4'th Annual Wickham Park Marathon and 50 Mile Fun Run
Melbourne FL, May 24, 1998

50 Mile
No finishers

Marathon
1. Juan Tapia, 41M, Ft. Pierce FL          4:48:56 (Course record)
2. Kathy Faulkner, 23F, Decatur GA         5:25:10 (Course record, female) 
   Robert Youngren, 23M, Panama City FL    5:25:10
4. Andrew Colee, 51M, Valparaiso FL        6:47:39
5. Matt Mahoney, 42M, Melbourne FL         7:24:00
11 starters

Most of the race calendar listings neglected to mention that this
race would have no fee, no aid, no awards, and no wimps.  The seven
flat 3.75 mile loops of the marathon course and additional seven 3.4
mile loops of the fun run wound through pine, oak, and palmetto
scrub in typical Florida weather, 90 degrees, sunny and humid.  There
were long stretches of soft sand under a blazing sun.  Rick Suarez
(who quit after one loop), described the early part of the loop
through the shaded dirt and grassy trail as "Boy Scout trail".
Later, as we had to push our way through foliage, he described
it as "Indian trail".  I explained that the 50 mile loop would be
on "Animal trail".  The course was dry this year, but next year
I promise normal rainfall so you will have the opportunity to
crawl through the underbrush up to your elbows and knees in muck.
(You have the option to stay on the marathon loop, with no credit
for the extra distance.  After one lap, most people take it).

Juan Tapia blasted the course record, improving on Bill Menard's
mark by 32 minutes.  Juan had only been running for a year and a
half.  His best marathon was 3:20 on a hilly course in Mexico.
He described today's course as "very difficult".

Robert Youngren and Kathy Faulkner tied for second.  Kathy became
the first woman to finish the marathon in the race's four year
history.  Both are training for the Western States 100 mile trail
run next month.  Robert, who is also training for a Grand Slam
(four 100 mile runs this summer) ran two loops of the 50 mile
course for a total of 33 miles in 7:35.

Andrew Colee, who has run the marathon in 3:22 and 50 miles in 8:22,
ran an extra lap after the marathon today to get in 30 miles in 7:50.

Walter Boldish, 29, from Patrick AFB, stayed with leaders Tapia and
Youngren for 3 loops, 11 miles in 1:45, but dropped after the fifth
loop (19 miles) in 3:07, an effort that left him wasted.  Walt is
a strong runner who finished fourth at a 5K on Friday.  He was
featured in the local paper last Sunday.  He is training for the St.
George marathon in Utah next month, and will push his friend, Jason
Shumway in a wheelchair.  Jason broke his neck in a diving accident.
I predict they will do well.

Greg Kaputa of Tampa arrived 5 hours late, some excuse about a
triathlon in Daytona Beach.  I explained that I would be there all
day so he would still have time to run the marathon.  He's done
some 50K's, but after two loops, 7.5 miles in 2:11, he had seen enough.

Rick Culbertson, 47, Winter Park FL, ran 15 miles in 3:17 and quit.
His best marathon is "4 something".  Jay Wells, 21, from Patrick AFB,
attempting his first marathon, ran one loop in 41 minutes and quit.
John Harbaugh ran two loops in 1:17 and quit.

Part of the credit for the faster times this year goes to the improved
course markings.  Another part goes to the fact that the entire field
(including me) missed a turn on the first loop and shortcut the course
by 250 yards, because one (of several) of the signs I had put up
yesterday had disappeared.  As race director, I quickly decided not
to disqualify the entire field, and instead added a rule that if the
race director gets lost on his own course, then everyone else is
allowed the same mistake.  Since I just happened to be carrying
a 5 pound bag of flour on the first loop, I quickly remarked the
missing signs with arrows on the ground.  Unfortunately, since the
course was short, the $10,000 cash prize would have been void had
anyone set a world record.  If you were shooting for the record, I
apologize and will refund your entry fee.

The key to running well at Wickham Park is to run in the morning and
evening when it is cooler.  At mid-day, I found it impossible to run
for more than a few minutes because I could not sweat fast enough to
maintain normal body temperature, so I was forced to walk much of the
middle section.  I stayed all day, running 10 laps (37 miles) in 11:44.
It was on my last lap, when everyone had gone home and the temperature
had dropped to 85 F and the evening sun was behind a low haze, that I
ran the lap in 35 minutes, my fastest.

-- Matt Mahoney, matmahoney@aol.com