The following club members were recognized for their achievements over the past year.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD LORI CULANE
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD MARGIE HUGHES
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD JOHN SCHULTZ
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR TRISH SZYMANSKI
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR CAROLYN McCORQUODALE
2007 OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
LORI CULANE
Lori is worthy of an award, not just for her running accomplishments, but for the infectious spirit and motivation she shares with others. She’s always smiling and eager to pump up fellow runners, which is why she’s one of the inspirational leaders of the Rebel Runners. When people see how much fun she’s having, they want to get out there and enjoy themselves and improve as well. I know from cheering her on at the Philadelphia Marathon that she even pumps up spectators at races with her smiling and laughter.
Lori ran 5 marathons in 2007: Barcelona, New Jersey, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Dallas.
Early in the year, she placed 3rd in here age group at the Ocean City (MD) Half Marathon in snowy, windy conditions. She can’t be stopped by heat either, as she proved at the brutally hot Chicago Marathon.
Her moment of glory came at the Philadelphia Marathon where at age 46 she recorded a personal record and finished in the top 6% of her age group.
Some of her comments:
• “Of course I walked thru the beer stop (so I didn’t spill any) a t 19…”
• “I got to mile 25 and just couldn’t wait to finish so I just ran, passing people, yelling at anyone walking at that point to just get it done!!! Crossed the finish line, stopped my watch on 3:35:45, and just started crying! An almost 9 minute PR! I couldn’t believe it!!!!!”
• “But what I’m most proud of (outside of my finish time) was the fact that I had a NEGATIVE split!!!!!! 1st ½ was 1:48:21, 2nd ½ was 1:47:22, 59 seconds faster!!”
Some would say she’s “Loco” because she’s another crazy runner who will run anywhere in any weather. Some would say she’s “Loco” since just keeps going like a locomotive or the Energizer Bunny. But she’s smart runner who knows her ideal mileage and how to get the most out of her training. She also knows how to get the most fun out of life. She also knows how to get the most fun out of life. These are two reasons for us to look up to her.
2007 OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
MARGIE HUGHES
For many years, Pike Creek Valley Running Club has recognized the achievements of track racers and road runners. But in recent years, the running of ultra-marathons on trails has grown in popularity. Locally there is an enthusiastic group of trail runners who devote their running to the ultra-distances. They are mostly known as Traildawgs, named after the website that club member John MacKenzie created. It is past time to honor one of our members for her accomplishments at trail running.
Road runners may find it difficult to fathom the distances traveled and paces maintained by ultra-runners. Unless one is extremely proficient at the sport, the goals are to finish and to be able to maintain one’s energy by eating as one goes along.
Margie Hughes, a neighbor and enthusiastic traffic volunteer with, her kids, at McCorq’s Fun Run, has had some outstanding accomplishments in ultra-running in a little over a year. Starting in the fall of 2006, she was first overall female in the Youngstown (Ohio) Ultra Trail Club 50K with a time of 5:57:33. Continuing into 2007, she ran 5:47:19 at the HAT Run 50K, 9:39:22 in the Bull Run 50 Miler, and her 9:18:08 in the JFK 50 Miler helped her women’s team to a second place finish.
Margie’s crowning achievement for 2007 was 25:34:30 in the Burning River 100miler which earned her 3rd overall female. That’s not the minutes, seconds and hundreds of seconds that most road runners are used to posting. That’s hours, minutes and seconds, more than an entire day. All of her times were personal bests on these courses.
No slouch at road running, Margie had a 1:25:39 chip time at the Annapolis 10 Miler on a crowed hot day. Showing her potential to get even better, Margie broke 23 minutes for the first time 22:50 in the St. John’s the Beloved 5K.
For all of these accomplishments and the depth of positive energy she gives to other runners Margie Hughes is an Outstanding Achiever for Pike Creek Valley running Club.
2007 OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
JOHN SCHULTZ
For some it’s the bald head. For others it’s that he is shirtless most of the year. Then there are those who only recognize him by his red shorts, the only color he owns. He’s John Schultz. He didn’t start running until one afternoon in 1990. He was walking home to Bellefonte from the DuPont Building and wondered if he could run the 4 miles without stopping. He found he could, business suit, street shoes and all. He began racing in 1991 at the age of 59, wearing a pair of worn out running shoes given to him by a friend.
In 2007 John ran 89 races, of which four were marathons. John is a man of many achievements. When asked the one he’s most proud of in 2007 he cites running his best marathon in four years, 5:05.18 in the New Jersey marathon, 20 minutes better than his usual time. He also ran 5:09.51 in the Philadelphia marathon in 2007 after doing both the 10K and 5K at the Turkey trot the day before. Mis marathon PR is 4:44.44 in 1988 at the age of 65. He did set one PR in 2007 at the unusual distance of 11.4 miles at his favorite race, the Roosa Gap roller coaster, with a 800 foot ascent in two miles, in the Shawangunk Mountains in southeastern New York.
John says he’ll do “Almost anything that comes along.” Among his most unusual, annual, events are the WAWA 53 Story Stair Climb (1019 steps to glory), the Lewes Polar Bear Plunge and the Brandywine Trail End to End Hike (36 miles) PR 2002, 8:48, overall Wilmington Trail club male finisher in 1984, 1987, 2003. He enjoys competing in track meets and duathlons with a 50 year old gearless bike. He likes rocky trails, ice and snow because they give him an advantage over more cautious and sensible runners. He’s ashamed to admit that his training is minimal: “the races are most of my training.” His injury history is highlighted by breaking the same toe twice in the same race. The Double Trouble 15K/30K Race.
A native of Brooklyn, John came to DE in 1958 to work for DuPont, after receiving his PhD in chemistry. Although he officially retired in 1991 he continues to work part time under contract in the same job, regulatory compliance.
In his spare time he gardens, attends the Academy of Learning, sings in the St. Helena’s church choir, sings solo at weddings and funerals and occasionally composes church music. What he enjoys most about running is: 1.Being able to make his body work hard even though it’s 75 years old, 2. Seeing his name in the sports pages and 3. The friendship and camaraderie. “You don’t just melt into the pack” he says. “Your fellow runners soon begin to call you by name and take an interest in your career. As approaches his 76th birthday in June he has no plans to stop either working or running. He sees running as a parable to life. “As St Paul tells us, we run the course without looking back and the saints are there to cheer us across the finish line.”
Among John’s goals (dreams) is qualifying for the Boston Marathon. At 75 he needs a 4:45 John says “Buena Corrida, and don’t break a leg!”
2007 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
TRISH SZYMANSKI
Tricia started running in the summer of 2005 mostly as a way to relieve stress. A friend and co-worker encouraged Tricia to come out and join some local runners who met every Saturday morning at the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air, MD where Tricia lived.
Having never run more than 5 miles at one time, she was hesitant at first but finally got the courage to show up one Saturday morning. That fateful Saturday morning in mid-July was a turning point in her life. One – She ran 10 miles for the first time – she didn’t know that was possible. Two – She met lots of people at the start of the run and by the end of the run, she had lots of new friends. Three – talking and running – wow… that’s fun – who knew? And four – She was contemplating running a ½ marathon in the fall – something she had never even thought about until that day. From that day forward, Tricia never missed a Saturday run with the group until she moved to Delaware in June of 2007.
Tricia registered for the Baltimore ½ marathons in October through TNT. She remembers being so excited that she couldn’t sleep the night before the race. “It was just such a rush- the crowds, the runners, all the hype – I love every minute of it” recalls Tricia. “I didn’t even own a watch at that time and had no expectations for time – my goal – which remains the same for every run – is to have fun”.
Tricia ran her 2nd ½ marathon the following month and then decided to take the next step … and registered for the 2006 Delaware marathon. After completing Delaware, and catching the “marathon bug”, she registered for the Chicago marathon. And she knows no matter how many other marathons she runs, Chicago will always be her favorite and by far the most memorable. At the end of 26.2 miles, Rich was waiting at the finish line where he got down on one knee and proposed. Her fingers were swollen from running so she had to put the ring on her pinky finger – she never imagine that running with friends would lead to running marathons and certainly never lead to marriage!
Since that fateful day in July of 2005, Tricia has completed 6 marathons and 10 half marathons.
2007 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
CAROLYN McCORQUODALE
Recently in reviewing the bylaws of the club, I discovered that one of the things that the club members are encouraged to do is volunteer. Unfortunately, all too few of us do that. But one who does and epitomizes the saying that “it is better to give than receive” is my wife Carolyn McCorquodale.
Carolyn of course, has always been supportive of my running endeavors, accompanying me on trips to Boston and other marathon destinations, making sure I haven’t forgotten anything and withstanding my anxious nerves as the start of the race approaches.
More than helping me individually, Carolyn has volunteered for many years at the Delaware Distance Classic, at the club’s water stop at the Delaware Marathon and at other races which involve club members, such as the Race for Literacy, sponsored by the Hubbards. Whether it’s helping with registration, handling out water, cutting fruit into slices or sweeping up cups, Carolyn participates with enthusiasm non-stop until the clean up after the race is complete. She sets an example that we should all follow once in a while by seeing a race from the volunteer side.
For her many years of volunteerism Carolyn McCorquodale is Volunteer of the year. Carolyn thanks for all the pats on the back. Without you and volunteers like you we wouldn’t be racing.