(May 25, 2008)

After years of running the Coeur d’ Alene Marathon, I had become complacent. The race headquarters, start/finish area, and parking were clustered together on the campus of the North Idaho College. From there the racecourse ran along the Spokane River, Lake Coeur d’ Alene, the City of Coeur d’ Alene and then looped through suburbs and rural countryside. Eventually, there was a long out-and-back by the lakeshore on the Centennial Trail that was followed by a run at the city’s lakeshore to the campus finish line.

This year there were changes that unfolded before and during the May 25, 2008, race. The name of the event was changed to Coeur d’ Alene Marathon at Riverstone. Riverstone is a real estate development in progress that is located in the northwest corner of the city between Northwest Boulevard and the Riverstone Park by the Spokane River and the Centennial Trail.

There’s a newly constructed Hampton Inn in this development that was race headquarters and it had a room for packet pickup and for late registration of the marathon, half marathon and 5K fun run.

On the morning of the race I arrived at the start/finish line on the Centennial Trail by Riverstone Park in time to see the 5:30 a.m. start of the 100 or so marathon and half marathon walkers. As the marathoners gathered for the 7:00 a.m. start, I found that I was comfortable wearing just my Marathon Maniacs (MM) singlet and shorts. The yellow MM singlet and shirts served as a rallying stimulus, and we had a sizable MM group socializing until the starting gun sounded.

Jerry Martin, 55, of Spokane had left five minutes earlier as the lone wheelchair athlete. We greeted each other in midcourse as he was headed for the finish line.

In the marathon there was a mile and a half loop through Riverstone back to the start/finish line and then we ran to the North Idaho College and along the West Lake Shore Drive with our first view of the big lake. At this time there were walkers approaching me wearing blue bibs, and I was being passed by many runners wearing yellow bibs. I was wearing a red bib and was the only marathon runner in this area.

Apparently, the walkers were in the half marathon walk event and the runners were in the half marathon run and had made up my half hour head start. I ran with the half marathoners through the city center on Sherman Avenue and then in the suburbs until the quarter marathon timing mat was reached and the half marathoners turned back. I ran on alone following a few marathoners who were ahead of me. As soon as I reached Coeur d’ Alene Lake Drive that was bordered by the paved Centennial Trail, I was in familiar territory and enjoyed the lake vistas and the uphill walks.

When the trail ended at a half marathon timing mat and turnaround at Higgens Point, it became clear that I was running on an evenly divided out-and-back course. In both directions it had been a pleasure to see many runners whom I knew who were running the half and full marathons, a positive feature of out-and-back courses.

In the second half of the race it became sunnier and warmer as the temperature crept up to 70 degrees. However, some shade and lake breezes made running pleasant. As I approached the finish line, I was routed past it and directed onto the one and a half mile loop that we had run at the start of the race. I ran/walked the loop and reached the finish line where Lenore was waiting with a hug and a finisher’s medal. I finished in 5:28:05, my best time in five months. I came in 266th of 278 runners, the oldest one in the event, and first of two in the 75+ division.

After the race I was told that running the one and a half mile loop past the finish line will not happen in 2009. New construction of trails will permit the 1.5 mile initial loop to be double in length so that in the future when runners see the finish line and cheering crowds several hundred yards away, they’ll be able to run directly to it and claim a finisher’s medal.

The marathon was won by Shawn Van Horn, 37, of Spokane in an uncontested 2:42:27. In second place Brooks Cooper, 24, also of Spokane ran a 2:48:52. Bill Fitzner, 42, of Mead was third overall with a time of 2:51:23.

The women’s race was won by Laura Cain, 31, of Cranbrook, British Columbia, running a 3:12:06. In second place was Debbie Cropper, 46, of Anchorage, AK, who ran a 3:15:31. Third and fourth places were close as Erin Pinder, 29, of Lethbridge, Alberta, crossed the finish line in 3:22:00. Brenda Greer, 48, of Spokane Valley was only eight seconds behind with a 3:22:08.

A highlight of our marathon day was to visit with Jack and Gunhild Swanson at their Spokane Valley home. Both of them are Marathon Maniacs, members of the 100 Marathon Club North America and active in the Bloomsday Runners Club. Early in the year Jack had a near-fatal viral infection, and we’re pleased and amazed at his miraculous recovery. He had been at the finish line of the marathon to cheer Gunhild, 63, who finished the race in 4:15:16 for second place in her age group. At their home they showed us Jack’s gorgeous quilt that was made from T-shirts from many of their races. The quilt was a celebratory gift from many of their friends. At the famous Bloomsday Race in early May, Gunhild pushed Jack in a wheelchair around the 7.5 mile, hilly course in Spokane. Now he can walk up to six miles continuously as he is recovering.

I like the changes that were made to the Coeur d’ Alene Marathon and look forward to next year’s event with an “even better” course.

Written by Bob Dolphin

Edited, Typed and Distributed by Lenore Dolphin

PARTIAL RESULTS, COEUR D’ ALENE MARATHON – May 15, 2008
2:42:27  Shawn Van Horn, 37, Spokane,WA,FIRST OVERALL, First in Age Group
2:48:52  Brooks Cooper, 24, Spokane, WA, SECOND OVERALL, 1st
2:51:23  Bill Fitzner, 42, Mead, WA THIRD OVERALL, 1st
3:08:52  Chris Warren, 40, Renton, WA, Marathon Maniac (MM), 2nd
3:12:06  Laura Cain, 31, Cranbrook, BC, FIRST WOMAN OVERALL, 1st
3:15:31  Debbie Cropper, 46, Anchorage, AK, SECOND WOMAN OVERALL, 1st
3:22:00  Erin Pinder, 29, Lethbridge, AB, THIRD WOMAN OVERALL, 1st
3:22:08  Brenda Greeer, 48, Spokane Valley, WA 2nd
3:32:23  Gary Kobold, 53, East Wenatchee,  WA, MM
3:33:53  Sherry Mahoney, 43, Palm Desert, CA, MM, 1st
3:37:46  Jon Mahoney, 56, Palm Desert, CA, MM, 3rd
3:39:22  Rian Rosenthal, 35, Seattle,  WA, MM
3:40:50  Ben Blessing, 24, Meridian, ID, MM, 2nd
3:41:24  David Jones, 62, Seattle, WA, MM, 1st
3:44:09  Robert Jacobsen, 50, Mt. Vernon, WA, MM
3:44:50  James Klarich, 45, Wapato, WA, MM
3:44:57  Michael Wakabayashi, 60, Spokane, WA, MM, 2nd
3:54:15  Bill Voiland, 60, Richland, WA, 3rd
3:55:00  Ken Briggs, 56, Spokane, WA, MM
4:00:57  David Stout, 53, Bainbridge Island, WA, MM
4:04:47  Dietrich Hildebrandt, 24, Fairbanks, AK, 3rd
4:09:09  Piper Peterson, 61, Spokane, WA, 1st
4:09:09  Janice Moyer, 51, Wellpinit, WA, MM, 3rd
4:13:02  Bill Torsen, 58, Bellevue, WA
4:14:07  Jim Scheer, 66, Vancouver, WA, MM, 1st
4:15:16  Gunhild Swanson, 63, Spokane Valley, WA, MM, 2nd
4:16:54  Hope Fox, 34, West Richland, WA, MM
4:19:17  Sharon Carroll, 65, Spokane, WA, 1st
4:32:08  Leslie Miller, 28, Newcastle, WA, MM
4:36:38  Maryann Clute, 55, Spokane, WA, 1st
4:40:10  Susie Ro, 37, Seattle, WA, MM
4:42:03  Marie Zornes, 44, Gig Harbor, WA, MM
4:55:19  Paul Fouch, 74, Klamath Falls, OR
4:57:45  Charise Shively, 47, Albion, WA, MM
5:28:05  Bob Dolphin, 78, Renton/Yakima, WA, MM, 1st
5:49:54  Mel Preedy, 75, Ravensdale, WA, MM, 2nd
6:00:00+ Mac Bohlman, 73, Walla Walla, WA
6:00:00+ Steve Love, 54, Mansfield, WA
6:00:00+ Pat Quinn, 73, Spokane, WA



 

© Bob Dolphin

# # #