Urbana Woman Runs QC Marathon to Honor Her Lost Father

Argus/Dispatch Posted online: September 24, 2006 11:17 PM
Print publication date: September 25, 2006

By Marc Nesseler, mnesseler@qconline.com

Belinda May of Urbana ran the 26.2 miles of the Quad Cities Marathon with a heavy heart on Sunday morning. Earlier this year, May had planned to run the marathon with her father, J. Denis May, as his Sept. 24 birthday present. The native Texans were "desperate to find a marathon on that date," and were ecstatic when they found out the Quad Cities' one coincided.

Then, on July 29, Mr. May went for an 18-mile, early morning run. Belinda later found out a 19-year-old driver drove off the shoulder of the road and struck her dad in a hit-and-run.
"Despite this unbearable setback, running continues to soothe my soul," May told race director Joe Moreno. She said she participated in the Sept. 24 event "to run the marathon in my dad's honor and in celebration of his life as my father and as a runner." Prior to the race, Moreno asked the field of 2,775 participants to dedicate the race to J. Denis May. He would have been 52 Sunday. His daughter was rewarded that same bib number in his honor prior to Sunday's race.

-- Father back at it: A left knee injury kept Father Michael Driscoll of Peoria from the 2005 QC Marathon, ending his standing as an "Interstate Road Warrior," the diminishing group that has run all of the QC events. However, he was back in '06, and better than ever.
Rev. Driscoll, 44, finished in 2:51:38 for 8th place overall, his best-ever QC finish. He also was second in the Masters Division to net $200. "The smartest thing I've done was not run last year," said Rev. Driscoll. He said he forced himself to run with the knee injury, thus sending his hip out of place. "It killed me not to run last year; in fact, I told Joe Moreno a month before last year's race that I couldn't do it, and he said, `Oh no, you're a Road Warrior!'"

-- The wheel deal: Jack Eherenman of Waterloo, Iowa, was the first marathoner to cross the finish line, in 1:49:56, doing so with the benefit of a hand cycle. "I do this to make people aware of wheelchair racers and hand-cycle racers," said Eherenman, adding his 27-speed riding machine cost about $3,500. Eherenman has a 21-year-old son, Sean, who has spina bifida. A high-school champ in the shot put and discus, Sean competes in wheelchair events.
Eherenman plans to start a sports camp for kids in wheelchairs. Anyone interested can e-mail him at jeconstruction@hotmail.com.

-- Speedy 10-year-old: Tyler Rasso of Colona looked out of place in the 5K. The 10-year-old finished with a time of 19:56. "I was running with him early and I thought he'd turn off at the mile mark," said 5K women's champ Kelley Timmerman. "I was surprised to see him keep going." Rasso says he runs to help his soccer endurance. Plus, he topped his personal goal of 20 minutes by four seconds. The 5th-grader at Colona Elementary said he started running competitively when he was 8.

-- Cheers for Velge: To Mabel Velge of Rock Island, age is just a number. At 79, she finished the half-marathon in 3:27.42. "It's not easy," Velge said. "I've run 20 marathons, and in my first marathon at this one, I won my age group because there was no one else in it."
Velge, who started road racing after she reached her 50s, jokes that she likes road racing because of the beer at the finish line, but then seriously adds, "It's the friendships you make."

-- Team champs: The Davenport quintet called IKYAC won the 5-person men's relay with a time of just over 3 hours. The winning team consisted of Nick and Chad Retzl, Jonathan Bugman, Guy Heller and Matt Glyder. In the women's team relay, the Runnin' Women won. The team of Kaitlin Schneider, Erin Jordan, Julie Erikson, Emily Hirt and Rachel Carstens finished in 3:41:20.

-- Line of the day: QC Marathon race director Joe Moreno scurried to the assembled media at the finish line and said, "The course record is 2:18, and Jynocel Basweti has a 2:12 at the 25-mile mark." To which WQAD-TV sports director Dan Burich replied, "Well, could you tell him to hurry up?!?"

Basweti Sets CR at 2:16:36 in Men's Race, Jelagat Winner in Women's Race

MOLINE, IL - Kenyans swept overall titles during the ninth running of THE Quad Cities Marathon Sunday, presented by THE National Bank. Nineteen-year-old Jynocel Basweti won the men’s race in a course record 2:16:36, while Anne Jelagat won the women’s race in 2:41:32.

Both runners came to the QCM from their training home of Chapel Hill, NC. The race was run under mostly cloudy skies with temperatures in the middle to upper 50’s, winds were light in the 10-15 MPH range.

Basweti began to open a gap on the field during the early stages of the race. He left an initial pack of six runners in the ninth mile and extended his lead throughout the race.

He clicked through the half-marathon point in 1:09:37, to lead by 40 seconds. By the 20th mile his lead had grown to over three minutes and he extended that margin during the final 10k. Basweti's ran a negative split on the day, with his second half at 1:06:59.

Basweti’s final margin of victory, 5:20, was the second largest in race history. Basweti ran 5:13 pace over the course and bettered the old course record, 2:18:42, by 2:04; that record was held by Russia’s Sergey Nochevny since 2003. The race was Basweti’s second win and second course record in 2006. He performed a similar feat at the Buffalo Marathon with a 2:19:15 clocking. Today’s effort also served as a personal record for the up and coming marathoner.

Jonathan Ndambuki (Kenya) ran a solid second half of the marathon to climb into second-place in 2:21:57, the ninth best time in QCM history. Ndambuki worked to out duel three others from the original lead pack. Vyacheslav Rodionov (Russia) placed third in 2:24:40, while Philip Kipchumba’s (Kenya) 2:25:41/fourth and Dzmitry Sivou’s (Belarus) 2:26:34/fifth rounded out the top five.

In the women’s race, Jelagat and Alena Vinitskaya (Belarus) ran side by side for 14 miles, before Jelagat surged with a 5:50 mile to break into the lead. She held a steady clip for the remainder of the race and broke the tape in 2:41:32 with the third fastest time in QCM history. Vinitiskaya held on for second in 2:45:27.

Marathon rookie Casey Owens (Cedar Rapids, IA) captured third in 2:57:44, holding off Tracy Stewart (Golden, CO) who placed fourth in 2:59:32. Sarah Plaxton (Highland, MI) was in the QCM top-5 for the third straight year with her 3:07:05, fifth-place showing.

The race featured two first-time winners in the Master’s Division. Jerry Lack (East Moline, IL) was the men’s winner in 2:39:39. Lack was third in 2005 and second in 2004. The women’s winner was Elena Shemyakina (Geneva, IL) with a 3:15:32.

Other Event Winners: 5k Men - Aaron Gerlach, 16:47; 5k Women - Kelley Timmerman, 18:44; Half Marathon Men - Russ Boore, 1:14:25; Half Marathon Women - Laura Max, 1:25:15; Wheelchair - Jack Eherenman, 1:58:25; Open Relay Men - IKYAC, 3:06:42; Open Relay Women - Runnin' Women, 3:41:20.

Jelagat joins QCM elite field as late addition

Anne Jelagat (Kenya) has joined the QCM elite field as a late addition. Jelagat owns a 2:29:23 PR from her win in the 2003 Milano City Marathon. She also has recorded wins at the 2003 Prague, the 2003 Venice, and the 2004 Carpi (2:30:54) Marathons.

The 37-year-old, who trains in Chapel Hill, NC, actually began her running career in her early 30's. At the same time, she worked in the famed Fila Kenyan Running Camp.

Most recently, Jelagat placed second at the 2006 Country Music - Nashville Marathon (2:37:23), placed first at the 2006 Charleston Distance Claissic 15-mile (1:27:44), and placed second at the 2005 Turin Half Marathon (1:13:41).

Elite Field, with number assignments (as of 9-19-06), MEN: 2. Sergey Nochevny, Russia, 4. Dzmitry Sivou, Belarus, 6. Vyacheslav Rodionov, Russia, 8. Jonathan Ndambuki, Kenya, 10. Vince Temu, Kenya, 12. Solomon Kandie, Kenya, 14. Jerry Lack, USA, 16. Marty Dalton, USA, 18. Jynocel Basweti, Kenya, 20. Philip Kipchumba, Kenya. WOMEN: 1. Valentyna Poltavska, Ukraine, 3. Alena Vinitskaya, Belarus, 5. Sarah Plaxton, USA, 7. Tracy Stewart, USA, 11. Jennifer Paul, USA, 15. Casey Owens, USA, 17. Anne Jelagat, Kenya.

Buffalo champ added to elite field, plus three others

Jynocel Basweti, the 19-year old winner of this year's Buffalo Marathon, has joined this fall's QCM elite field. Basweti won the race by five minutes with his 2:19:15 effort. The Kenyan also placed 10th at this June's Grandma's Marathon. In addition to Basweti the race will welcome three more elites to bring the total to nine men and seven women in the elite field.

Local standout Jerry Lack, of East Moline, will toe the line once again this fall in the men's master's field. Recently at the QCM: Lack ran a 2:42:19 to place 12th overall and third in the master's race in 2005 and ran a 2:36: 19 to place 12th overall and second in the master's race in 2004. Marty Dalton, Stuart, IA, will also join the open men's field. He owns a PR of 2:25.

On the women's side, Casey Owens, Mt. Pleasant, IA, is the seventh female to enter the elite field. The 24-year old will be making her marathon debut, but boasts an impressive resume. She placed 9th at the USATF 10,000-meter champs in 2005 and was 9th in the QC Times Bix 7 in 2005 (first American/40:07). Owens has a 20k PR of 1:13:47, a 10k best of 33:32 and a 5k best of 16:15. She was a two-time track All American at Missouri State and a 13-time Missouri Valley track champion.

The complete elite field as of 9/11/06:

MEN, 9: RUSSIA, Sergey Nochevny, Vyacheslav Rodionov; BELARUS, Dzmitry Sivou; KENYA, Jynocel Basweti, Jonathan Ndambuki, Vince Temu, Solomon Kandie; USA, Marty Dalton, Jerry Lack*.

WOMEN, 7: UKRAINE, Valentyna Poltavska, Katerina Stetsenko; BELARUS, Alena Vinitskaya; USA, Sarah Plaxton, Tracy Stewart, Jennifer Paul, Casey Owens.

* Master's field.

** Elite runners are encouraged to email (ifrink@crawfordsheetmetal.com) for consideration in the 2006 field.

Fiddy2 Coming to the QCM

Marathon man Dane Rauschenberg is running in the Quad Cities Marathon. Well into his ninth month of racing with over 30 marathons and 917 miles behind him (as of 9/5/06), Dane Rauschenberg is coming to run the QCM as he continues his quest to run a full marathon (26.2 miles) every week in 2006. Like all marathons in Rauschenberg's Fiddy2 challenge, proceeds will benefit the Mobile, Alabama chapter of L'Arche International, a federation of communities where people with a mental handicap share their lives with those who can help.

Visit his Website www.fiddy2.org

Elite Runner Update

As of today, the elite field features eight QCM veterans and four newcomers. The field should grow, slightly, in the coming weeks.

In the men’s race, course record holder Sergey Nochevny (Russia) returns to the QCM. He ran his record 2:18:42 en route to his 2003 victory. Vyacheslav Rodionov (Russia) is the top returnee’ from last year’s marathon. He was third in 2:22:48. Dzmitry Sivou (Belarus) will also be back. He placed second in 2004 (2:21:21) and third in 2003 (2:22:12). Vince Temu (Kenya) and Jonathan Ndambuki (Kenya) round out the male veterans. Temu was second in 2002 and fifth in 2003. Temu’s best at the QCM is 2:21:26. Ndambuki placed sixth at last year’s race, his QCM debut, in 2:25:23. Solomon Kandie (Kenya) rounds out the early commitments in the men’s field. The former NCAA All-American placed third in the Division-I Steeplechase (8:31) during his track career at Tulane. Kandie has run one marathon, a second-place showing at the 2004 Orange County Marathon (2:24:14).

On the women’s side, two of the early favorites look to be Valentyna Poltavska (Ukraine) and Alena Vinitskaya (Belarus). Poltavska will look to defend her 2005 title (2:45:35). She also placed second in 2004, running the second fastest women’s time in race history, at 2:39:34. Vinitskaya returns after a two-year absence. She won the 2003 (2:44:48) and won the 2002 (2:45:48) QCM titles. Vinitskaya is running well in 2006, having clocked at 2:37:16 to place third at the Austin (TX) Marathon. Sarah Plaxton (Highland, MI) has joined the 2006 field. Plaxton placed third at the QCM in 2004 and 2005. Her best time, in the QCM, is 2:47:19. The top newcomer is Katerina Stetsenko (Ukraine). Stetsenko owns a 2:46:08 personal best from the 2004 Ukraine Championship, where she placed first.

The other marathon newcomers include Tracy Stewart (Golden, CO) and Jennifer Paul (Rock Island, IL). Stewart was third at this year’s Lincoln (NE) Marathon in 2:57:23, while Paul, a former Augustana standout, is taking her first shot at the1marathon. Paul won the 2004 QCM Half Marathon and was third at the 2005 Half Marathon.

The prize money configuration has changed for 2006. Money is now awarded to the top-5 finishers, versus a previous practice of sending checks to the top-10. Also, new this year: is a $1000 bonus for course records in either event. Nochevny’s 2:18:42 is the standard in the men’s race, while Halina Karnatsevich (Belarus) owns the women’s mark at 2:36:26.

A breakdown of the prize money structure follows:

Open Division: 1st, $3000; 2nd, $1500; 3rd, $1000; 4th, $750; 5th, $500.
Master’s Division: 1st, $300; 2nd, $200; 3rd, $100.

BONUS MONEY: A $500 cash bonus will be awarded to the first three men and first three women marathoners with a time equal to or better than: Male, 2:22:00 Female, 2:48:00.
A $1000 cash bonus will be awarded for a course record in the marathon by running faster than: Male, 2:18:42 Female, 2:36:26.