Montour Trail-Letter

Volume 11, Issue 6

November/December, 2000

The Fifth Annual IKEA-Montour Trail Half Marathon and 5K Run and Walk took place in good running weather on Saturday, September 9.

Over 1,050 people participated, a huge increase over any previous year. The registration was so heavy that we ran out of T-shirts, and had to order extras to mail to the people who didn't receive a shirt on race day.

Three events were offered. The most popular was the half marathon, a footrace of 13.1 miles. About 660 registered, and 598 finished. Next most popular was the 5K race (3.1 miles), with about 300 registrants and 272 finishers. For the non-competitive, there was also an untimed Walk of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles). About 100 people signed up for the walk.

Winners of the Half Marathon were James Hommes and Laura Hruby, who finished in 1:11:56 and 1:27:43, respectively. Each took home an IKEA gift certificate good for $500. The 5K race was won by David Hackworth and Sandi Fischer, in 15:59 and 17:56. They took home $150 gift certificates. Runners in second through fifth place in each race received lesser gift certificates. 120 medals were awarded for first, second, and third place performances in age group categories.

New this year was a team competition. This event was cobbled together at the last minute, and most runners heard about the competition only a few days before the race. Nonetheless, 5 teams signed up for the half marathon and 3 teams for the 5K. Each team consisted of 4 runners. Team scores were computed by adding up the number of minutes and seconds a runner trailed his or her age group leader. This made it attractive for runners of all ages and both sexes to compete as a team. Winners of the half marathon team competition were the "Tuesday Night Crew", consisting of Jim Hommes, John Caskey, Brian Caskey, and Mark Hunkele. The 5K team competition was won by the "Boyce Buddies", with Pat McClintock, Jake Lopez, Leslie Dinsmore, and Bridget Kotar.

Complete race results were mailed to all participants. They may also be viewed on the Runner's High website, http://www.runhigh.com.

Fourteen different businesses provided race sponsorship, which was a major factor in the race's success. The main sponsor was IKEA, who provided the prizes and the venue. Other companies contributed cash or goods and services. A complete list of the sponsors and their logos may be seen on the race flyer on our web site at http://www.montourtrail.org/race/2000/.

Over 100 volunteers worked to put on this race. Traffic control was handled by the police departments of Robinson, Moon, Findlay, and North Fayette townships, and ambulance service was provided by Mercy Mobile Care, Robinson EMS, and Valley. Boy Scout Troop 830, Boy Scout Troop 306, and North Fayette Parks and Recreation worked the water stops. IKEA store personnel helped out with many areas including parking, signage, and registration. And lots of individuals, many of them Trail Council members, helped out with trail preparation, communications, packet stuffing, registration, refreshments, buses, finish line, timing, and traffic control.

In the end, the race generated over $8000 for maintenance and expansion of the Montour Trail. We wish to thank all the runners, walkers, sponsors, and volunteers who helped make the race such a success. See you all next year!