FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2010 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact Mike Melton at 772-349-1704 or 772-334-3469 OKEECHOBEE - Despite cold, rainy and windy conditions, two new course records were set Sunday in the fourth annual Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail 118-Mile Endurance Run that began at 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning, a counterclockwise circumnavigation of the lake footrace that begins and ends at Okeechobee’s Okie-Tante Campground. amie Donaldson, a 34-year-old middle school math teacher from Littleton, Colorado smashed both the men's and women's course records in a winning time of 18 hours, 36 minutes, 15 seconds, a pace that averaged less than nine and a half minutes per mile for the entire distance. Donaldson was recently named to her second Women's U.S. National 24-Hour team and last year she placed fourth in the world and led the U.S. women to a team silver-medal finish in the World 24-Hour Championships. She's also a two-time winner and women's course record-holder of the Badwater 135, a race in Death Valley, California that begins at Badwater, the lowest point in the continental U.S. at 282 feet below sea level, and finishes 135 miles later at the start of the trail to the top of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the continental U.S. Chris Petit, 37, of Cummings, Georgia won the men's race when he finished second in 19:10:05, a new men's course record. Toronto, Ontario's Rob Gryfe, 43, finished third in 25:16:13. The old course record was set in last year's event by Garth Peterson, 46, of Hinesville, Georgia who finished in 21:52:25. Alissa Springman, 34, of Mercersville, Pennsylvania set the old women's course record of 24:45:15 in 2009. Strong breezes brought a cold rainstorm during the early afternoon on Saturday, and the wind strengthened during the late afternoon and into the evening. Coupled with temperatures which dropped into the low 40s, runners were buffeted all night long, and the final quarter of the course turned into the teeth of the wind, further compounding the struggle to finish. Sebastian’s Joe Ninke, 40, was the lone local finisher. The former winner (2008) ran 26:41:59 to finish in sixth place. Twenty-eight runners from 14 states and Canada started the race and a record-high 15 runners finished, and two two-person relay teams also ran and finished. Nine out of 16 runners to start the race finished in 2009, five of eleven starters finished the inaugural race in 2007, and five of 15 starters finished in 2008. The course is run on top of the Herbert Hoover Dike that surrounds Lake Okeechobee, and begins with 34 miles of rough two-track dirt-and-rock road from Okeechobee around to Moore Haven. From Moore Haven around south through Clewiston, South Bay, Pahokee, Canal Point, Port Mayaca, and back to the finish line, the course is a flat, wide, smooth paved surface ideal for running. RESULTS OF THE 4TH ANNUAL LOST 118-MILE ENDURANCE RUN HELD FEBRUARY 28, 2010 1. Jamie Donaldson, 35, Littleton CO 18:36:15 2. Chris Petit, 37, Cumnings GA 19:10:05 3. Rob Gryfe, 43, Toronto, Ontario CAN 25:16:13 4. Claude Hicks, 49, Fort Worth, TX 25:56:17 5. Bob Oberkehr, 55, Northvale NJ 26:25:20 6. Joe Ninke, 40, Sebastian FL 26:41:59 7. Shane Sampson, 46, Greenville OH 27:44:00 8. Monica Scholz, 42, Jerseyville, Ontario CAN 28:11:30 9. Michael Whelan, NA, California 29:35:18 10. John Turner, 51, Burlington, Ontario CAN 29:50:17 10. Sharon Zelinski, 45, Toronto, Ontario CAN 29:50:17 12. Rob Apple, NA, Tennessee 32:14:56 12. Susan Donnelly, NA, Tennessee 32:14:56 14. Juli Aistars, 51, Lake Zurich IL 33:02:52 15. Kathleen Wheeler, 48, St. Petersburg FL 33:31:27 16. Ben Benjamin, NA, Oregon 105.5 miles 17. Trevor Hall, 42, Fort Drum NY 80.0 miles 17. Ryan Washington, 35, Leesburg VA 80.0 miles 19. Rebecca Hansen, 48, Naples FL 76.5 miles 19. Michael Melton, 52, Jensen Beach FL 76.5 miles 21. Bob Keating, NA, Nashua NH 68.9 miles 22. Ricky LeBaron, 35. Fort Lauderdale FL 63.6 miles 22. Nicholas Harvey, NA, NA, 63.6 miles 22. Will Glover, NA, Palm City FL 63.6 miles 22. Robert Abate, 44, West Palm Beach FL 63.6 miles 26. Brian Boylan, 35, Clermont FL 58.0 miles 27. Brieana Losego, 31, Miami FL 47.7 miles 27. Stuart Gleman, 65, Titusville FL 47.7 miles TWO-PERSON RELAY TEAM 1. Jim Sullivan/Jerry Sullivan, Orlando FL 26:01:59 1. June Leland/Sandy Melton, Tampa FL 26:01:59