By Tim O’Keefe
A special thanks to JUSTINE SPRINGER, our social committee chair, who arranged today’s picnic as well as found a way to send Debby on a different course and provide us with a gorgeous day. Justine also organized the Ice Cream Social in the beginning of June that was much appreciated despite the rainy start to the night. Many thanks Charm City Running for once again sponsoring the social and providing all the ice cream. Think wayyyy back to the beginning of the year, starting at the end of January to mid March when we had 9 straight weeks where cold rains came every Friday night and didn’t let up until Sunday night. Weekdays were fine but 9 weekends of rain and cold. Fast forward to the end of May to mid July when we began a drought …days of heat and no rain EXCEPT Wednesday nights. The first 7 nights of the summer decathlon were a repeated nightmare…rain starting at 4:00 turning heavier and maybe, just maybe letting up by race time. Twice the meet was delayed as we stood huddled under shelters or in cars while the heavens opened up. After 20 minute delays we ran. One night the skies threatened but no rains. We ran until we heard 1 thunderclap in the distance. Little did we know that tornado warnings were issued not far north of us. Mid June, 6 weather stations called for storms with lightning at 6:00. Our only cancellation of the season. Naturally when 6:00 rolled around the skies were clear. Sigh…There was hope! The night that MICHELE NEWTON was hostess, no rain was forecast and we just dealt with heat and humidity. Even with the crazy weather, runners at the event were in great spirits and had a lot of fun. There were 113 different Steeps taking part in the series…43 women and 70 men. Our youngest runner was 6 year old Cole Gohnke and our most experienced runner was 85 year old Ron Chiariello. On average 42 runners came to each event with 68 running the 1600, event #1, and only 24 runners doing the 2 mile on a humid 90 degree day in late July…imagine that! Six runners ran all 10 races including JOHN WAY who has run 149 decathlon races in a row. That’s 15 years of not missing a decathlon event…
In fact, last night John ran his 76th race of the year!
This was the 32nd year of the summer decathlon and since its inception, it relies on the runners to step up and volunteer to help with the timing, finish cards, and all the aspects of each race. No one has ever said no when I ask if they can help and everyone’s little part makes the series successful. Some special thanks go out to our host and hostesses who provided prizes for the relays as well as freeze pops for all the runners:
ART GREGORY & RUTH TAYLOR
LARRY & HEIDI O’HARA
SCOTT & MELISSA WALLACE
RON & BEV BLACK
MICHELE & PARKER NEWTON
It is great for me that I can go hang out on the beach and know that Wednesday’s race will go on without a glitch. That is thanks to JOHN WAY and PAUL CHRISTIANSEN who have taken over that evening without missing a beat.
A special thank you to CRYSTAL TRESSLER who came out one night not to run but just to help out. A special gift to us this year was having MARY BELLAMY show up to do some walking but also take over the organizing and distribution of the finish cards. Things always ran smoothly when Mary was there! For all of you who are on your phones right after a race to find your results, you know the value of having someone like CAREY AHR getting the results out incredibly fast AND correcting errors that pop up. Another special thank you to MICHELE NEWTON and the executive board for once again making this unique event free of charge for all members.
Now to the good stuff! The decathlon series is somewhat unique in that races on the track are against others and yourself but the scoring of the races is dependent on age grading. When you see any races scored by the Steeplechasers, you’ll see an AG percent in the last column. That percent is how well you run compared to others the same age as you. The higher the percent, the better you are running. The decathlon races rearrange the finishes based on these percents hoping to equalize the field in terms of age. If you run 60%, you are a good local racer and probably score some hardware. If you are in the 70% range, you have qualified to be on the FSRC racing team and probably score well state wide. In the 80’s you are a regional class racer and crushing the competition. The 90% area is rarified air…this is national class and running phenoms. We do have some 90% runners in Frederick! If you are at 100%, your name is Noah Lyles or Sydney McLaughlin-Lavrone…
Based on this age adjustment, here are the top 10 men and women winners for 2024:
10th for the men is 31 year old JOHN HALLOCK who ran 9/10 races. That age is important because he gets minimal to no age adjustment so his placing was earned by fast running. After a banner year in 2023 where he PR’d at almost every distance, John brought that speed to the track this year. He was always in the mix of the fastest runners and posting great times. He opened with a 5:36 1600 in June, was 6th overall in the 400 with a 63 second race, and dipped under 13 minutes for the 2 mile with a 12:59.
For the women, 10th place went to JEANETTE NOVAK who at 80 years of age converted her 9/10 races into a top finish. As John got no age adjustment, Jeanette’ age adjustment shows what a tough competitor she is. Her 15:34 mile translates to someone running an 8:06 . She placed 6th with an AG 16:38 in the 2 mile and her AG time of 3:31 for the 800 put her in the mix of competition. Not only does she put a lot of work into her track runs but she was constantly helping to organize runners and finish cards at the end of each race and always volunteered to get the place cards out to finishers. An interesting dilemma came up as to age grade her for an 80 year old or a 20 year old since her birthday is February 29…Leap day which only comes once every 4 years.
The men’s 9th place went to me! I hoped my 71 years would help my age grading but it seems nothing can make up for being slow. The one positive aspect is that everyone is very kind and offer words of encouragement as they pass me by. One little bright ray of positivity. My opening 1600 had an AG of 5:45 while my final race, the mile, had an AG of 5:40. After 10 weeks of track running, I actually improved 5 seconds!
The women’s 9th place winner was CHELSEA WALLACE. With only 5 /10 races the 8 year-old showed great speed and resiliency especially in the longer distances. She ran 1600 meters in an AG time of 6:38 and an 800 with a time of 2:58. Even more admirable than her racing was the great helper she was off the track. She was my go-to person for starting the race clock and could always be seen darting among the taller adults to get names and times for the finish cards.
The men’s 8th place finisher was THOMAS TROTT. The 29 year old did not get any AG help but rather used his incredible speed to make the most out of his 6 races he did. He ran a 5:26 for 1600, 1:31 for 600 meters where he was 5th overall with a rating of 79%, and finally a 58 second 400 which was good enough for 2nd overall and a 74% effort. Seeing those blazing times in the short distances, it’s no surprise that he wanted to know why there was no 100 meter being run.
8th for the women is BETH FULCHER. The 32 year old runner is like a race ninja. You see her at the start, then you’re focused on everyone else and all of a sudden here is Beth chasing down the leaders! With no age adjustment Beth used her raw speed to make the most of her 7 races. She ran sub 3 minutes for the 800, had a 6:44 1600 meter run, and her 2 mile time of 15:47 was good enough for 4th overall. If you are in that 30 age group be aware that Beth will be in stealth mode as she cruises by you!
The winner of 7th place for the men was the ageless RON BLACK. At age 69 it seems as though he has been winning races forever and this summer he kept that going. After a year and a half battling an injury he finally has been able to train and race like the Ron of old . He was 1 of 6 runners to complete all ten races and he just got stronger with each race. The 1600 he ran in 7:33 AG to a 5:36. He had a very evenly split 2 mile in 16:34 that AG to a 12:16 while he showed speed with a 38 second 200 which AG to a 29. My goal this summer was to see if I could keep up with Ron and maybe beat him a few times…that didn’t happen.
There was a 6th place tie on the women’s side.
HEIDI O’HARA ran 9 out of 10 races.I knew her as Larry’s wife and thought it nice she was running too. Then I realized that she is a fast runner and crushing me in every race! She is legit and has some incredible speed and no mercy on old people. At age 42, she is running like someone a decade younger. She opened the season with a 7:59 in the 1600 AG 7:24, then closed the season with a 7:30 mile AG 6:57…a 27 second improvement! She ran a blazing 400 m in 1:25 that AG to 1:15 and 5th overall.Mental note…don’t underestimate nice moms!
Tying with Heidi is 31 year old GRETCHEN WHITESELL. Gretchen is one of those blazing ladies that add spice to every race. She gets faster and faster with every lap and then has this awesome kick. She did make one slight error. Apparently there was miscommunication and she got married to Dan on a Decathlon night! Seems to me there could have been some time to squeeze in a quick mile sometime during the ceremonies… Gretchen made the most of her 5 races and despite getting no AG help had times fast enough for a high ranking. Her 6:27 opening 1600 meters put her well up in the women’s rankings and her 2:52 for 800 placed her with the few under 3 minutes. Her final race was a masterpiece 6:39 where she passed 3 runners on the last lap.
SCOTT WALLACE only ran 6/10 races but oh my did he run those races. At age 45 he was running down the 20 and 30 year olds. Scott jumped to the lead in every race and just hammered the pace . I mentioned 80% AG is regional winning and 90% is national class, Scott is both! He ran a 4:36 for 1600 that was 3rd overall but his AG was 4:13 and a win by 14 seconds and an 87% rank. He was 2nd in the mile with a 4:42 but then his AG time of 4:16 gave him an 18 second win and another 87% rank. His masterpiece was his 800 where his 2:00 time beat Dan Jacobs by .4 seconds and his AG of 1:50 was a 91% effort. We have greatness in our midst!
Claiming the 5th spot for men is 85 year old RON CHIARIELLO. On the advice of John Way, Ron made the trip up from Montgomery County to try out the track and loved it. Every race he would talk about the fun he was having and how good it felt to be on the track racing. Though his times may not seem great, at 85 years old his AG put his races in the 70-74% range…up with the best. He ran a 400 in 1:53 AG 59 seconds and good enough for 6th place. His 9:26 1600 meters AG to 5:02 while his 20:24 two mile AG to 10:50 and fifth overall. The power of age grading AND good running!
ERIN SNYDER was 5th on the women’s side. At age 26 she has no age grading so had to make the best use of the 6/10 races she ran. And that she did! Sometimes the only woman in the fast heat and always running times that wow you. Even with no AG, her 5:51 for 1600 was still fast enough for 2nd overall. Her 76 second 400 placed her at #1 and her 5:44 mile was 55 seconds ahead of the next woman. Erin is pretty easy to spot as she is in the lead of most races including last weeks win in a very warm and humid WDF race.
STEVE JENNINGS held the 4th spot for the men. On the cusp of becoming a masters runner, the 39 year old speedster had some bodacious times that lifted him to the elite level. His blazing fast sprint speed is complemented by an ability to hold a fast pace and kick in the distance runs. He ran 5:22 for the 1600 for an AG of 5:07. In the 400m he ran 57 seconds to beat the rest of the field. That was without the AG. His AG was 54 seconds…4 seconds ahead of second place and a 79% rank. He was just as devastating in the 200 m as his 26 second run beat Daveen by .1 second as well as dusting everyone else. His AG of 24.4 was again the 79% level.
In 4th for the women, yet another Wallace. This time 43 year old MELISSA WALLACE who was able to gain her place with only 6 races. It was only a few years ago that she decided to try out the track and decided running fast and winning was fun! Always up with the lead women Melissa has that quick grinding pace that makes her hard to shake. She ran the 1600 in 6:36 that AG to 6:07. Her 800 time of 2:58 AG 2:50 was a 68% effort. Her final race was her best as her 6:42 mile was 3rd best with an AG of 6:08.
JOHN WAY captured 3rd for the men. Not only did the 59 year old run all 10/10 races but this was 149 consecutive SD races for him. And for perspective, John is in several other club series, so often in summer he runs 3-5 races a week. AND he runs them hard! There is no “kinda” fast for John…it’s all out fast every race. His 6:14 for 1600 AG to a 5:03 while his 2:45 800 m AG to 2:13. Good enough for the #5 spot and a 76% rank. Even the short races that he says he struggles with are great…his 35 second 200 AG to 28 seconds putting most of the field behind him. John is also my go to man for determining how many heats of each race to keep the event efficient and safe.
Last year a runner showed up at the track and I couldn’t help feeling I knew her but no clue from where. Eventually our 3rd place winner CHRIS THOMAS made the connection for me. Way back in the 80’s I knew her as Chris Curley and she was an amazing runner blowing away all the local competition. Well, she is 62 now and still is amazing and still besting the local competition. Despite starting the summer with a bout of pneumonia she rebounded and had 8 phenomenal races. Her 400 meters was a 1:23 AG 1:01 for first place and a 77% rank. Her 15:28 2 mile AG to 11:11 for 2nd overall and an 80% rank. 80% is terrific but her mile in 7:01 was an AG of 5:00 and a mind blowing 84% rank.
In the runner up spot for men was 45 year old LARRY O’HARA. Larry ran 9/10 events and I should be saying raced 9 events, not ran. His impeccable form and willingness to put it all on the line had him on the shoulders of the 20 and 30 year old youngsters in every race. His worst race was in the incredible 70% range and most of the others were in that elite 80% area. Everyone was pulling for him as he narrowly missed breaking 5 minutes in the mile. His AG of 4:34 was good enough for 2nd overall and an 81% rank. The 2:19 he ran for 800 m AG to a 2:06, 3rd overall and an 80% rank. A gutsy 11:32 in the 2 mile AG 10:30 was good enough to best everyone in the field. Off the track he is a gifted coach at TJ high school where he has passed the secrets of excellence in distance running to the runners lucky enough to call him coach. And as a bonus he’s just about convinced his nephew LAWRENCE PROULX that maybe he’s a distance runner and not a hockey player. At 15 years old and a 5:01 mile under his belt, he may be the county’s next distance phenom.
For the women, the runner up is RUTH TAYLOR. The 56 year old who consistently runs in the 70-80% range shows that she has what it takes to win in races throughout the region. She ran all 10/10 events and even after Grandma’s Marathon in mid summer, she was back the following Wednesday blazing down the back stretch in the 1000 meter. She has the gift of going out hard and then picking up the pace before a hard charging finish. Her 14:58 2 mile was the fastest lady of the night and her AG of 11:48 ranked at 76%. The 1:25 400m she ran AG to 1:06 and good enough for 3rd overall. The 1600 m in 6:56 was an AG of 5:24… good enough for #2 and a 77% rank.
Our men’s champion this year is 23 year old DAVEEN BAVARI. Daveen ran all 10 races with his worst race having a ranking of a superb 75%…the rest were upper 70’s to 80’s. He needed those mighty efforts as he received no AG advantage. While he won 4/10 races…the AG factor put him between 2nd and 4th for the other 6 races. Watching him is an awesome experience. He is smooth, fast, and looks like he is running without effort…like all the great runners do. The 2:07 for the 800 m was a 79% effort. The 10:31 in the 2 mile was at 75% and good enough for the win. His last event was the mile in 4:35 which was a 7 second victory over everyone even with their AG advantage. Plus it was an 81% effort and a great way to end a fantastic summer series.
BEV BLACK was the decathlon champion for the women. The 64 year old ran all 10 races and despite hating heat and humidity, did an amazing job on the track. Out of the 10 races she ran, she won 7 of them. 3rd place was her worst finish in the series. The majority of her races were in the 80+% range which is no surprise seeing her times. The 3:17 in the 800 was an AG of 2:22 at 80% and 1st by 9 seconds. The 1600 m in 7:09 was an AG of 5:01. Another 1st and a rank of 83%. Her final event the one mile run was a 7:07 for a sub 5 minute AG time of 4:55 and a 85% rank. Needless to say, she won the race. It’s always good to see Bev back running healthy because she is so amazing to watch in races.
That should be the end right? Champions crowned and all, BUT there is one more trophy to be given out to a very important person. One who gave up several hours every Wednesday to handle sticky and sweaty finish cards, bring order to the finish area, and make each decathlon event run smoothly. The MVP trophy is rightly going to MARY BELLAMY for being the most valuable person she is. Volunteers are the backbone of the Steeplechaser organization and Mary is the epitome of volunteering. Those quick results Carey got out every Thursday morning were helped along by Mary’s organizing the finish cards and ensuring all were there and correct. Mary, I certainly appreciated you helping out and I know all the runners appreciated you being there! Thank you…
Thanks to everyone for joining the fun of the summer decathlon series and for everyone who pitched in to make it a success. Everyone is welcome to join us next year for the 33rd running of the summer decathlon series.