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Ervin pulls away, repeats as women’s race-walk champion

August 22, 2009
By STEVE HEMMELGARN, shemmelgarn@newsandsentinel.com
PARKERSBURG — After a second-place finish her first year as a women’s race-walker in the News and Sentinel Half Marathon, Kathy Ervin has dominated the division the last two years.


Saturday, Ervin, 42, from Quaker City, Ohio, took the lead with about four miles to go en route to winning by a margin of 3:08, 2:20.15 to 2:23.23.


‘‘There was a girl who passed me at the one-mile marker and she probably led it until about four miles, then I just kind of crawled past her and never knew where she was again,’ said Ervin about her competition,


‘‘Sometimes, I like to let other people take the lead and then kind of hang with them and try to pass them. And I’ve been passed before the end of a race, so I know what it feels like.’’


Last year, Ervin won in a time of 2:17:21


‘‘This is always a challenge,’’ said Ervin, who competes in both the race-walks at the Ogden 20K in Wheeling and the half marathon here. ‘‘I live close to both of them, so I like to do them both.


‘‘The first half of the race today was nice, but then it got a little warm, but you really can’t ask for any better weather, although I heard four years ago before I was here was really hot.’’


Ervin ‘‘used to just run, but I’ve been race-walking about 12 years now.’’


She decided to switch ‘‘because there’s just less stress on the joints’’ with race-walking, ‘‘which makes life easier on the body.’’


Ervin is a personal trainer who also teaches aerobics part-time,’’ but mostly I stay at home with my kids.


‘‘So I train when I can — a lot indoor on a treadmill.’’


Ervin said she will keep race-walking ‘‘as long as I have a desire to do it.


Runnerup to Ervin was Jennifer White, 32, of Parkersburg, while third place went to Tena Harper, 48, of Belpre, in 2:25.26.
 
 

 

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