first of two 70+M participants......and the oldest runner in the race!

The marathon was won by Robert Barber of Surrey, BC, with a time of 2:49:04. He had a nine minute lead.....over a mile ahead of the rest of the field. Remarkably, at the age of 44 he was the first masters runner to finish.....and he was 10-20+ years older than the second and third place finishers. Barry Niese, 34, of Beaverton, OR, ran a 2:58:33 for second place followed by Damian Hill, 21, of Port Angeles with a 3:00:15.

Lori Buratto, 33, of Spokane Valley, WA, was the first woman to finish. Her time was 3:16:12. She had a five minute cushion over the second place finisher, 50 year old Stephanie Hewitt, of Raymond, WA. Her 3:21:25 was just 25 seconds faster than the third place time of 37 year old Suzanna Reid of Seattle.

Congratulations to the Swansons from Spokane, WA. Less than three weeks before her 60th birthday, Gunhild won the 55-59F division with a 3:38:15. Jack was second in the 70+M group with a sub five-hour 4:59:55. Both are long time friends whom we see at many marathons during the course of the year. They are 100 Marathon Club North America members, as well, with each one having completed 150-200 marathons.

Dave Dutton, 47, a Marathon Achiever, race director and runner of ultramarathons from Mt. Vernon, WA, supported his 18 year old daughter Heather in her developing running career when she was in middle school and high school. Occasionally he would run with her in a local 10K or half marathon as she matured. At Port Angeles Dave accompanied her while she ran her first marathon. They prevailed over the headwinds, and Heather finished first in the 19 and under female division with a 4:03:38. Congratulations, Heather! Dave, the proud father, finished in 4:04:00.

There were other dads guiding their offspring through their first marathon from Sequim to the finish line. John Munson of Overland Park, KS, was with his son Chris Jones of Prairie Village, KS, through his first marathon experience......finishing together in 4:11:13. When we saw them after the race, they were exuberant over their experience.

Ray Devlin, 53, of Philadelphia, PA, had a busy weekend as he flew west to attend his daughter Holly's graduation from the University of Washington on Saturday. On Sunday he ran his third marathon in a 3:57:12. By then Heather had finished her first half marathon in 2:08:24. They earned their planned vacation on the North Olympic Peninsula for the week after the races.

Congratulations to Jennifer Yogi, 29, of Seattle who came in first in the 25-29F division with a 3:24:58.. She ran with fellow Marathon Maniac (MM) Chris Warren. Her father, 50 year old Guy Yogi, (also an MM) finished with a 3:41:08. Another MM at the race was Steve Supkoff, 38, (3:34:16) of North Bend, WA.

There were a few 50 Staters on hand. Jim Boyd, 62, of Seattle who finished in 4:07:17 is a 50 States & DC Group Finisher. We met Skip Partridge, 45, (4:27:54) of Broomfield, CO, at our expo booth. He was adding Washington to his marathon states list.

Another runner we met at the expo was Rob Schmidt. He and his wife Nel came from the Netherlands to vacation in the Pacific Northwest. He was excited to be able to include a marathon in this adventure!

Some of our friends ran the half marathon. Marlene Farrell was the third woman overall at Port Angeles. She was the 2002 women's winner at the YAKIMA RIVER CANYON MARATHON. Cotah Rose, Sue Fauerbach, and June Curry won their age divisions. Rian Rosenthal and Barbara Jarvis placed second in their age groups. It was good to see Rebecca Waud, Charlie Rose, and Jimmy Smith at this race, too.

For the fifth consecutive weekend we were able to participate in another great marathon event.....another well-organized and scenic race. Credit for this successful marathon goes to race director Larry Little and his wife Michelle, the friendly volunteers, Carol Stevenson, Chuck Perrizo and the rest of the committee.

We're looking forward to June 12, 2005, and another North Olympic Discovery Marathon.

North Olympic Discovery Marathon........Partial Race Results

(1) 2:49:04  Robert Barber, 44, Surrey, BC, 1st in age division
(2) 2:58:33  Barry Niese, 34, Beaverton, OR, 1st
(3) 3:00:15  Damian Hill, 21, Port Angeles, WA, 1st

(1F) 3:16:12  Lori Buratto, 33, Spokane Valley, 1st
(2F) 3:21:25  Stephanie Hewitt, 50, Raymond, 1st
(3F) 3:21:50  Suzanna Reid, 37, Seattle, 1st

3:15:35  Eric Gierke, 41, Shoreline
3:19:33  Steven Yee, 44, Renton
3:19:49  Jim Keller, 34, Seattle
3:24:58  Jennifer Yogi, 29, Seattle, 1st
3:25:03  Christopher Warren, 36, Renton
3:34:16  Steve Supkoff, 38, North Bend
3:37:56  Jon Eaton, 44, Everett
3:38:03  Gunhild Swanson, 59, Spokane, 1st
3:41:04  Ron Fowler, 56, Seattle, 2nd
3:41:08  Guy Yogi, 50, Seattle
3:41:47  Tony Phillippi, 42, Tacoma
3:47:36  Paul Emmett, 58, Redmond, 3rd
3:48:28  David Jones, 58, Seattle, 4th
3:52:03  Earl Fenstermacher, 55, Seattle, 5th
3:54:49  Bill Voiland, 56, Spokane
3:56:23  Herb Allen, 61, Bainbridge Island, 3rd
3:57:12  Ray Devlin, 53, Philadelphia, PA
4:03:38  Heather Dutton, 18, Mt. Vernon, 1st
4:04:00  Dave Dutton, 47, Mt. Vernon
4:07:17  Jim Boyd, 52, Seattle, 4th
4:08:19  Mark Konodi, 47, Seattle
4:09:08  Rob Schmidt, 60, Bergen, Netherlands
4:11:13  John Munson, 47, Overland Park, KS
4:11:13  Chris Jones, 34, Prairie Village, KS
4:19:30  Andrew Dunn, 45, Normandy Park
4:19:32  Jim Kunz, 55, Seattle
4:20:18  Phil Weiser, 48, Auburn
4:27:54  Arthur "Skip" Partridge, 45, Broomfield, CO
4:30:59  Peter Landolt, 52, Yakima
4:42:05  Susan Marshall, 58, Duncan, BC, 2nd
4:42:36  Paul Weber, 68, Oceanside, CA, 2nd
4:53:36  Bob Dolphin, 74, Renton/Yakima, 1st
4:59:55  Jack Swanson, 70, Spokane, 2nd
5:18:08  Ester Selander, 43, Renton
5:18:09  Nancy Thweatt, 62, Escondido, CA, 1st
5:18:38  (walker) Bernadette Langdon, 50, Portland, OR
5:21:18  Jim Voiland, 55, Port Townsend
6:21:02  Peggy Norris, 61, Port Angeles, 2nd

.......................Half Marathon Partial Race Results

(1) 1:13:31  Frank Prince, 20-24, Port Angeles, 1st
(2) 1:19:12  Dave Lasorsa, 45-49, Port Angeles, 1st
(3) 1:19:46  Brad Cunningham, 25-29, Victoria, BC, 1st

(1F) 1:28:40  Rebecca Payne, 35-39, Sequim, 1st
(2F) 1:29:56  Kari MacIntyre, 30-34, Nanaimo, BC, 1st
(3F) 1:30:22  Marlene Farrell, 25-29, Snoqualmie Pass, 1st

1:36:45  Rian Rosenthal, 30-34, Seattle, 2nd
1:37:07  Cotah Rose, 45-49, Poulsbo, 1st
2:04:26  Matthew Butler, 25-29, Seattle
2:04:48  Sue Fauerbach, 55-59, Renton, 1st
2:08:24  Holly Devlin, 20-24, Seattle
2:31:21  Rebecca Waud, 50-54, Leavenworth
2:35:50  Jimmy Smith, 60-64, Bremerton
2:52:07  Charlie Rose, 55-59, Poulsbo
2:55:18  June Curry, 70+, Covington, 1st
2:58:58  Barbara Jarvis, 65-69, Kent, 2nd

 Written by Bob Dolphin

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