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Saturday, June 21, 2008 -- Fairmont, WV
Run to Read 15K-MAGP Endurance #4 (iPO Event Id#: 10818)

[Details] [Coverage] [Photos] [Overall Results] [Results by Class]

Coverage: [1999] [2000] [2001] [2002] [2003] [2004] [2005] [2006] [2007]

Tenth Annual Run to Read Races

Story by Jim Woolfitt, Race Director, Photos by Robert & Shirley Woolfitt

Run to Read
Lazy race morning in June
Photo by Robert & Shirley Woolfitt
The first event of the morning, the 15K, which starts at 7:30am, drew a record 78 finishers. Heather Parks made history by first winning the 15K and then the 5K which started at 9:15am. The 15K was added in the event's 2nd year, 2000, and Parks became the first runner, male or female, to win both events in the same day.

In the first two miles Parks spotted Jen Sober of McHenry, MD, a nice lead before taking control. Parks, who resides in Bruceton Mills, WV, had the second best time ever by a woman in the 15K (1:02:47). Sober finished 2nd in the 15K with a time of 1:03:46.

Kanae Amatatsu was the 3rd female in the 15K. The 24 year old's time was 1: 08:54 and was good for the 20-24 age group record in the 15K.

David McCollam, a 29 year old runner from Bridgeport, WV, won the overall title in the 15K with a time of 52:55. This was the fastest 15K time since Zach Sabatino set the course record in 2003 by running 50:04. McCollam also spotted another runner, David Ciarolla of Fairmont, WV, an early lead, before taking control. McCollam broke the 25-29 male age group record. The 17 year old Ciarolla finished 2nd with a time of 54:31.

Preston County High School cross country runner, Sterling Snider, 17 years old, finished 3rd in 55:46 while 19 year old Jobey Knapton, a former East Fairmont High School cross country runner finished 4th with a time of 57:33. 49 year old Murshid Latif, who is vying for the Morgantown Area Grand Prix Endurance Series crown, was 5th in 57:57. Chris Burdick, a former runner for Fairmont Senior High School, was the 6th and last runner to break the one hour mark.

Run to Read
Important phone calls on race day
Photo by Robert & Shirley Woolfitt
Fairmont City Councilman Bill Burdick, who finished 38th overall in the 15K with a time of 1;13:39, gave the instructions prior to the start of the 5K. Burdick, who is 51, teamed with his son Chris (see above paragraph) to win first place in the father son team competition the week before at the Clarksburg, WV, 10K.

Eighteen year old Zach Tennant of Fairview, WV, lead a youth movement in the 5K with the first 7 finishers 23 years old or younger. Tennant won the 1600 meter run at the state high school track meet last month after finishing 2nd in the state cross country meet last fall. Tennant, who ran at North Marion High School, won the Run to Read 5K in a time of 16:50.

David Ciarolla finished 2nd in the 5K, running 18:28 & recorded the best combined time of the 20 runners who ran both the 15K and who then either did the 5K run or the 5K walk. Ciarolla's combined time of 1:12:59 broke the 15-19 age group record for best combined time.

Patrick Stanton, a teammate of Ciarolla's last fall on Fairmont Senior's cross country team, finished 3rd in 18:28. The 16 year old Stanton, who finished 8th in the 15K, had the 2nd best combined time (1:20:51). Neil Bland, a 17 year old who ran cross country at North Marion last fall, finished 4th in 19:08.

As previously mentioned, Heather Parks won the 5K in 21:50. The 33 year old Parks set the 5K 30-34 age group record in the 5K & her combined time for both events of 1:24:37 also set an age group record. It was also the all time best by a female running both events.

Run to Read
Dog days of summer
Photo by Robert & Shirley Woolfitt
Chelsea Clark, 16 years old, finished 2nd in the 5K running 21:59. Clark ran cross country for Fairmont Senior last fall.

Jen Sober, who finished 3rd among women in the 5K with a time of 23:48, had an age group "hat trick" as she broke the record in the 35-39 age group for the 15K, the 5K and the combined event.

Twenty three year old Brian Reider of Clarksburg broke the 20-24 age group record in the combined event with his total time of 1:21:12. Another 23 year old, Kriston Appleton of Smithfield, PA, established a combo record for women in the 20-24 age group with her time of 1:36:18.

Jamie Brooks of Connellsville, PA, won the 5K race walk in 33:10. Brooks who is 38 earlier competed in the 15K. 71 year old Thomas Ranneberg of Fairmont, WV, won the men's 5K walk in 52:21.

A total of 78 runners finished the 15K (eclipsing the previous record of 76 finishers), 85 runners (including 20 who earlier ran the 15K) completed the 5K run and the 5K race walk drew 20 walkers (including 15K runner Jamie Brooks.) There were 2 youngsters in the fun run.

Participants came from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Michigan, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Literacy Volunteers of Marion County, a United Way agency, thanks all the runners and walkers who have supported the Run to Read during the first 10 years. 56 runners and 13 walkers completed the inaugural event in 1999. Stephen Griswold, 38 of Morgantown, WV; and Michael Wilson of Fairmont, WV. have finished an event each of the ten years. Wilson, who is 69, has managed to stay in the 60-69 age group every year.

Run to Read
Awards and fun after the events
Photo by Robert & Shirley Woolfitt
Event organizers thank our major sponsors: Dominion and the Times West-Virginian. We also thank these sponsors: Monongahela Valley Bank; Wesbanco; our local Pepsi distributor; Capitol Doors, Inc.; Fairmont Federal Credit Union; Global Science & Technology, Inc.; Galaxy, State Senator Roman W. Prezioso, Jr.; and the Dog Gone Inn.

A special thanks to the Marion County Police Reserves for traffic control and to the City of Fairmont for supplying a lead police car. Thanks to Dan Talbot and the Marion County Parks and Recreation Commission (MCPARC). MCPARC makes it possible for participants to get a free swim and MCPARC supports both the summer & winter Run to Read events in several different ways. A big thanks to Hoops especially since the Marion County Board of Education has banned the use of school facilities on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for the summer.

Our apologies to the runners who thought they were being directed up the steep hill at the intersection of Hillside and Suncrest. (We did route the 15K that direction in 2000 but revised the course in 2001.) We remind runners at our races to always, always follow the arrows even if the lead police car goes a different route or if it appears that a police reserve is pointing in an opposite direction.

We appreciate the many volunteers who give up part of their Saturday to help make the Run to Read events possible.

We invite and we appreciate your suggestions and your feedback.

Please mark your calendar for the 4th annual Run to Read Half Marathon scheduled for January 10, 2009, at Prickett's Fort State Park and save the date for the 11th annual Run to Read Races and Family Fun Day which is tentatively slated for June 27, 2009.