PARKERSBURG — The countdown has begun.
With less than 60 days remaining until the gun goes off for the Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon race director Chip Allman and his committee are busy making sure that the hundreds of runners and walkers who will flood into the city during Homecoming weekend again will be treated to a first class race.
"I really think we are more prepared than I've seen in the past," Allman explained. "Everyone seems more relaxed. We have experienced people at every position and they understand what it is they need to accomplish to make things work smoothly."
One of those tasks is shifting through the myriad of applications from athletes wishing to challenge the 13.1-mile race as an 'elite' runner or walker.
"Last year I turned a lot of runners away," continued Allman. "You have to be careful. If I can't find information on them, then I'm not inviting them."
That won't be the case, however, with the half-dozen or more applications race coordinator Amy Wallace has received to date.
Looking to continue his two-year winning streak in the walk division will be Don Slusser while wife Tammy will look to add the 2010 Masters title to the crown she captured in 2005.
Don Slusser captured a 12-minute victory over Marietta's Tim Finkel a year ago, covering the race in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 20 seconds. Tammy finished third in the Masters race behind Russian Albina Gallyamova (1:20.14) and 51-year old Lee DiPietro of Ruxton, Md. (1:25.39) with a time of 1:25.44.
The Slussers hail from Monroeville, Pa.
Also looking to better his third place finish from a year ago in the Masters' Division will be 45-year old John Piggott of Williamsburg, Va.
Piggott, who covered the distance in 1 hour, 16 minutes and 28 seconds, finished just eight seconds behind runner-up Thomas Dever of Terre Haute, Ind., but nearly five minutes behind winner Gideon Mutsiya of Ethopia (1:11.57).
Dever's time, however, was good enough to edge out 52-year old John Brockenbrough of Murraysville, Pa. (1:17.59), to win the Grand Masters' title in 2009.
Brockenbrough, who captured the Grand Masters Division at the Ogden Classic 20K in May with a time of 1:20.36, is among the early list of elites who will be on hand Aug. 21. be Mutisya and DePietro also are among the early registrants.
Rounding out the list are James Bolt, Khalid El Boumlili and Kathleen Jobes.
"It's still early, but I am getting a lot of interest from agents around the country," added Allman. "We'll try and keep the number (of elite runners) around 40 or so."
As it has been since 2005, the winner will again be recognized as the Road Runners Club of America's national champion and will receive a cash prize of $3,000.
Article Photos
Photo by Jeff Baughan
Don Slusser crosses the finish line to win the walk division in the 2009 Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon.