A couple days later I wrote an article (“Is Breaking The Rules Really That Important?“) about race bandits in which I outline reasons why officially registering for a race is important and offer suggestions to help put an end to race bandits. A couple of you comment with excellent points.

Back-pedal to May 14th, 2010: Virginia. Robert Fecteau bandits the Filthy 5k Mud Run and becomes injured while working his way through one of the mud pits. He is now partially paralyzed from his chest down and has minimal use of his arms. He is currently litigating against race officials as well as Road Runners Club of America for negligence for the sum of $30 million.

Thoughts?

Question: The St Luke’s 5K was my first race run with chip timing. Can you tell me what “Gun” and “Net” times are? There is a 15 second difference. Did it take me 15 seconds to cross the start mat after the horn? I didn’t think I was that far back, we did start kinda slow.

Answer: Gun time is the length of time between the official start of the race, when the “gun” goes off, and the moment you cross the finish line.

Net time is the length of time which begins when you cross the starting line mats and ends when you cross the finish line mats.

In very large races it can take upwards of 5-10 minutes (or more) from the time the gun goes off until you reach the start mats. Your official results are more often than not based on Net finish time. The Net time is usually the measuring stick for race PRs for most runners.

Gun time becomes important for people who are the front runners and come across the finish line in first, second or third place. If a runner runs a national or world record time on a certified course it’s the gun time that is used in the record keeping.

As far as placing in races, placement and awards are based on Gun time. So, in essence, you may have a Net finish time better than someone who might have won an award, but your Gun time will be slower than theirs. If you ever plan to compete to earn awards you will always want to line up as close to the starting line as you possibly can.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (April 29, 2011) – Bath, Pa., native and Northampton High School alumnus Tyler McCandless won his second St. Luke’s Half Marathon, holding off two previous race champions before crossing the finish line in 1:09:22. Heidi Peoples, Scranton, Pa., won the women’s race in 1:17:47, besting four-time winner Kathleen Jobes, Bethlehem, Pa., (1:20:03) by just over two minutes.

A record total of 3,217 runners completed the 13.1 mile race on a spectacular day for distance running. Temperatures in the low 40s at the start of the race warmed gradually with cloudless skies and low humidity.

McCandless, winner in 2008 and a former All-American at Penn State, was part of a lead pack of four runners that included 2010 champion Kevin Borrelli (Dickson City, Pa.) and 2009 victor Ramon Laboy III (Bethlehem, Pa.) McCandless said he surged after the 10-mile point to break away from the pack and eventually beat Borrelli by 29 seconds and third-place finisher Jared Markowitz (Cambridge, Mass.) by 42 seconds. Laboy finished fourth in 1:11:21. Joshua Foulds, 24, Allentown, Pa., finished fifth in 1:13:00.

“We had a great pack of four and at about 10 and a half miles I decide to go all in and was able to pull away and come away with a win on this gorgeous day,” said McCandless, 25, who lives and trains in Boulder, Colo. “When I won in 2008, I just took (the race) from the gun; I was a naïve road racer and not afraid of the half marathon. I thought I’d use a little more patience this year. The time was a little bit slower (than 1:07:25 in 2008), and when you’re a little more patient on this course, you can’t get the time back because the last couple of miles are tough.”

Peoples, coming off the birth of a daughter sixth months ago, had a 30-second lead over Jobes after three miles and kept building it throughout the race. The 32-year-old is a two-time U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier. Unlike McCandless, Peoples admitted that patience wasn’t a virtue in her wire-to-wire victory. “I don’t have a lot of patience, it’s not my personality,” she said. “I felt great the first half, incredible really. But once you hit the Parkway (mile 6.5), it’s the breaking point in the race and you have to be mentally tough.”

Rounding out the top finishers in the women’s race were Kelly Ciravolo, 32, Shavertown, Pa. (1:21:51); Alexandra Swiatocha, 25, Mahopac, N.Y., (1:24:31); and Jenna Papaz, 29, Bethlehem, Pa. (1:26:09).

This year marked the race’s third year as the St. Luke’s Lehigh Valley Half Marathon, as the St. Luke’s University Health Network continues to partner with the race to promote active lifestyles and healthy living. It was the 28th time that the half marathon race has been run in the Lehigh Valley, a legacy dating back to 1977.

The St. Luke’s Half Marathon field represented 30 states and four countries. They converged in Allentown for the largest single-day athletic event in the Lehigh Valley. The course – altered slightly in 2012 because of a retaining wall issue along the first portion of the Lehigh Parkway trail – took runners along city streets, Cedar Beach and Lehigh Parkway, showcasing Allentown’s treasured parks system.

The companion St. Luke’s 5k race was won by Michael Miller, 19, Allentown, Pa., in 16:39. He beat out John Martino, 27, Dallas, Pa. (16:46) and Steve Dodson, 50, Macungie, Pa (17:34). Alyssa Repsher, 13, Easton, Pa. won the women’s 5k title in 20:05. Ron Loebsack (37, Saylorsburg, Pa.) finished second in 21:09 and Laura Eppler (50, Bethlehem, Pa.) finished third in 21:29.

The Lehigh Valley Road Runners (LVRR), a not-for-profit running club, produced the events with the help of more than 600 volunteers.

Proceeds from the St. Luke’s Half Marathon weekend benefit the LVRR’s youth fitness programs, which last year helped more than 2,200 Lehigh Valley children take part in a running activity. It’s projected that the race helped raise more than $30,000 in 2012. In fact, the proceeds helped support the St. Luke’s Youth Run on Saturday, April 28, in downtown Allentown. Nearly 1,100 children aged 3-14 participated in the event, many taking their first steps toward a lifetime of fitness.

Nazim Ahmed
Rick Grab
Jason Giandomenico
Bill Basta
Elizabeth Berger
Jennifer Brennan
Patty Pitera
Carol Ebihara
Michelle Guth
Neil Policellid
Julie Villiano
Chris Garges
Cynthia Bartus
Mark Hanna
Stephen Thompson
Ryan Gilroy
Allison Fiorini
Eileen Darlington
Jeffrey Guzzo
Irene Piripavel
Stephen Thompson
Kathy West
Katharine Kurnas
Sean Russell
Frank Snyder
Alison Tannous
David Monahan
Nicole Lisicky
Dean Dimmig
Chris Mertz
Brian Weiss
Linda Sharkey
Rachel Leskosky
Ken Conahan
Luann Brzezinksi
Liz Fones
Mike Brodzinski
Terry Fenoff
James Mastrianni
Matthew Miller
Rob Weidman
Kim Hamm
Garen Danyi
Eric Nikles
Jim Rehrig
Johnna Kubick
Jennifer Terefencko
Sandi Bergan
Wendy Body
Steve Budlong
Scott Motaka
Zachary Moyer
Cincy Perosa
Robert Gallagher
Robert Grbas
Gary Moore
Paul Bojczuk
Meridith Dorner

Safe travels and GOOD LUCK!

Alburtis
Nick Parton

Allentown
Nazim Ahmed
Bill Basta
Elizabeth Berger
Jennifer Brennan
Carol Ebihara
Jason Giandomenico
Rick Grab
Dennis McCarthy
Patty Pitera

Bangor
Michelle Guth
Neil Policelli

Bethlehem
Cynthia Bartus
Regina G Carolan
Eileen Darlington
Allison Fiorini
Chris Garges
Ryan Gilroy
Jeffrey Guzzo
Mark Hanna
Katharine Kurnas
John Passalugo
Irene Piripavel
Sean Russell
Frank Snyder
Alison Tannous
Stephen Thompson
Kathy West

Boalsburg
Robert Crowe
Jenni Evans

Boyertown
William Pierce

Breinigsville
Amanda Hartberger
David Monahan

Center Valley
Nicole Lisicky

Coopersburg
Jeffrey Dimmig

Easton
Nick Birosik
Kari Braido
Luann Brzezinski
Ken Conahan
Rachel Leskosky
Chris Mertz
Linda Sharkey
Brian Weiss

Fogelsville
Liz Fones

Gilbertsville
Mike Brodzinski

Harleysville
Renae Derstine

Hellertown
Terry Fenoff
James Mastrianni
Matthew Miller

Kutztown
Rob Weidman

New Tripoli
Kim Hamm

Nazareth
Garen Danyi
Eric Nikles
Jim Rehrig

Pottsville
Sandi Bergan
Thomas Kanger

Orefield
Wendy Body
Steve Budlong
Scott Motaka
Zachary Moyer
Cincy Perosa

Quakertown
Robert Gallagher
Robert Grbas

Schnecksville
Gary Moore

Souderton
Paul Bojczuk

Wescosville
Meridith Dorner

The race director issued the following statement this afternoon:

“Due to the imminent threat of collapse of a large stone retaining wall, a portion of the St. Luke’s Half Marathon course between miles 6 and 7 has been closed by the City of Allentown. Engineers have determined the wall could fall over at any time, endangering anyone below it.

The City closed the area late last week. We were notified today that the section of the course will definitely not be open by race day.

We have rerouted the course around the closed section. It will still measure 13.1 miles, but it will not be certified due to the lack of time until race day.

For those of you familiar with the course, miles 1, 2, 3 and 4 will remain unchanged. The turnaround on Martin Luther King Blvd. was moved about 1/4 mile west. Instead of entering Lehigh Parkway on the trail, runners will run on Lehigh Parkway East Drive and enter Lehigh Parkway on Park Drive, the park’s main vehicular entrance. Runners will reconnect with the race route about 1/4 mile later. After, that the course remains the same.

Unfortunately, the detour includes a hill – about an 80 foot elevation gain over a half mile. It’s not a killer, but we want you to be aware of it.

Finally, the City will only allow us to have roads closed for three hours, which was a condition for entering the St. Luke’s Half Marathon. Runners not on that pace at 11 miles may be asked to take a short ride to a point later in the course to keep them safe when traffic resumes on Martin Luther Blvd.

While these situations are certainly not ideal, we have strived to remedy them to provide our runners with the best race experience possible. As always, thank you for supporting our race. We look forward to seeing you on April 29.”

Jennifer LaConte knew nothing about pancreatic cancer until it affected her and her family directly in late 2009. Her mother, Joan Stein, was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic pancreatic cancer and passed away 51 days later.

51 days. Think about that for a minute.

Jennifer Reeves

Not long after Jennifer lost her mother she met a woman, also named Jennifer, who lived in her neighborhood and was diagnosed with the same cancer. Jennifer Reeves was 35 years old and within six months of her diagnosis she, too, lost her life. LaConte changed the name of her race from Joan’s Run to J’s Run to commemorate both Joan and Jennifer.
J’s Run is a 5k event which takes place in the neighborhoods of Hanover Township in Bethlehem. The loop is mostly flat on a macadam surface beginning and ending at Asa Packer Elementary school. The third annual event takes place on Saturday, May 12 at 9:00 am.

There is also a pasta dinner offered on May 11 from 5:00 to 9:00 pm at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. Bib pickup is available at the dinner and there will be a raffle. Tickets are $15 per person ($5 for children) which you can purchase at the door.

You can learn more about pancreatic cancer by visiting www.pancan.org, the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance, or the American Pancreatic Association. There is no early detection for pancreatic cancer, very little treatment and no cure. Because the mortality rate after detection is so high very little attention is paid to this cancer, and the general population is seldom unaware of this killer. With no celebrity of media spokesperson it is tough to get science to push for a cure. As more and more people lose their lives to this disease there is hope that pancreatic cancer will get the attention it need. Both Patrick Swayze and Steve Jobs recently lost their lives to pancreatic cancer

J’s Run Website
Facebook
Register for J’s Run on Active.com 

Sound familiar?

She did well at the road races, winning several of them, and in her 40′s a friend persuaded her to enter a track meet. Competing as a master on the track she soon learned that she was only seconds behind the world record in several events. Who knew?

Kathy is now 60 and smashing world records on the track. She is currently at the World Master Athletics Indoor Championships in Finland  (the event runs April 3-80 and sure to be setting records as you read this.

I know a lot of runners these days are picking up the sport as an adult for reasons such as health and fitness. So, for all of you out there (myself included) there is hope for us yet. Perhaps you have some undiscovered speed in those legs you didn’t know about. In any case, keep it up! We are all better people for picking up running.

Kathy Martin: “I want to run until the day I die. I want to die with a smile on my face and running.”

Featured in:
March 2008 issue of Running Times
April 2012 The New York Times article
Profiled on masterstrack.com

This year’s 1st place overall male finisher was returning winner, Ian Walsh, who finished in 21:16, only 5 seconds off his winning pace from last year. The 1st place overall female finisher was Carolyn Dunham with a winning time of 25:12.

1st place male and female masters finishers were Merrillee Durwachter and Bill Fitzmaurice.

The Kids Run took place just prior to the 4 mile foot race and boasted the largest number of children participating in the race’s history.

The Emmaus 4 Miler is a favorite among many runners for it’s lavish post-race food spread, as well as the amazing raffle each year. Organizers work hard each year procuring a great variety of prizes and everyone has a fair shot at winning. Winners are randomly selected by their bib numbers. This year’s prizes included gift certificates to running stores, Iron Pigs tickets, and massage gift certificates.

Race results are located at http://lvrr.org.

The Emmaus 4 Miler is organized by Lehigh Valley Road Runners. All proceeds from the race go to two scholarship funds: the Ed Thompson Memorial Scholarship and the Nicole Reinhart Memorial Scholarship.

The Race Expo takes place on Saturday, April 28 from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm at the Holiday Inn at Center City, 904 West Hamilton Street. Admission is free and all are welcome to browse the vendors and attend these seminars.

http://stlukeshalfmarathon.com