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Older reports are in Archives
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Showing his appreciation
The Trinity 5000 Summer Series began Thursday (June 6) at Trinity Park, and one might say the 12-week series reached new heights. Carlos Hernandez, a jet engine mechanic for the Blue Angels, began running at the series when he was 5 years old. Carlos, now 24, returned Thursday to show his appreciation for Ricky and Demery Cox for continuing to conduct the 5K and 1K Kids runs by presenting Ricky with an autographed poster from the Blue Angels.
The event continues to be popular with runners/walkers who try to maintain their conditioning through the summer months, and about 190 registered for the 5K, and more that 35 youngsters ran the free 1K, Demery said. Fortunately, for all, the rain that hit the area Wednesday night and some of Thursday provided a cool opening night with temperatures dropping into the 70s. Demery said with all the spectators, more than 300 were there.
The Rockin' The River Live on the Trinity Summer Tubing and Music Series also opened its summer entertainment and is virtually next door at Panther Island Pavilion, which will give runners/walkers entertainment throughout most of the series. Among the crowd, Demery said, were about 50 members of the Cox Running Club. The above photo was by Elizabeth Mendiola
June 8-9 Highlights
* Lightning caused the Wounded Warrior Half Marathon and 10K to be delayed by about 30 minutes on a rainy Sunday morning. After many of the participants had huddled under the Marriott parking garage and inside the Marriott, the races started in a new location across from the Marriott and in a light rain, which helped cool off the morning. There was one flooded area of the course that caused participants to have to veer off the Campion Trail, up an embankment and across a bridge and then down an embankment to the trail. On the way back after the turnaround for the half marathoners, two other low places filled with water, creating more than ankle-deep water that participants had to run or wade through for about 15 yards or so at each point. Despite the weather, it was another successful event.
Male and female winners of the half were Gono Enriquez, 28, of Ardmore, Okla., with a 1:17:39.9. He won the ASA Abrbuckles to Ardmore Race For Mercy Marathon on March 3 with a 3:08:14. Taking the female title was Laleh Mojtabaeezamani, 23, who finished with a 1:19:47.7. The former University of Texas and Keller High standout, was the ninth place female at the Chevron Houston Marathon in January with a 2:53:36, which earned $1,000. Male masters winner was Lowell Koppel, 40, with a 1:24:07.1, nudging Mike Fussell, 55, who won the grand masters title with a 1:24:49.1. The grand masters male winner was Doug Neveu, 43, with a 1:30:16.7. In the female division, Lisa Warechowski, 47, earned the masters award with a 1:38:02.1, and Margaret Powers, 51, won the grand masters division with a 1:46:19. 2.
In the 10K, which started about 10 minutes after the half marathon, Stephanie Shasteen, 26, of Spring took the title with a 39:21.6. She has one of the top 100 marathon times in Texas through Jan. 27 by clocking a 3:21.02 at the Chevron Houston Marathon. Cora Turner, 44, of Alvarado and another who is familiar to winning masters and overall female titles, won the masters race with a 40:19. Poksu Binger, 63, of Fort Worth, nabbed the grand masters title with a 47:46.8. In the male division, Nicklas Huff, 21, of Holly Lake Ranch zipped in with a 32:51.3 to win overall, Jerry Rapp, 52, of Trophy Club won the masters with a 42:00.1, and Jack Hase, 52, another Trophy Club resident, won grand masters with a 42:42.9.
By the time the awards were presented, the sun had come out and everyone was enjoying the live music and food, which included pancakes, fruit and an assortment of drinks. And kudos should go to the service members who finished the 13.1-mile trek with 50-pound backpacks and wearing boots. They maintained their smiles and visited often with runners and spectators.
* Joshua Thompson, 39, of Plano believed he was on pace to set a personal best at the North Texas Komen Race For The Cure in Plano, but said the lead vehicle got off course a little after the second mile and added maybe 15 to 20 seconds for the lead runners. He finished with a gun time of 17:19.58, but without the added distance, he figures he had a good chance to beat the 17-minute mark. Natalie Merrill, 28, of McKinney won the female division with a gun time of 19:11.33. The multi-race winner took the Vineyard 5K last month.
* Three female masters runners carted off overall victories in Fort Worth-Dallas races as Cathy Buchanan, 51, of Fort Worth won the Joe's Run 5K with a 20:29.7, Sheila Natho (aka Sparkle Plenty), 47, took the title at the Make the Break From Domestic Violence 5K in Dallas with a 20:24, and Laura Nelson, 47, of Grapevine won the Garden of Eden 5K in Fort Worth with a 20:32. Cathy and Sheila have won at least four local overall female victories, and Laura has at least eight overalls to her credit. Jacob Bradley, coming off a victory at the Dallas Memorial Day 20K on May 27, won the 5K male overall award at Joe's Run with a 17:28.4.
* In Aubrey, the male and female overall winners at the Run 380 were masters runners. The male winner was Troy Pickett, 41, of Argyle with an 18:44.06 and the female winner was Laurie Underwood, 53, of Gainesville with a 25:28.75.
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See results. See slideshow
 The Colleyville Lions Club xSIGHTment 5K lured some top runners, as expected because of the $200 first prize, and there was expectations of narrow victories. But the male and female winners shucked the competition on a breezy, overcast, humid Saturday morning (June 1) and breezed to victories. Enoch Nadler, 27, top photo, of Richardson won the male race in 15:10.8 over the course that features a couple of short but challenging hills before the 1-mile and after the 2-mile marks on the out-and-back to collect the top prize. It was his final tune-up race before traveling to Duluth, Minn., on June 22 to compete in the USA Half Marathon Championships. He was coming off a victory at the Patriot Half Marathon on May 27 in Rockwood. The former University of Florida standout began showing his clout in the DFW area last year after coming back from a four-year hiatus from competition. ''I think I needed the rest, both physically and mentally,'' said Nadler, whose long-range goal is to qualify for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon. Runner-up Andrew Cook, 32, a former Texas A&M runner and the cross country/track coach at Flower Mound, and third-place Agustin Hernandez, 42, of Dallas also eclipsed 16 minutes with 15:37.3 and 15:40.7 respectively, but weren't challenging Nadler. Cook won $50 as did Hernandez, who was the first masters (40 and older) finisher. Taking the $25 third-place money was Gabriel Zambrano, 19, of Fort Worth with a 16:20.5 while Joe Beisner, 40, of Irving pocketed $25 for being second male masters.
In the female division, Savita Chelimo, 29, (pictured), who ran for Harding University in Searcy, Ark., and now residing in Fort Worth, breezed in at 19:48.9 minutes to take the top prize. The battle for runner-up proved to be exciting as masters runners Laura Nelson, 47, of Grapevine and her protégé Cathy Buchanan, 51, of Fort Worth (shown above) battled down the stretch with Laura pulling away in the final yards. ''She's a better sprinter,'' Cathy said. Because both were masters runners they took the first and second places in the 40-older, making Rachel Harp, 30, the runner-up with a 20:43.5.
Chelimo's most recent victory was at the Fort Worth Runners Club's Michelob Ultra 5K on May 19, and she also has won the Longview Half Marathon and the GE Irving Marathon Half.
In the 1-mile fun run/walk, there were several sight impaired walkers participating. The event benefits several organizations for the blind. After the races, partipants were treated to pancakes, sausage, fruit and drinks.
Other June 1 Highlights
See slideshow from Run The Rails;
photos submitted by Movin' Pictures
* James Jackson once was the man to beat at most Fort Worth-Dallas races. He still is, but usually he's winning masters titles rather than overall. Well, fast genes must run in the family. His son, 18-year-old Cameron, won the male division at the Run The Rails in Saginaw with an impressive 15:29.1 gun time and 15:27.9 chip time. The closest to him was Zachary Winger, 19, of Roanoke who finished in 18:03.5. Fiona Green has kept herself in shoes at this event, which overall and masters winners earn. Fiona, 48, and a regular contibutor to this website, won the female masters title for the second consecutive year with a 21:44.7. In 2011 and 2010, she earned the overall female awards. Maybe the female overall winner, 20-year-old Regina Germaine of Rhome is starting her own streak as she won last year, too.
* Two close finishes determined the male and female winners at the DRC Bloomin' 4 Mile at White Rock Lake. Two female masters battled it out before Cora Turner, 44, of Alvarado won with a 27:04 gun time, (27:02.3 chip time) while Julia Mungioli, 40, crossed the line in 27:13.3 (27:08.9). Third place also went to a masters runner as 48-year-old Mary Donaldson, 48 of Amarillo, who ran a 28:48.8 (28:41.3). In the men's division, Franz Klein, 31, of Irving held off 45-year-old Dave Matlack of Dallas. Klein finished with a 22:47.3 (22:46.4) and Matlack crossed the line just about a second later. Another 40-plus runner placed third as Andres Hernandez, 47, ran a 23:14.5 (23:13.8). Among the finishers was 85-year-old Jan Richards of Dallas, a longtime competitor who's still following her passion. Other notable achievements: Linda Kelly, 61, ran a speedy 30:31.4 (30:28.6) to win her age division. On the male side, JJ Jenkins, Thomas Conway and Wally Capps continue to outshine many younger runners. Jenkins, 60, clocked a 27:30.4 (27:27.7) to win the 60-64 division; Conway, 68, posted a nice 31:35.4 (31:33.8) to take the 65-69 division, and Capps, 72, came in at an impressive 31:40.3 (31:35.9) to win the 70-74 division.
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The Memorial Day Race at Trinity Park in Fort Worth included ceremonies before the 5K on an overcast and humid Monday morning (May 27). The Rosemont Middle School color guard and members of the Knights of Columbus were part of the ceremonies. Race founder and veteran Sam Balandran gave opening remarks before the start of the ceremonies and 5K. The race was one of five that helped celebrate the day that is in honor of those whose lives were lost in wars. After the race, runners enjoyed, among other things, hot dogs and drinks.
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May 25-26-27 Highlights
* Several runs were conducted on Memorial Day (May 27), when we took time to honor our war heroes. One of the more competitive events was in Rockwall at the Patriot's Half and 5K, which lured several fast runners with prize money. In the male half marathon race, Enoch Nadler of Richardson nudged Barnabas Kirui of Dallas for the $250 first-place payoff. Nadler's 1:13:38.279 was about two seconds faster than Kirui's 1:13:40.283. The female race wasn't quite so dramatic as Dawn Grunnagle of Dallas ran a 1:21:06.456 to win by six minutes over Jen Frankhann of Richardson. Dawn, this website's 2012 Female Runner of the Year, has been excelling not only locally but nationally. Among her victories include The Komen Race For The Cure in Dallas and the 2012 Rock 'N Roll Half in San Antonio. Nadler, a former standout at the University of Florida, is training for a shot at the 2016 Olympic Trials in the marathon. Kirui ran at the University of Mississippi and one of his top feats was winning a silver medal in the 3,000 members steeple chase for Kenya at the World University Games in 2007.
* Well, who would think that Leonardo Dicaprio would show up for the Remembrance Run in Plano on Saturday? And that he could run and win a 5K in 16:15.6. Of course, it might have been a Dicaprio stand-in...maybe Boo Bryant? Or, maybe Leonardo was recreating his Catch Me If You Can role.
* Among the Saturday morning result postings, Clint Bell, 33,of Dallas crossed the finish line with the fastest time of the day by winning the Fireman's 5K in Fort Worth with a 15:21. He beat Gabriel Zambrano, 19, by about 11 seconds and Brent Poulsen by about 24 seconds. Magaly Soto, 36, won the women's overall title with a 19:11. Masters winners were Michael Fussell, 55, with a 17:55 and Laura Nelson, 47, with a 19:55. Their chip times were slightly faster.
* While overall winners always gain most of the publicity, there were other impressive feats worth noting: 7-year-old Evan Laredo ran a nifty 28:30.616 chip time and 8-year-old Mallory Karpenko clocked in at 27:07.224 at the Fireman's 5K. At the Plano Pacers Remembrance Run, Bill Shaw of Frisco is barely slowing down at 70. He finished with a 20:46.6, a time that would have won the 65-69, 60-64, 55-59 and 50-54 age divisions, though he didn't beat JJ Jenkins, 60, who won the male masters title with a 20:25.5. Also, Linda Kelly, 61, won the female masters title with a 24:00.7.
* More notable achievements by younger runners: Chloe Ahlstedt, an 8-year-old from Midlothian, ran in her sixth 5K at the Ennis Polkafest and finished in an impressive 26:07. However, she has run faster. She posted a 24:53 at the Head For The Cure in Plano and has won her age group three times. She was, however, second at the Polkafest as Emma Stevens, 9, of Waxahachie zipped in at 23:52. Emma, who has had no formal training, also ran a 23:35 the previous week at Heroes of Midlothian. Chloe's dad Erick said there are no youth running clubs in Ellis County but has discussed the possibility of adding a youth division with the Waxahachie Running Club.
* A couple of close races for the male overall titles highlighted the Ennis Polkafest. And in the 10K, 55-year-old Juan Castulo of Mesquite beat his younger challengers with a 40:31. Jose Torres, 36, of Ennis was 13 seconds behind. The 5K male race also was close with Brent Woodle, 28, of Plano winning by 11 seconds over Brad Beimler, 19 of Waxahachie. Cathy Buchanan, 51-year-old from Fort Worth, took the female title with a 20:34.
* On Sunday, Kim Andres of Irving notched two overall victories at the Carrollton Runners Club 1-Mile and 5K. The 60-year-old from Irving won the female mile race in 7:21.5, and she took the 5K female division title with a 25:45.57. On the male side, Rick Allen, 55, of Carrollton won the seniors division with a 22:30.81 and won the male mile race in an impressive 5:53.68.
* Runners at the Mission Possible 10K in Fort Worth had some speedier times than usual, probably because the course appears to be have been shorter than the 6.2-mile distance.
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Race For Our Youth first-time winner was inspired in 2011 by his older brother's successes
By Fiona Green
 Overall winner of the Race For Our Youth 5k in Arlington on Saturday morning (May 25) was 28-year-old Jon Celone (pictured), who covered the course in 21:27. While Celone acknowledged that his time was slow compared to times clocked by some of the high school competitors who usually show up, he has plenty to be proud of with his first overall win.
Like many of us, Jon took up running to get in shape. One of six siblings, he was inspired by his older brother Matt, who had taken a look in the mirror one day and realized it was time to make some changes in his life. He decided to lose weight and shape up so he might set a good example for his children. Matt began jogging and quickly progressed to running half marathons. He soon felt he needed a bigger goal -- the marathon. Last year, he qualified for Boston and in December 2012 and January 2013, he completed the New Year's Double in Allen, running a 3:20 and a 3:25 on consecutive days despite challenging weather conditions.
Jon couldn't help but be impressed by his brother's success. He had about 30 pounds to lose and believed that running could also be a part of his solution. In November 2011, he gave his diet a makeover, cutting out fast food, energy drinks and soft drinks. Although he had run in high school, he had primarily competed in the 100 meters and 200 meters, so long distance running presented a different challenge. For motivation, he started entering road races. He loves the whole race experience and the opportunity to view parts of cities he might otherwise not see. He particularly enjoys running races organized by Jeph Abara at River Legacy Parks because of the scenic course, low entry fees, the chance to contribute to a good cause and the camaraderie among runners. In addition to running 5Ks, Jon has also completed several half marathons and has a PR of 1:41. His goal is to break 1:40 and he hopes he might be able to do this at the Rockwall Half on Memorial Day. Next on his to-do list is the marathon. He has entered the lottery for New York but should that fall through, he plans to run the Dallas Marathon in November.
Proceeds from Saturday's event were to be used to finance a youth mission trip to help in the clean up efforts in tornado-ravaged Oklahoma.
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