Note: All race results are posted in reverse chronological order of the race dates, not in the order of receipt. Therefore, some newly arrived information may be inserted in the middle of the page. Furthermore, additional comments and notes are inserted frequently. So browse carefully!

If you know of any unreported race results, please send e-mail.

HI-TEC ADVENTURE RACE EVENT # 2, Orchard Beach, NY (June 28th, 1998)

Team West End II (Lisa Trunkes (F27), Michael Trunkes (M35), Ed Peters (M55)), 3:32:50, 41st overall

GREATER HARTFORD TRIATHLON, Farmington, CT (June 28th, 1998)

Ramon Bermo, 64th overall, 2:27:55, 17th M30-34, swim 31:01, bike 1:17:15, run 39:40

This is PR for Ramon, being his first attempt at this distance.  In total, he set a PR at the Corporate Challenge on Wednesday, a PR at the 5 Miler on Saturday and a PR on Sunday.  What a week!  The only setback for him was that Spain was knocked out of the World Cup.

LESBIAN & GAY PRIDE RUN, Central Park, New York City, NY (June 27th, 1998)

PHOTO ALBUM

MEN, 4th Open Team

WOMEN, 3rd Open Team

FRNY COMMUNITY CHALLENGE 2 MILER, Central Park, New York City, NY (June 27th, 1998)

ANCHORAGE MARATHON, Anchorage, AK (June 24th, 1998)

Julie DeGarmo, 4:14:12.50, 177th overall female

CORPORATE CHALLENGE, 3.5 miles, Central Park, New York City, NY (June 24th, 1998)

Alan Ruben, 18:41, 10th overall
Ramon Bermo, 18:45 (PR), 11th overall
Tyronne Culpepper, 21:29

Ramon reported: "I went out fast in this race.  When I did not see Alan yet after the first half mile, I realized that I must be going to fast.  So I slowed down a bit and then Alan passed me.  I stayed about 10 seconds behind him and tried to maintain contact."  When accused of laziness for not trying to catch Alan, he said, "I want you to know that my last 800m was done in 2:26."  Yeah, but we all know that it was a big drop down Cat Hill!

Tyronne wrote: "I did one of my tempo runs for the Challenge in 21:29.  I didn't feel useless until Saturday:-)"

SUZUKI ROCK 'N' ROLL MARATHON, San Diego, CA (June 21, 1998)

Adam Bleifeld wrote us: "First of all, it was a VERY HOT  75 degrees. Teammate Bola Awofeso dropped out in the middle of the race because he knew he would not have a good showing.  I stuck it out and died!  A word of advice to all future marathoners who decide to do a marathon with the Runners World pace group.  --> DON'T!!   They always go out a bit too fast. We did a few 6:33 miles before mile 10.  Anyway, please take the 3:31 with a grain of salt."

We also knew that Bola Awofeso entered this race, but we could not locate his finish time on the searchable database.  What happened to him?  Bola finally showed up on the Thursday workout and reported: "It was very hot, and my left leg was hurting.  At the eight mile mark, I knew that I would not be able to finish.  But I realized if I turned around on this out-and-back course, I was facing a total of 16 miles.  We were running along the Pacific Highway and I had no idea where I was.  So I decided to run to the half marathon mark and see what was there.  As it turned out, the elite triathlete Julie Moss had dropped out too and she was just being interviewed.  She took a look at me, saw that I was in bad shape and offered me a ride back.  She also told me not to feel too bad, since she had a legendary blow-up at the Ironman Triathlon and lived.   We got back to the finish area before the elite men arrived.  So it wasn't that too bad.   But, on the whole, I wish I had gone to Minnesota instead."

FATHER'S DAY 4 MILER, Central Park, New York City, NY (6/21/98)

MEN, 1st Open Team

• The most remarkable performance came from Carsten Strandlod.  We went back to the archives, and this relatively new runner has three 4 milers on record: 25:32 at the Big 4-0, 24:50 at the Nike Run in the Park and 25:34 at the Snow Flake Run.   So the time of 23:38 is a phenomenal breakthrough (or else he has found a short cut on the course!).  This time, not only did he win a first-place team medal, but he also has an individual age-group medal.  (Hey, Tyronne Culpepper, eat your heart out!) So we interviewed the man himself in the aftermath at the track on the following Tuesday:
  
  Q: Carsten, what happened to you?
  A: No, nothing much really.
  Q: Did you go out very fast?
  A: No. The first downhill mile was done in 5:58.  I was just trying to keep a 6:00 minute/mile pace.  In the last mile, I was still very strong and I drove hard towards the finish.  I never  planned on getting that kind of time.  At the last four miler, I went out in 5:40 for the first mile, and I felt very bad later in that race.
  Q: The big question on everyone's mind is whether or not you took any short cuts.  You can tell us --- you know your secret will be safe with us.
  A: No.  When you are in the lead pack --- and you wouldn't know anything about that! --- they keep a close watch on you, and there is no chance of that.  Oh, did you mean the shortcut behind the Daniel Webster statue?  That might have saved at most 10 seconds.
  Q: No, we meant the shortcut around the boathouse.
  A: Oh, I was not even aware of that.  How does that one go?
  Q: Never mind.  Just forget that we ever mentioned that one.
  A: Listen, I have collected the medals for Ricardo Granados and Jeff Kisseloff.  Are they going to be here this evening?
  Q: Oh, don't worry about them.  Those two old guys must have won hundreds of medals in their lifetimes.  Unlike you, though, their best years are behind them.
  A: Well, I hope to do even better in the future.  But then with the wives ...
  Q: Did you say wives, in the plural?  Oh, you lucky guy! ...
  
  Revisitionist history from Carsten: "But I was referring to the other two guys' wives!"

• This may be Ricardo Granados' first race as a 40 year old, the beginning of his next racing life.
• We note that Giuseppe Petracca won the Junior race in a time of 2:58 over the 800m.  He happens to be 8 years old.

WOMAN

GRANDMA'S MARATHON, Duluth, MN (June 20th, 1998)

FEMALE

MALE

Stacy Creamer writes: "I'm pleased to report PRs earned by the two CPTC entrants to Grandma's Marathon on Saturday, June 21, 1998. Brian Marchese ran a PR of 2:44:30 and I ran a PR of 3:21:44. (FYI: An unofficial race results roster lists me incorrectly with a time of 3:22:07 but eyewitnesses, including Alan Ruben, will vouch for my correct time.) We had a great day--57 degrees and foggy--and a great course. Stuart Calderwood finished the 5th master with a time of 2:36:53. Thursday-workout-frequenter and not always-accurate-marathon-time-predictor Blair Boyer ran a PR of 3:09:14 just 8 weeks after running Boston in 3:13:50. And the final member of our NYC entourage, Alexa Babakhanian, ran a 13-minute PR of 2:49:38, thereby qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Alan Ruben and son Joey were on the course between miles 23 and 24 for support, although Alan's advice to Brian to "set up his last three miles" evidently did not fall upon appreciative ears."

Our Global Surveillance System (tm) reported that Stacy Creamer took two bathroom breaks in the first half of the race.  That means that she would have probably gone under 3:20 otherwise.

When asked about Alan Ruben's advice to set up his last three miles, Brian Marchese laughed and said, "It was not as if I had any real choice in the matter at that stage.  I was just glad that I did not break down."

For the record, the following bold predictions were offered by our friend Blair Boyer (with the usual unauthorized embellishments).  We have added the actual oucomes for comparison.

PRESIDENT'S CUP NIGHT 5K, Millburn, NJ (June 15th, 1998)

THE 13th ANNUAL POWERBAR NY TRI-/BI-ATHLON SERIES #1, Harriman State Park, NY (June 14th, 1998)

BIATHLON

Craig Buckbee, 37, 1:29:10, 13th overall, 2nd M35-39
Sarah Gross, 41, 1:44:08, 41st overall, 1st F40-44

In the biathlon (3mile run, 16 mile bike, 3 mile run), Sarah Gross made her debut.  With no prior experience, she had no idea what to expect.   Surprise, surprise! She found herself finishing as female # 1 in the first run.   But as she fumbled around in the transition area with bike management issues, she could see female # 2 and female # 3 take off.  In any case, she finished 4th female overall and 1st age group.This was indeed a big surprise and thrill.  She wrote, "The event was so much fun!  NEW SPORT PASSION!"

Craig Buckbee also had a great biathlon debut. 

TRIATHLON

Ramon Bermo, 31, 1:24:47, 20th overall, 6th M30-34.

THE 17th MIGHTY MONTAUK TRIATHLON, Montauk, Suffolk County, NY (June 13th, 1998)

• Michael Trunkes, 35, 2:05:38, 8th place overall
  Swim, 25:11, 24th overall
  Bike, 1:00:04, 24th overall
  Run, 40:24, 3rd ovreall

DOUBLE ARCH TRAIL RACE, Ossining, NY (June 13th, 1998)

Note: This is not just an ordinary 5K race on a flat course.  The difficult nature of the trail probably added at least a couple of minutes of time.

SHELTER ISLAND 10K, Shelter Island, Suffolk County, NY (June 13th, 1998)

• This was a $$$ race.  So Alan Ruben and John Kenney both received $75, sunglasses and trophies for top 10 finishes.  For some reason, the field was not as competitive as in previous years.  John Kenney remembers having ran a faster time and finishing much lower in the standings.
• When Tyronne Culpepper came near the finish line, he realized that he had miscalculated.  So he had to switch to his sprinter's gait in order to come under the magical 40 minute mark. 
• Charlie Stark registered a very slow time for him.  His very lame excuse was that he was 4 minutes late to the start.

POWERBAR 8 FLAVOR 8K, Central Park, NYC (June 13th, 1998)

MEN

• There is no club team scoring in this race, since people were grouped into teams defined by Powerbar flavors.  No further comments ...

WOMAN

• On one hand, in fourth place, 11-year-old Lindsey Scherf finished in front of Yumi.  On the other hand, in ninth place, Gwynn Coogan finished behind Yumi.  As of this date 13th, Gwynn has the best qualifying time (2:33:37 at the Houston Marathon) for the 2000 Olymipic Women's Marathon Trial.  Of course, Gwynn was probably here just to keep husband Mark Coogan (who finished second in 24:15 in a dead heat) company.
• Carsten Strandlod would like to express his gratitude to Yumi Ogita for setting the pace through the bottom of the park.  Carsten then pushed the pace coming back north.  He wants to say that he was too tired at the end, and that was why Yumi finished one second ahead.  We suspect that he was too gentlemanly to try outleaning Yumi at the finish.  Yes, Frank Schiro would have called him a loser!

THUNDERGUST TRIATHLON, Parvin State Park, Pittsgrove, NJ (June 13th, 1998)

Thomas Pennell, 33, 1:16:29, 49th overall, 7th M30-34
Julie Denney, 30, 1:19:33, 12th female overall, 6th F30-34

HOMDEL INTERNATIONAL MEET, Homdel, NY (June 11th, 1998)

Women two miler, Mary Rosado, 2nd place overall, 13:32.57
Masters Men 400m, Keith Royster, 2nd place, 54.0
Masters Men 100m, Keith Royster, 1st in 2nd heat, 11.9

1998 USATF New Jersey Open Men's & Women's Track & Field Championship, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ (June 6th and 7th, 1998)

Keith Royster, 200m, 24.49

29th ANNUAL BLACKWATER EAGLEMAN TRIATHLON, Cambridge, MD (June 7th, 1998)

Stephanie Gould, 32, 4:47:12, 81st overall, 3rd female overall, 1st female 30-34

• Swim, 105th place, 45:12 (pace 23:48)
• Transition,  2:27
• Bike, 107th place, 2:27:40 (pace 22.8)
• Transition, 1:34
• Run, 90th place, 1:30:21 (pace 6:54)

The greater significance of this event is that it is an Ironman Triathlon qualifier.  By finishing first among females 30-34, Stephanie has qualified for this prestigious event.

NORTH COUNTY NEWS 5K, Yorktown, NY (June 7th, 1998)

SNET FAIRFIELD HALF MARATHON, Fairfield, CT (June 7th, 1998)

MONTCLAIR 2 MILE RUN, Montclair, NJ (June 7th, 1998)

Chris Jurkiewicz, 53, 16:49, 18th overall

HOLIDAY HILLS TRIATHLON, Pawling, Dutchess County, NY (June 6th, 1998)

Ramon Bermo, 1:08:45
Julie Denney 1:11:36, 3rd female overall
Randy Ehrlich 1:06:14
Ross Galitsky, 1:06:36
Thomas Pennell, 1:09:35
Scott Willett, 1:00:52, 1st male overall

• These times are presumbaly self-reported.  To paraphrase Lucy White, "I don't trust them!".  Even though Ramon Bermo is supposed to own a very expensive, fancy Nike sportswatch, he is also known to have very fast fingers.
• These times were taken from the NYU Triathlon web site, which only reports the times for their members (Ross, Thomas and Scott).  The times of Julie Denney and Randy Ehrlich, who are affiliated with Columbia University, were not listed.  However, their times were privately supplied since Julie is considered an honorary NYU Triathlon member and Randy is being ardently courted ...

AVON MINI-MARATHON 10K RACE, Central Park, New York City (June 6th, 1998)

PHOTO ALBUM

3rd place team overall, total time of 3:18:00 (39:36 average) for top five

NEW CANAAN CYCLERY DUATHLON (May 31st, 1998)

Scott Willett, 1:03:01, 1st M 30-39
Ross Galitsky, 1:08:49

SRI CHINMOY RACES, Victory Field, Forest Park, New York City (May 31st, 1998)

Having been caught running a 5K in Pennsylvania soon after the Boston Marathon, Victor Osayi decided to obtain clearance ahead of time.  He called Coach Tony Ruiz up and said that he wanted to expand his horizons by running a mile race on the track.  Tony gave his blessing.

Afterwards, Victor called up Tony to report the following results at this one meet

• 5000m, 17:41, personal best (track or road), 2nd place overall, 1st place age group
• 200m, 27 seconds, personal best (first time ever)
• 400m, 61 seconds, personal best (first time ever)
• 1 mile, 5:18 (conservatively)

By the way, this was Victor first race ever on the track, and he ran with racing flats, not spikes.  So Victor asked Tony, "What do you think?"  Tony said, "You are a nut!" 

USATF New Jersey State Masters & Sub-Masters Outdoor Championships, Monmouth Regional High School, Tinton Falls, New Jersey (May 31st, 1998) (reported by Frank Schiro)

PHOTOS

400 METERS

• Lester Wright, 61.2, 1st place M55-59
• Frank Handelman, 62.5, 4th place M50-54
• Frank Schiro, 54.1, 1st place M45-49
• Archie Glaspy, 53.2, 1st place M40-44
• Keith Royster, 54.4, 2nd place M40-44
• Alan Bautista, 58.1, 1st place M35-39
• Luca Trovato, 59.1, 2nd place M35-39

(Observation from Frank Schiro: Alan Bautista could have gone under 58 seconds, but he crossed the finish line like a distance runner!)

200 METERS

• Frank Handelman, 29.2, 4th place M50-54
• Frank Schiro, 24.6, 2nd place M45-49
• Archie Glaspy, 23.6, 1st place M40-44
• Keith Royster, 23.7, 2nd place M40-44
• Luca Trovato, 26.8, 5th place M35-39

HI-TEC ADVENTURE RACE EVENT # 1, Oleta River State Park, Miami, FL (May 31st, 1998)

Team Hi-Tec, 11th overall, 3:17:37, Jim Garfield (M34) + Andy Petranek (M31) + Stefani Jackenthal (F31)

BIG 4-0 FOUR MILER, Central Park, New York City (May 31st, 1998)

PHOTO ALBUM

MEN

Note: If you are really astute, you would have noted that Doug Kabbash was photographed in the race but his time is nowhere listed.  Well, he was apparently disqualified for disruptive behavior after he was found on the race course taking a picture of his girlfriend finishing.  Question: Is this a first in Central Park Track Club history?

WOMAN

FREIHOFER'S RUN FOR WOMEN 5K, Albany, NY (May 30th, 1998)

AVON 10K, William Land Park, Sacramento, CA (May 30th, 1998)

Diana Fitzpatrick, 36:27, 2nd overall, 1st F40-44
Jill Gisvold, 40:23, 16th ovreall, 4th F25-29

CANADIAN DUATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS, Oshawa, Canada (May 27th, 1998)

Stefani Jackenthal, 2:29:35, 19th overall female, 3rd female 25-29

SOUTH SALEM MEMORIAL 5K, South Salem, NY (May 25th, 1998)

Jonathan Federman, 22:12.45, 34th overall

MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY SPRING CLASSIC (May 24th, 1998) (results provided by Frank Schiro)

• Keith Royster, M40-44, 400m, 1st place, 53:5 (PR)
• Keith Royster, M40-44, 200m, 1st place, 23.6 (PR)
• Luca Trovato, M35-39, 800m, 2nd place, 2:16
• Victor Diaz, M50-54, 800m, 1st place
• Victor Diaz, M50-54, 1500m, 1st place
• Frank Schiro, M45-49, 100m, 1st place, 12.1 (PR)
• Frank Schiro, M45-49, 200m, 1st place, 23.8 (PR)
• Clement Easton, M40-44, 800m, 1st place, 2:05
• Central Park Track Club M40+ (Smith, Royster, Schiro, Easton), 4x100m, 1st place, 48:07

Note: The curious fact is that Frank Schiro can run the 200m at a faster pace than the 100m.  He explained, "I'm just not a fast starter."

KEY BANK VERMONT CITY MARATHON RELAY, Burlington, VT (May 24th, 1998)

**********

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Central Park Track Club Men's Team (Craig Buckbee, Alan Ruben, Stuart Calderwood, Jud Santos, Ramon Bermo), 4th overall, 2:29:56 (5:43 min/mile)
• Central Park Track Club Coed Team (Gordon Bakoulis, Audrey Kingsley, Carsten Strandlod, Stacy Creamer, Sarah Gross), 6th place, 2:49:50 (6:29 min/mile)

**********

An eyewitness account was provided by none other than Alan Ruben himself:

"At the 1998 Vermont City Relay, the torch of Michael Garland was carried by Stuart Calderwood (guest runner for the Central Park Track Club).  After a rather ambitious start when he pulled our club from 5th place to challenge for the lead, all within the first 2 miles, the heat suddenly hit him.

It is the beauty (and tragedy) of relays that when such misfortunes occur, it is not possible to just wimp out and retire gracefully from the race.  Instead, knowing that you would be letting down all your teammates, you have to struggle on regardless.  In Stuart's case, this also meant completing the vicious half-mile hill at the end of his leg (literally) to the thundering beat of the Japanese drummers.  Oh, the pain!   After handing over to Jud Santos, he then dutifully followed the script and collapsed à la Garland, while Stacy Creamer tried to reassure everyone that Stuart is always like this after races.  Connoisseurs of the Vermont City Marathon Relay still rate Mike Garland's collapse last year to be the better one, with the crucial factor being getting a picture into the following day's Burlington Free Press.

The final time of 2:29:56 was just short of Alan Ruben's individual marathon PR of 2:29:54 a few weeks ago, in spite of (or --- for the conspiracy theorists among you --- perhaps because of) having the same Alan Ruben running one of the legs.  Of course, Ramon Bermo, who ran a great final leg, swears the clock read 2:29:50 when he crossed the line.  Even so, Alan would then merely pull out his Boston chip time of 2:29:49.

Meanwhile, the co-ed team of Gordon Bakoulis, Audrey Kingsley, Carsten Strandlod, Stacy Creamer and Sarah Gross finished a highly creditable sixth, especially when you consider the fact that all the co-ed teams ahead of them consisted of four men and one woman.

Gordon Bakoulis generously ran the first leg of the relay for the Central Park Track Club team, handed off the baton, and then went on to win the Women's Marathon in a time of 2:42:51, virtually seven minutes ahead of our co-ed relay time."

**********

HOW GORDON BAKOULIS FOUND HERSELF ON THE CENTRAL PARK TRACK CLUB CO-ED TEAM (by Sarah Gross)

In the final hours before the marathon relay was scheduled to begin,  the Central Park Track Club Co-ed Team was still in a pickle with only 4 people (Audrey Kingsley, Carsten Strandlod, Stacy Creamer and Sarah Gross) on the team to run a 5-leg relay.  According to the rules, someone can run more than one leg.  Were any of these people confident that they would not blow up if they tried?  Dubious proposition, to say the least. 

We needed someone that we can count on.  Ah, did anyone say Superman? Yes, the Alan Ruben.  Yes, of course, we would ask Alan, who came back to win the Lamisil Twosome 10K just five days after running the Boston Marathon  We did, but Alan declined. Been there, did that, not a good idea.

Then we heard that two of the guys on Alan's team have graciously volunteered to "lend a leg".  What a fabulous idea to have one of the A-team guys, either Ramon Bermo or Stuart Calderwood, run for us too!  What a noble gesture!  But Alan did not approve since the person who would not be able to give 100% in the Open Men's Relay.  Oh boy, Alan was throwing a monkeywrench into this thing! 

So who was going to double?  Audrey, Stacy, Carsten or Sarah?  No, the leadoff runner would be ... Gordon Bakoulis! Yes, Alan volunteered his wife!  Under the rules, a runner in the individual marathon race can also be part of a marathon relay team.  YEAH!  Alan came through again!

**********

Footnote: Gordon Bakoulis' time of 2:42:51 qualified her for the Olympics Marathon Trial in 2000.  As it stands, she does not get a free ride yet because she would need to break 2:42 to get her expenses paid for.  But some people had a great time impressing others with the newspaper headline --- GORDON'S WIN WORTH $360,000!!! (in reference to Jeff Gordon's NASCAR victory).

**********

A certain Monday morning armchair quarterback (not Alan Ruben!) proposed the following:

• If we let Gordon Bakoulis run all five legs, our co-ed team (of one) would have finished 5th.  Unfortunately, this would not have been allowed because a marathon relay team must have at least two members.
• Better yet, if Carsten Strandlod had a sex change, our team would have been the 2nd place Women's team (behind an all-star high school team that included national XC champion Erin Sullivan).

Hey, which mean-spirited person said that!?  We thought team relays were about fostering camaraderie!  So does winning matter?  Yes and no.  Yes, because who wouldn't mind winning? No, because we have learned that there are other more important things for a team that would probably need to lease the Jacob Javits Convention Center to display all the individual and team awards won over the past 25 years.   What are these other things?  Most importantly, the experience of competing for a team of good friends! (For example, the web site guy counts among his fondest memories the experience of running (as a last-minute draftee when they had to reach for the bottom of the barrel out of desperation) on a 3rd place Manhattan-to-Peekskill Relay Masters team with illuminaries such as Mike Batista, Jack Brennan, Efrain Gonzalez, Alan Turner, Rick Shaver and Rick Pieschel, an experience made all the more rewarding by an afternoon relaxing by Jack Brennan's swimming pool and listening to the banter)

**********

Alan Ruben has run the Vermont City Marathon Relay many times, and it is customary for him to keep a detailed record of the splits.  For the record, we will publish the entire historical archive:

1994, 3rd place, 2:22:57 (5:27 min/mile)

1995, 1st place, 2:24:48 (5:31 min/mile)

1996, 1st place, 2:24:27 (5:31 min/mile)

1997, 5th place, 2:31:16 (5:46)

1998, 4th place, 2;29:56 (5:43 min/mile)

**********

One of the best things about the Vermont City Marathon is the special marathon supplement published by the Burlington Free Press on the following day.

Here is a shortened version of what Free Press staff writer Patrick Garrity wrote:

Gordon Bakoulis, the 37-year-old New York City editor of Running Times magazine, returned to town for the first time since setting the women's record in 1995 and cruised to a win in 2:42:51.

(credit: Rob Swanson, Free Press)

"It was better than I could have hoped for," said Bakoulis.   "There are so many things that can go wrong in a marathon, and really none of them went wrong this time."

Bakoulis, who just 10 months ago gave birth to her first child, hadn't run a marathon since February 1996 and had set modest personal goals entering the race. "I'm not in the shape I was three years ago," said Bakoulis.  "My first goal was to finish.  My second goal was to qualify for the Olympics Trials in under 2:50.  And my third goal was to run around 2:45."

The strategy, mapped out by her husband and fellow marathoner Alan Ruben, called for Bakoulis to pace herself through the first 10 miles, "ease" into the second 10, "then let it rip over the last 10K." It was a winning formula, first with Bakoulis in pursuit of runner-up Veronique Vandermissen over 10 miles, then with Bakoulis gradually pulling away.

"She took it out a little faster than I did," said Bakoulis of Vandermissen, whose debut marathon ended in an impressive 2:44:41 finish.   "Then, right after 10 miles, I felt really good and on the downhill mile --- between 10 and 11 --- I passed her there."

Bakoulis chewed up the swing through the South End, reacquainting herself with that stretch of the bike path --- "that's a really nice part" --- and settling in for a fast finish.  Problem was, Vandermissen was still there. "When I got to the bottom of the hill on Battery Street, somebody said she was 10 feet behind," Bakoulis said. "I kind of thought I had put her away, but I looked back and sure enough, she was right there.

"So I was like 'O.K., I guess I'll have to race a little bit out here rather than just go against the clock.' And that was fine.  I embrace competition." The competition wouldn't last, as Bakoulis' perfect day just kept getting better.  At 20 miles, she was in stride, saying, "it was all I could do to contain myself, I felt so strong."

At 24, she realized that with a kick she could negative split --- run the second half of the race faster than the first --- and the kick brought her to the tape two minutes in front of Vandermissen and 16th overall. (NOTE: she ran the 26th mile in 5:39!)

At the finish, she snatched her baby boy Joseph from his stroller and planted a victory kiss on his cheek. "I didn't really have the motivation to come back right away," said Bakoulis of her 10-month hiatus from competing after the pregnancy.   "I like talking to women who make the real strong comeback from pregnancy, but mine just didn't happen. It wasn't that I didn't feel good physically.  It was more like, where am I going to find the time?"

(credit: Rob Swanson, Free Press)

The time was right Sunday for Bakoulis. "You pray for a day like that when nothing goes wrong, because there a lot of things you control out there," said Bakoulis.  "All the things that I could control went well, and all the things I couldn't control, they went well, too."

**********

TOURING VERMONT (by Sarah Gross)

Lots of folks brought their bikes along, thanks to the idea man, Ramon Bermo. OK, with the race over, they got their food and naps.  What now?   Hey, it's a beautiful afternoon in Vermont. Perfect for a bike tour.

AT THE HOTEL
Sarah:  Let's go for an EASY bike ride. My legs are shot!
Craig, Jud, Ramon, Stacy, Stuart (in agreement):  Yes, of course, we all ran the race.
Craig:  Yes, of course, let's save our energy for tomorrow morning's (bona fide) ride.
Jud:  I just wanna enjoy the outdoors.
Ramon: Why ez?  We deed nat run dee maratón?  You have to get used to doing two sports if you are going to do biathlons, you know.
Stacy:  I can't keep up with you guys, but I'll start with you.
Stuart:  I'll do what everybody else does.

PREPARING FOR THE RIDE
Craig purchased a map of the Burlington area and planned the bike trip --- a nice short ride of about 18-20 miles.

THE RIDE
Stacy and Stuart rode a little while, but had to turn back because earlier in the day their car died and they needed to take care of it.  At the time, they didn't know how lucky they were.
Ramon: Wow!  I'm beat.  That race must have taken a lot out of me.
Sarah:  You guys go ahead --- my legs are shot from the race.
Ramon: No, I'll stay with you --- I just wanna enjoy the scenery.
Craig:  We have plenty of time.  Let's all stay together.  Anyway, we should just take it easy so we can REALLY ride tomorrow morning.  Let's just cruise and --- I know ---we'll stop somewhere and have Ben & Jerry's ice cream along the way.
Jud:  I'm just happy to be on the bike.

8 MILES LATER, SARAH CATCHES UP TO HER RIDING PARTNERS
Riding partners:  Are you okay? Do you want to continue riding the rest of the loop?  It's just another 12 miles. Isn't it nice just cruising around?
Sarah: Yes, but you guys are too strong.  My legs are shot and  I thought that we were gonna get some ice cream. 
Jud & Craig:  Yeah, there's bound to be an ice cream joint nearby.  Don't worry, we'll stop.
Craig:  We'll ride easy. I just couldn't help powering up that hill.  I LOVE hills.
Jud:  Yeah, we'll take it easy. I just wanted to see if I could keep up with Craig.
Ramon: My legs are beginning to feel better, let's RIDE no slower than 22mph.

5 MILES LATER
Sarah stayed with her riding partners for 4 miles.  Then what seemed like a major hill (any hill is a major hill after a footrace) appeared and the riding partners hot-dogged it up the hill. Sarah caught up later to riding partners who were waiting patiently at an intersection.
Craig:  Are you okay?
Sarah: Yes, but you guys should go ahead. I'm just taking it easy.
Craig: No, we'll all stay together.  Listen!  We can take this flat, easy and boring road towards Burlington, OR ELSE we can take this interesting alternate route. It may add another 2 or 3 miles to our ride.  Oh, and it starts off as a dirt road, but only for about half a mile.  We'll take it easy and all stay together.
Sarah:  I'm really dehydrated.  And what about the ice cream?
Craig:  Oh, I have two water bottles.  You're welcome to take some.  Oh ... and the ice cream ... I'm sure there's a place nearby.  Don't worry.
Jud:  There's nothing around here.  I don't think there are any ice cream places nearby.  I'm just happy to be on a bike.  But listen, riding on this dirt road is a little tricky, so let's go slow.
Ramon:  I'm just happy to be on the bike.

DIRT ROAD:
Ramon:  Hey, this is not too easy but look up ahead --- it's downhill.
After riding 200 meters, Craig and Jud were nowhere in sight and Ramon and Sarah peddled gingerly ahead.  Suddenly downhill turned into uphill, but it was still a dirt road.   Finally, Sarah caught up to her riding partners after riding on the dirt road for 1.5 miles.
Craig:  How did that dirt road feel?  Are you okay?
Sarah: Yes, it was fine but I'm really thirsty. How close is the Ben & Jerry's?
(NO RESPONSE)

SEVERAL MILES LATER
Sarah has caught up to riding partners again.  Jud was parked with the bike at the start of what looks like another dirt road.
Sarah:  I'm not riding down this dirt road!!!
Riding partners:  Oh, not to worry.  We are not going that way.  Let's just pop into that corner store to get some water (cough, gasp ...)
Craig:  Yeah, we better get something to drink.  We're not far from the hotel, but I don't think there are any ice cream stands nearby.

BACK IN SOUTH BURLINGTON
Sarah's odometer read 34.5 miles.

HOTEL PARKING LOT
Jud:  I could keep riding all night.  I'm ready to go.  I'm SO HAPPY to be on a bike.
Craig:  Yes, but we're riding at 5:30am tomorrow.  Better you rest now, because you'll be fresher in the morning.
Sarah: (whispering to Craig):  Are you kiddin'?  He'll NEVER get up to ride at 5:30 am.  Mark my words!

FAST FORWARD TO FOLLOWING MORNING
The plan to ride at 5:30am was moved to 6am.  A couple of people bailed out, but not Ramon.  He was ready to go.  So who went with him?
Clue # 1:  This person has made plans to ride with Stacy in the morning, but stood her up
Clue # 2:  This person has made plans to ride with Sarah in the morning, but stood her up
Clue # 3:  This person has never made plans to ride with Craig, and so has not stood him up yet
Clue # 4:  This person does not do the Brooklyn Half marathon because it starts at 8am.
Clue # 5:  This person enjoys riding with the New York Cycle Club, but only when their rides begin at 9am (9:30 by the time they finish socializing at the boat house)

This story ends here.  We will not go into the 'easy jogging run' (at 6 minute/mile pace) ...

14th ANNUAL QUEENS BIATHLON, Queens, NYC (May 17th, 1998)

Michael Trunkes, 35, 1:23:17, 4th overall, 1st age group

PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION 10K, Philadelphia, PA (May 17th, 1998)

Jonathan Federman, 34, 44:11, 141th overall, 29th age group

THE BERMUDA REGIMENT BREAKFAST 5 MILE RUN, Bermuda (May 17, 1998)

Sid Howard, 32:11, 13th overall

(Note: Result located by our Global Surveillance System (tm).   Sid said, "How did he find out about this? I didn't tell anyone!")

VOLVO MIDLAND RUN (15K), Midland, NJ (5/17/98)

HOME DEPORT MID MAY CLASSIC 4 MILER, Fairfield, CT (5/17/98)

ASSAULT ON MOUNT MITCHELL, Spartanburg SC to Mount Mitchell NC (5/16/98)

• Ross Galitsky, 6:29:38, 143th place (he got lost!)
• Thomas Pennell, 6:58:37, 228th place
• Aubin Sullivan, 6:24:39, 134th place (she beat Ross!)
• Scott Willett, 5:36:58, 21st place (he got lost, too! then he got so angry that he rode the bike all the way back for a double century)

COLUMBIA TRIATHLON, Columbia, MD (May 17th, 1998)

Randall Ehrlich, 2:21:08, 135th overall, 126th male, 16th M30-34

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA ALUMNI 5K RACE, Philadelphia, PA (May 16th, 1998)

David Pullman, 36, 20:09, 7th overall

SPRING COUPLES RELAY, Run 2.5 mi. Bike-12 mi. Row-3/4 mi, Central Park, NY (May 16th, 1998)

• 1st couple, Randall Ehrlich and Sue Feitelberg (1:07:49)
• 5th couple, Peter Allen & Rhonda Allen (1:11:13, combined age group 71-80 winner)
• 8th couple, Stacy Creamer and Stuart Calderwood (1:13:52, combined age group  71-80 second place) (Stacy ran, Stuart biked, both rowed; according to an eyewitness, Ms. "Lean & Mean" was 2nd runner overall and she was smokin' and scorchin')
• 18th couple, Odin Townley and Hilary Alger (1:19:09, combined age group 91-99 2nd place)

YOU GOTTA HAVE PARK 5M FUN RUN, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NYC (May 16th, 1998)

Michael Garland wrote: "You Gotta Have Park runners included Julie Denney (3rd place in 34:41), Carmine Petracca (he's the fast Italian guy and he finished 2nd overall in 27:57, while his son Giuseppe won the kid's race), Eden Weiss and me (6th in about 29:48, but who's counting after the 3rd finisher in a fun run anyway?). Hot, humid conditions, but no casualties.

4th ANNUAL LONG ISLAND ENDURANCE RUN, Long Island, NY (May 16th, 1998)

Larry Sillen, 53, 7:38:13, 20th place male in 50K race

A little bird on the wire sang: "A Central Park Track Club Masters runner ran a boonies race in Pennsylvania, was 5th overall (1st in age group) and made off with not only an oversized trophy, but his picture was on the front page of the local newspaper. Just in case you haven't figured it out, here's a huge hint: he also ran the Boston marathon a few weeks prior. He's a bit shy because he was instructed by coach Tony Ruiz not to race so soon after the marathon."

RUN FOR FREEDOM 5 Miler, Newark, NJ (May 10th, 1998)

Sid Howard, 59, 30:07 (6:01 min/mile), 39th place overall

SHOWER-TO-SHOWER MOTHER'S DAY 5K, Central Park, NY (May 10th, 1998)

See PHOTO album

TEAM POSITION: 2nd Open Team

GULF COAST TRIATHLON, Panama City, FL (May 9th, 1998)

Stephanie Gould, 32, 7th overall female, 3rd F30-34, swim (31:33, 12th place), transition (2:55), bike (2:20:08, 3rd place), transition (1:24), run (1:41:23, 7th overall), total time (4:37:21)

LAW DAY 5 MILERACE, Stroudsburg, PA (May 4th, 1998)

Victor Osayi, 29:12, 5th overall, 2nd place M40-44

CANON LONG ISLAND HALF MARATHON, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, Long Island, NY (May 3rd, 1998)

CITY OF PITTSBURGH MARATHON, Pittsburgh, PA (May 3rd, 1998)

YMCA RACE AGAINST RACISM, Washington DC (May 2nd, 1998)

Tyronne Culpepper wrote: "I ran as a part of the United National team in Washington, DC in the (Nike-sponsored) YWCA Race Against Racism 5K. The weather was okay at the start, but it rained most of the race. This sort reminded me of our recent Thursday workouts. It was listed as a fast & flat course. (I'm always a bit leery when they use 'fast & flat' together like that, because it gives me a false sense of security:-). Well, it turned out to be an out & back course, mostly down Pennsylvania Avenue with a fair amount of rolling hills (of course, not big enough to be called real hills:-)

We did well. I was a member of our second-place team and we won several individual awards. I placed 7th in my age group (25th overall) with a time of 18:16. I should have known how easy it would be to get stuff outside of NYC, but still I was surprised. Here's an example of the hardwarefest: Everyone received a medal just for finishing, all 3 individual age group winners received a fairly large trophy & one of the new Nike Triax sport watches (Ask Ramon Bermo for exact price:-). The top 3 teams received a larger trophy, each team member a medal & one of the aforementioned watches. Need I say more??? Jud Santos would have been overwhelmed by it all for certain!! (re: New Balance focus group freebie shoes)

Oh, since Nike played a role in sponsorship, a couple of celebrities (Steve Holman and Mary Decker-Slaney) were victorious in their respective gender groups (probably at training pace). King Carl & Donna Richardson (the fitness covergirl) were there too!"

REVLON 5K, New York City, NY (May 2nd, 1998)

MEN

WOMEN

• Missing In Action on the result listings are Yumi Ogita (forgot her race bib!) and Phil Vasquez (although a 35-year-old Ms. Phil Vasquez is listed in the Women's section with a time of 19:23)

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY/PARKE-DAVIS 5K, Minneapolis, MN (April 28th, 1998)

Michele Tagliati wrote us: "Inspired by the incredible performances of Alan Ruben (that's what you call a "role model"), I raced in a 5K race only 8 days after my unsuccesful attack on the 3-hour wall in the Boston Marathon ... The race is a fun run organized annually during the American Academy of Neurology meeting that draws an international crowd of "wannabe" runners/doctors. It was held in Minneapolis, MN on April 28 at 7 AM (it' not a typo: seven AM!) on a flat course, sunny and mild weather conditions, with about 200 participants. I placed 5th overall and 3rd in my age group, with a time of 17:12. It would be - by far - my PR on the distance, but I have some doubts about the correct measurement of the course. Anyway, it was an improvement from last year's 12th place in Boston (Parke-Davis 5K). I may send you a picture taken at this race if the organizers will send me one (so they promised...)."

COMMENTARY: HOW TO SET PERSONAL RECORDS --- Find a small out-of-town race with the following characteristics:

• Held in conjunction with a professional meetings/convention, so that the crowd is small and the competition is weak
• Non-USATF certified/sanctioned, so that the race distance may be mis-measured --- the odd thing is that the out-of-town mis-measured races are usually too short, but the NYRRC-mismeasured races are usually too long.
• Small race organization, so that there are no spotters or spy cameras on the course

Here is Michele's record:

• Personal best 5K time of 18:37 (6:00 min/mile) set at the USATF-certified Grid Iron 5K, Central Park, NY, January 25th, 1998
• Recorded time of 16:32 (5:22 min/mile pace) at the Parke-Davis 5K Fun Run, during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, in Boston MA, April 15th, 1997, 12th out of 149 entrants. The organizer reported that the course was 'almost 5K', although it seemed to be significantly shorter than that since the winner had a Kenyan-like time of 14:14. They even had Michele's age at 28! What more could he ask for?
• Recorded time of 17:12 (5:33 min/mile) at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, in Minneapolis, MN, April 28th, 1998, 5th overall.

KION 5K RUN, Carmel, CA (April 26th, 1998)

RYE DERBY, Rye, New York (April 26th, 1998)

KION 5K, Carmel, California (April 26, 1998)

Claudia Malley, 20:07, 34th overall

TRI GATORADE INDIVIDUAL TRIATHLON, Bermuda (April 26, 1998)

Scott Willet, overall winner (1:00:40 = 8:52 swim + 33:23 bike + 18:25 run)

Note: As usual, Scott imposed a cloak of secrecy about his performance. We had hoped to confront him at the Tuesday track workout because he said he would be there as soon as he stepped off the plane, but he did not show. His public relations agent Ross Galitsky would only say, "My lips are sealed." Notwithstanding these obstructionist efforts, our Global Surveillance System (tm) located the results anyway.

Postscript: Not content with running the individual triathlon, Scott came back the next day to participate in the team triathlon as well. Here is a story from the Bermuda GazetteNet Sports Page (4/27/98):

Willett was given permission to compete as an individual yesterday as a training exercise, but he dropped out at the end of the bike ride. Up until that point he was in the top four. "This is the first year I've done the whole race," said Willett who has been bringing a team here to compete for the last four years. "Today was for training. I don't have enough running in me at the moment to do two days' racing back to back. I also ran 27 miles in Boston on Monday so the legs are a little gone today."

The following protest note was sent in by Scott Willett himself: "My thanks for the recognition of my pedestrian running talents. As if an 18:25 was not slow enough, you were kind enough to add the necessary fudge factor (note: initially, the time of 18:52 was listed here) usually subtracted by Mr Galitsky. That 18:52 perfectly complements my runner-wannabe self perceptions and consequent runner-not-gonnabe self-esteem. As for the article in the newspaper, they are even better than you know who at misrepresenting reality. The Boston 27 mile quote is a prime example --- I told them that I had won the damned event!"

PENN RELAYS, Franklin Field, Philadelphia, PA (April 23rd to April 25th, 1998)

• Master Men (40+) 4x100 relay, 44.51, 1st place, Val Barnwell, John Brooks, Lloyd Jeremiah, Ed Gonera
• Master Men (50+) 4x100 relay, 47:59, 1st place, William Overby, Jess Brewer, Ron Johnson, Ken Brinker
• Master Women 100m dash, Louise Clark (40), 2nd place, 13.41; Mary Rosado (48), 5th place , 16.06; Sylvie Kimche (51), 6th place, 16.39
• Master Men (40+) 4x400 relay, 3:28.39, 2nd place, Frank Schiro, Archie Glaspy, Clement Easton, Ed Gonera (Special note: Sid Howard hand-timed the splits to be 52.23 + 52.00 + 51.53 + 52.17 = 3:27.93)
• Master Men (40+) 4x400 relay, 3:37.09, 5th place, Duane Green, Tom Hartshorne, Alex Constantinou, Keith Royster
• Master Men Mixed (50+) 4x400 relay, 3:46.89, 3rd place, Jess Brewer, William Overby, Ron Johnson, Ken Brinker; 4:55.49, 8th place, Louise Clark, Denise Johnson, Denise Crain, Mary Rosado.
• Olympic Development Women 4x100, 51:33, 2nd place, Louise Clark, Denise Johnson, Denise Crain, Mary Rosado
• Olympic Development Women 4x200, 1:48.74, 7th place, Lintz Rivera, Renee Sterret, Charlene Landrum, Louise Clark
• Olympic Development Men 4x400, 3:15.09, 3rd place, Mitch Lovett, Tracey Fox, Sal Allah, Ray Blackwell

The most exciting race was the Men 40+ 4x400 relay. In front of 45,000 roaring track aficionados, the Central Park Track Club team lost the race in the final few meters of the race, but was still able to beat the previous American record.

LAMISIL TWOSOME 10K, Central Park, New York City, April 25th, 1998

See PHOTO section

MEN

• Those present at the race witnessed a historical moment, when 41-year-old Alan Ruben won his first non-ultra-distance race inside Central Park, just five days after running the Boston Marathon in a PR time of 2:29:54. Meanwhile, his wife Gordon Bakoulis also finished first female and seventh overall in this race. Someone was heard to mumble, "Freak of nature!"
• Jack Brennan was reported to have rationalized that his time should have been faster because the course was too long.  According to his conspiracy theory, the 10K distance was measured on the basis of the runners being allowed to cut the tangents instead of staying in the recreational lane as was the case for this race.   This was a protective measure in case some no-name person should set a world record on what is well-known to be a fairly tough course.  Whatever, Jack ... but we still like to hear anything that would make us seem faster ...

WOMEN

TWOSOME TEAMS

LAMISIL TWOSOME 2 MILES, Central Park, New York City (April 25th, 1998)

MEN

WOMEN

TWOSOME TEAMS

BOSTON MARATHON, Boston, Massachusetts (April 20th, 1998)

MEN

• Finally, Alan Ruben got his sub-2:30 race. As hard as we tried to look, we could not find him on the ESPN broadcast.  Nathan Klejman swore that he saw Alan on TV.

WOMAN

• Audrey Kingsley is the only team member to have a negative split. Even the metronomic Alan Ruben could not manage it. According to the spotters from our Global Surveillance System (tm), Audrey would have gone a lot faster if she did not keep exchanging high fives with the spectators.
  Audrey protests: "In my defense, I must say that I did not high-five many spectators in this event. At the advice of a veteran Boston Marathoner, I kept most (not all) non-running energy-wasting activities to a minimum. I want the names of all those who have attempted to implicate me." Note that Audrey is not trying to deny the veracity of our report, but merely trying to haggle about the extent of the damages and liabilities.
• For the record, we note that a number of Central Park Track Club people drove up to Boston for the pure pleasure of cheering others: Ramon Bermo, Ross Galitksy, Scott Willett, Stacy Creamer ...

QUEENS HALF MARATHON, Queens, NYC (April 19th, 1998)

Conditions: Miserable! Rain and wind.

WOMEN, 2nd place Open team

• Courageous performance by Stacy Creamer for the team! She ran in spite of a bike mishap earlier in the week, which left her bruised, sore and aching.
• We should mention one person who behaved badly (I mean, BADLY) at the outdoor track workout on the next Tueday. This person ran the Queens Half Marathon and was on the scoring team; on Tuesday morning, she thought that she should skip the workout and so went for a bike ride; she had a bad day at the office and thought she wanted to go out for a run, but not to the track; unfortunately, she just missed her running partner, and so she decided to run down to the track instead; she thought that she was going to take it easy, but she ended up going hard instead (e.g. a sub-2:10 600m) because she got competitive. For her efforts, she was yelled at by teammates Sidney Howard, Frank Handelman and Tony Ruiz. Her only concession of the day was to skip the last two 300m. And, no, the name of the person is not Audrey Kingsley. (Hint: Her first name starts with S). (Another hint: Okay, so all three of the scoring runners have names that start with S --- but this one is known to ride a bike). (Yet another hint: Okay, so all three of them ride bikes --- but this one ...)

MEN

• Tony Ruiz attempted to motivate the team by telling them that there has to be someone who can beat Jack Brennan, the 48-year-old has-been who led the team last week in the 5K. Based upon these results, only Ramon Bermo might have been able to pass the test.
• So where did everyone else go instead? Well, a few of them (Alan Ruben, Audrey Kingsley, Aubin Sullivan, etc) have quasi-legitimate excuses like running the Boston Marathon on Monday. As for the others, our Global Surveillance System (tm) reported that on Friday night, there were about 15 Central Park Track Club people at an Upper West Side restaurant, consuming massive amounts of food and alcoholic spirits. Excuse me, but this is a rather peculiar notion of team spirit. Shame on you!
• Tyronne Culpepper's report: "The Queens race was by far the worse conditions I've run in my brief road racing career. Instead of warming up, most people spent this time as I did, underneath one of the playground platforms trying not to be totally soaked before the race began. It wasn't like you were in Central Park and could just change your mind and go home. Talking to Carsten, I found that he waited a hour in the rain for the bus from the NYRRC Club, so he pretty much got off the bus and jumped into the race. The race started okay, but I always seem to forget to get somewhere near the front, so I spent most of the first mile trying not to fall while sidestepping other runners. I guess since I was shivering so much at the start it didn't really matter. Once into the race, as the rain continued, I began to have flashbacks of the NYC marathon. Thank God this was only a half marathon! My only solace came in two forms: in the last mile I passed a group of runners, to which one of them said "I knew you were gonna do that!"; second and best of all was being offered a ride back with Thomas and Julie!! Ahh, such is the life of an accidental scoring team member ..."
• Noted without comment: Rasheed (tm) Azim DNF'd.

COLLEGE POINT 5K, Queens, NYC (April 20th, 1998)

MEN

RABBIT RUN 5K, Central Park, New York City (April 11, 1998)

WOMEN, 2nd Open Team

• Yumi improved from 20:05 to 18:55 in two weeks' time, way ahead of any normal expectations even given the differences in the course layouts.

MEN

• We were shocked when we saw who our team leader was. We had to check the listing again ... and again. Just the night before, I was reading the 1990 Club Newsletter about the very same Jack Brennan "attempting to make a comeback after years of talking about his glorious past, falling in the mud and losing a shoe at the National Masters 15K Cross Country Championship Race." After this episode, we can imagine him talking up a storm in the weeks ahead. Yes, things have gotten so bad that maybe it is time that we open the coffin and revive Fritz Mueller to take care of business ...

NIKE RUN FOR THE PARK, 4 Miler, Central Park, NY (April 4th, 1998)

MEN (2nd Open Team)

WOMEN (2nd Open Team)

ASPIRE 10K, Plainview, NY (April 4th, 1998)