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««« A lucky 7 in Striderland for 2010 «««
««« The Big 3 get Bigger & Better, guess that equals Best ««« If numbers alone tell the story, the 31st Dam to Dam, 9th Des Moines
Marathon and 32nd Living History Farms continue as the best races in Central Iowa.
Take a bow race directors - Dam to Dam's Kurt Schaeffer with 9,215 finishers, DM
Marathon's Chris Burch with 6,647 finishers and Living History Farm's Steve Bobenhouse
with 7,285 finishers. This trio of races appeals to a wide spectrum of runners from
the 5Ker to Marathoner. From point to point, to over hill & dale courses and
serious to rollicking fun events. If any city could be blessed with a better group
of races please step forward. They set the road running standard, inspiring all the
other races and race directors. Thank you Dam to Dam, DM Marathon and Living History
Farms. ««« Lisa Koll, you make us Proud! ««« As a Ft Dodge high school runner Lisa gave no indication of what
was to follow. Boom, it didn't take long as she claimed NCAA title after title. Her
senior year at Iowa State she scored a college record in the 10,000 meter, with an
oh so fast 31:18:07 on the track, giving her the 6th best US women's time ever. Following
college graduation she wasted no time becoming part of a prestigious running group
in Oregon and winning the Quad Cities Bix-7, the first Iowan in over 30 year to do
so. While Lisa's distance running prowess overshadows any Striderland prep in history,
2010 saw former Roosevelt HS runner Kiel Uhl finished 6th for ISU at the NCAA 10K
with a 28:58 and former Johnston HS runner Obsie Birru now at Grandview become an
NAIA All-American. ««« Good golly it's Captain Midnight ««« Midnight Madness can often get lost in the current road racing
landscape. Maybe it's age of 39 years or midsummer humidity has taken its toll. Not
so anymore as it has brightened the midnight sky. A record 2,469 finishers ran through
the streets of Ames, surpassing the long time 1983 record when it was the biggest
race in Striderland. It's hard not to like this race with 24 year veteran Roman Lynch
at the helm. His cape and charm woo those with speed, first time runners and anyone
that likes a joke, even if he has told it already (and he has). The Captain has inspired
this sleepy race into a can not miss "Race of the Summer" featuring a wonderful
youth run with tots in capes, a big time 5K, a speedy 10K, a challenging 15K combined
timed event, silver medalist Danny Harris announcing and a party into the wee hours.
Golly, this is one great race. ««« Got some speed, show it off ««« Striderland, can you feel the breeze? Runners of the world are
at your doorstep, running sub-5 minutes per mile. Not every year matches up but a
2:14 DM Marathon, 10 men under 1:05 at Dam to Dam 20K and 5 men at DM Half-Marathon
between 1:05:10 to 1:05:18 goes down as one very speedy year. The Marathon time was
the best in Iowa history and same goes for the competitiveness of 20K and 13.1 miles.
While the men were dominated by non Iowans the women had home grown roots. Runablaze
Iowa women placed 3 of the top 5 at the DM Marathon and 5 of the top 8 at Dam to
Dam. Six women team members have blazed to sub 2:55 marathons of late as the most
powerful women's group in Iowa history. The best of Iowa men was Runablaze Jason
Flogel with 3 marathons within minutes of breaking 2:20. ««« No one had the Blues ««« Relays week never had it so good for road runners. While the current
trend in running is to go longdistance, along comes the Blue Mile. It quickly captured
the hearts of hundreds of runners in many competitive divisions ending with world
class speed vying for thousands of dollars. The first Blue Mile, the brainchild of
Relays Director Brian Brown, was greeted with perfect weather, huge crowds, a festive
atmosphere and a quick stroll in downtown Des Moines. It was the talk of the town,
and still is. Striderland running needs a signature event and the Blue Mile for all
was just the start of another great week at the 101st Drake Relays and 42nd On-the-Roads.
A month later Drake played host to the USA Track & Field championships. Does
it get any better? ««« Those darn Dowling Girls did it again ««« Coach Father Kirby lost to graduation the best 1-2 punch is Iowa
History, as Katie Flood went to Washington University and Ashlie Decker to Minnesota
University. Their leadership crowned 3 state cross country team titles along with
their 4 individual titles. So how did this year shape up? Who would have guessed
but the team placed 5 in the top 20 team scoring at the State XC meet and took the
4A crown by a wider margin than the previous year. Next they proceeded to finish
17th in the nation at the High School Nike Team Nationals in Oregon. It really doesn't
get any better. The team now tops the list for most consecutive wins by a Striderland
high school team, beating the boys teams from yesteryear. Only 8 more months to XC
season, will the Dowling girls continue to surprise? ««« Less we forget, completing the circle ««« Races punctuate the Striderland landscape, laying claim to what
makes a great running community. There's another trio of races that does it just
right by picking the right season or cause. During the dead of the winter, February
seems like an unlikely time for a race, or does it? The Y's Red Flannel race pulls
it off just perfectly. 1,422 finishers think so too and all for a good cause, the
youth of Des Moines. Just prior to spring races, St Pat has grown as quick as any
race now with 925 finishers, along with donating to many DM charities. In the fall
the biggest "cause" race in Des Moines is just a perfect celebration of
life and living. Race for Cure with over 20,000 in attendance boosts some speedy
running By Cal Murdock, observing Iowa Running for over three decades |
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