Broad Street Run 10 Miler results & Recap
The Broad Street Ten Miler was held in Philadelphia on Sunday and it was the third race in the MA-USATF Grand Prix Series. With over 26,000 finishers, it was the largest Broad Street Run ever. With temperatures on the starting line of 74 degrees, there was also many entrants who did not finish. So all PCVRC participants are to be congratulated for finishing.
Below are the age grades and times for PCVRC member, who participated in the Broad Street Run as MAUSATF participants. Apologies for missing Austin Gee and Michael Peyton (listed below) and Lenora Wagner (1:42:29) in yesterday’s report of club members’ times.
As a team, PCVRC scored 377 plus points and remains in fifth place in the series. South Jersey Athletic club moved up to second place while Athena Track Club did not have a team score for this race and dropped from first to below seven other teams.
Individually Deborah Compton is fifth in the overall women’s standings and Dan simmons is eleventh in the overall men’s standings.
Time – Age Grade – Name
55:25 81.534 Mark Vilardo
1:13:38 76.098 Dan Simmons
1:26:52 74.862 Deborah Compton
1:18:27 72.636 Carole Feole
1:01:11 72.542 Austin Gee
1:15:23 72.120 Theresa Kauffman
1:10:10 71.829 Dirk Sweigart
1:09:34 71.586 Lynn Knothe
1:12:37 70.576 Lee Kauffman
1:12:52 66.826 Dean Coffin
1:09:53 63.654 Ryan German
1:26:00 62.578 Connie Montana
1:22:18 61.158 Claire Neilan
1:48:19 53.716 Jerry Herman
1:51:12 51.829 Ralph McKinney
1:37:33 48.329 Michael Peyton
General results:
55:25 Mark Vilardo 4th in 35-39 age group (out of 1,737).
1:01:31 Greg Cauller 4th in 50-54 AG (of 804)
1:09:34 Lynn Knothe
1:09:53 Ryan German
1:10:10 Dirk Sweigart
1:12:37 Lee Kauffman
1:12:52 Dean Coffin
1:13:38 Dan Simmons 5th in AG (of 208)
1:15:23 Theresa Kauffman
1:17:13 Shannon German
1:18:27 Carole Feole
1:22:18 Claire Neilan
1:25:23 Hillary Suwyn
1:26:00 Connie Montana
1:26:52 Deborah Compton 2nd AG (of 71)
1:35:37 Elena Kupchik
1:48:19 Jerry Herman
1:51:12 Ralph McKinney
2:17:13 Scott Christensen
Many Marathons!
This past weekend, there were a total of 26 marathons in the United States, including six in the three states surrounding Delaware. Considering the heat and humidity, the accounts of people who posted on Marathonguide.com, and the times of a few people I recognized, I;m glad I didn’t do any of them. Here’s hoping the Delaware Marathon weekend will spare the participants, including me.
Jerry’s Broad Street Run Recap
Below is the account of ex-Pres. and current Secretary of PCVRC Jerry Herman on the Broad Street Ten Miler. Jerry is recuperating from his experiencer for a few week in Washington State:
Thought I’d share my tale of Broad Street Sunday.
Dean tried to set up a car pool. I felt they were leaving just too late for me. I would rather be there way too early than have any stress about being late. I choose to go on my own at about 0500.
As I usually do I had all my race day stuff laid out Sat. afternoon. All I had to do Sunday morning was have my coffee, visit the bathroom, get dressed and hit the road.
Up early, started the coffee, had a snack and took care of business. Clipped my cell phone to the gym bag I was taking to the race. Trying to get out the door the phone fell on the floor. I was sure I picked it up and took it with me. So I get to my preferred parking place and I can’t find my phone. So I’m thinking it’s lost somewhere in the car (truck) and I just can’t find it in the dark, or maybe I didn’t pick it up. I had to get to the train so I forgot about it and left. I took my spare car key that I carry in a velcro pocket around my ankle and set off for the train.
First time I ever got to sit on the train. Leaving early was paying off. I got to Central High, no lines at the porta-johns and I took advantage of it.
I wandered around chatting with other runners and even saw and talked to some other PCVRC folks. It was great fun. Time came to suit up for the race. Get the sweats off and put on the race shoes and club singlet. I happened to find a place to sit next to a couple from the morning train ride. While talking to them I put on one shoe and my key pocket when I noticed that I still had on my sweat pants. Off came the shoe, the pocket and sweat pants and then back on went the shoe. (notice I didn’t mention the key pocket?) and I warmed up a little, like it wasn’t warm enough already, and got in to my corral.
The race started and off we went. I started to fail about five miles in. Too hot. I got a bit dizzy and didn’t feel all that good. So I walked a while and then ran again. I did that for the rest of the race. I really wanted to break 100 minutes, but came up about eight minutes over my goal. All things considered I think I wasn’t too upset. I worked my way through the crowd and found Dan Simmons where I have found other PCVRC members in the past. We chatted for a while and I left to get my clothes from the gear bus. Made my way back to near the awards stage. No Dan but Ralph was there. We talked a while when he told me that there were no age group awards and no random door prizes. Bummer. So I said I guess I’ll hit the road. That’s when I noticed that I didn’t have my key pocket on my ankle. I couldn’t figure out how I lost it. I remembered having to take off my shoe to get off my sweat pants. I thought maybe it had come off inside the pant leg. Nope, no key. Ralph offered me a ride and we walked to his car.
We got to his car and the battery was dead. I found jumper cables with the forth person I asked. It was funny; she said I think I have some but I don’t know what to do with them. I told her not to worry, if she had them I knew what to do with them. We got Ralph’s car started and off we went. I suggested that we go up Pattison to beat some of the I-95 traffic. Bad move, it was bumper to bumper all the way to the bridge. Then it was clear sailing.
I got home and gathered my wash. Starting to put the sweats in the washing machine I felt something in the pocket. The missing key pocket had been found. I still didn’t know where my cell phone was. I was thinking I would have to call Verizon and cancel the service. But before I did that I called my cell phone. It wasn’t ringing in the house. So I called again and went out to the truck. I could hear it ringing but I couldn’t find it. It quit ringing so I went in the house and called it again. I went back to the truck and it was ringing but I still couldn’t find it. When I stood up after looking behind the seats I saw the phone on the dash close to the windshield. I just couldn’t see it while I was sitting in the truck.
So with a missing cell phone and car key, dead battery and a super hot day with a slow time I had an interesting Sunday. I can hardly wait till next year.
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Jerry discusses Born To Run book:
Some of you may have already heard of the book Born To Run, written by Chris McDougall, a writer who has done articles for Men’s Health and Runners World among others. The book was recently lent to me by Mark Lozier and I found myself devouring it in less than two days. There is a local connection as the author quotes the director of the University of Delaware’s Running clinic several times.
The book focuses on the Tarahumara (the hu is pronounced oo) people of the Copper Canyon area of Mexico. They are a very reclusive group, who get everywhere by running and who enhanced they reputation as being indefatigable when members of the group won the Leadville 100 Miler several times. The author wanted to get to know them and learn how they run so well. The book climaxes with a race between some of the Tarahumara and a select group of “gringos”, including renowned ultra champion Scott Jurek.
But what really makes the book an important read for runners are the other ideas worked into the narrative. Primary is the concept that human beings were “born to run”. That is to say, through natural selection, our ancestors learned to survive through persistence hunting, tracking prey by chasing them for hours and hours. In order to do that the human body evolved from that of other simians, such as our close relative the chimpanzee, which does not and can not run, into a running being. First, by standing, our lungs can take in more oxygen than the knuckle walking chimp. Our bodies have features, which are unique to animals which run and which walking animals do not have. Three are: the Achilles heel, which is essentially a big spring; large gluteal muscles, which keep the upper torso upright when the person is running; and the Nucal tendon, running from the head to the back torso, which stabilizes the head when running.
Then there’s the most important adaptation of all, an adaptation unique to human beings, which no other animal has: We sweat! By sweating we can continue to keep our bodies temperatures under the point at which we would go into shock, even when the temperature is hotter than that point. So with all these adaptations, early humans could track prey for hours in the heat, basically jogging at a mid-pack marathoner’s pace, until the prey, which had to stop to pant in order to keep cool, overheated because the humans forced it to keep moving. Easy pickings and the race survived and prospered.
Another important topic for runners to consider is the concept of running shoes. The Tarahumara don’t use running shoes and basically can run on sandals made of strips of old tires. The author points out that many of the common running injuries did not become prevalent until AFTER the invention of “running shoes” by Oregon State track coach Bill Bowerman, which was the start of the Nike shoe company. Studies have shown that people who run in “cheap” running shoes (less the $40) have less injuries than those who run in the most expensive brands and styles. Why? The author believes that running shoes with their cushioning allowed people to develop the bad habit of running heel-to-toe. This is something a person who is barefoot will not do because it will hurt to land on one’s heels. The cushioning of running shoes masks this effect, but later on problems show up in the body, such as plantar fasciitis and runner’s knee. The author states that up to 80% of all runners are injured EACH YEAR! I don’t know if I agree, but perhaps the reverse is true: Those who are least likely to get injured and who seem to keep going all the time are those who are “running as if they are barefoot” and who haven’t adapted the bad habit of running heel-to-toe that cushioned shoes encourage.
The author claims that the world’s best runners, as such elite Kenyans, run barefoot as children, even into their teens.. The foot will naturally learn to caress the ground and relax when stepping on irregularities in the surface. An unshod foot will land mid-foot, much lighter, as if running on hot coals, and such runners are much less prone to injury. The shoe companies have taken note, which is why they are starting to come out with minimalist shoes, such as the Nike Free. The author believes that the idea of discarding shoes when the cushioning starts to where out is ridiculous, because, he believes, that’s when the shoes actually become safer for the runner, as the feet start to be able to sense what the running surface is like and begin to adapt to it with each step.
This book certainly provides much food for thought and I highly recommend it. Runners who have dealt with their own injuries may be encouraged by the author’s own experience as he was a mess as a runner when the book begins, but, adapting some minimalist techniques, has remade himself into a much healthier and better runner by the book’s end. I don’t plan to run barefoot any time soon.
John Schultz ran the New Jersey Marathon on Sunday in 6:26:22 and was finish in the 75-79 age-group.
DE Marathon volunteers, FB Group, Club Event
Notes from Club President Ray Christensen:
PCVRC Facebook Group: http://tinyurl.com/pcvrc
If you haven’t yet, join our FB Group. Post your race results or photos
there. Post a photo of yourself so we know who you are!
Newark Reservoir 5K, Friday 5/7, 6:15pm start
All are invited to this free PCVRC event. If you’ll be there, email Nikki at
so we have an idea of numbers. The race will be “rain or
shine”. Water will be available. Social to follow across the stream at
Timothy’s. Bring family members & friends.
DE Marathon volunteers urgently needed:
Only a couple people so far-if you’re not running, please help us keep the
runners safe as a Course Marshal. It’s loads of fun! Contact Ray at
or 302-633-1482 for that or any of the following:
Tue 5/11 5:30 – 6:30 pm At 1-800 PACKRAT on Rte 896. Need ½ doz people to
help fill the water storage containers
Fri 5/14 4-7pm At Tubman We set up an assembly line to stuff the 2000 runner
bags. People arrive and leave when they need to.
Sat 5/15 9 -11 At Tubman PRE-Packet Pickup – Pull packets/shirts, etc for
large groups
Say 5/15 11-2 At Tubman First shift registration/packet pick up – Arrive 15
min early for instruction
Sat 5/15 2- 5 At Tubman Second shift registration/packet pick up – Arrive 15
min early for instruction
Sun 5/16 5-7am At Tubman Early Race Day Packet Pickup We want to open by 5:15am
Sun 5/16 730-1030 and/or 1000-1230 Course Marshals (Wawaset Park / Little Italy)
New runners and walkers are always welcome at our 6pm Wednesday group runs at Delcastle. Old runners are not turned away either!
Bob Taggart visits Turkey
A note from Bob Taggart, who recently spent three weeks in Turkey, instead of the planned two because of flight delays caused by the Iceland volcano: The Caesar Rodney Half-Marathon next year will be the week after the Adrenaline 5k (i.e. March 27) since Wayne changed the date. That ends the conflict of this past year having the races on the same weekend. It is also important that anyone entering Grand Prix races register with the name used when registering with MAUSATF. In my case, I need to use Robert, not Bob. In Herman’s case, Gerald and not Jerry, etc. This makes Ed Maher’s job much easier in matching the MAUSATF people with the Grand Prix in those races.