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Ravenswood’s Weiss top American

August 16, 2015
By JAY W. BENNETT (jbennett@newsandsentinel.com) , News and Sentinel Half Marathon

PARKERSBURG - Jeff Weiss, a Ravenswood Middle School health teacher and former standout runner at Slippery Rock University, finished seventh overall during Saturday's 29th running of the Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon with a time of 1 hour, 11 minutes and 27 seconds, which allowed him to collect $1,000 as the top finisher from the United States.

Weiss, whose wife Megan competed in the two-mile race, is just now picking up his training for the marathon distance as he eyes Feb. 13 in Los Angeles where he'll get his shot in the Olympic Trials. His last race was Grandma's Marathon on June 20 in Duluth, Minn.

"I'm just coming back into training now from that so I started back on July 1," said Weiss, who topped Parkersburg's Eric Martin. Martin picked up $500 for his runner-up top American effort time of 1:15:24, which placed him 11th overall.

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Photo by?Jay W. Bennett
Ravenswood Middle School health teacher Jeff Weiss turned in a time of 1 hour, 11 minutes and 27 seconds to secure $1,000 for finishing as the top American at Saturday’s Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon.

The Jackson County teacher added of Saturday's race "it's nice to put in some base miles. I just wanted to come in and just feel good and get a workout. My goal race this cycle isn't until February and the trials. I'm just training for the Olympic Trials and that will be the big end of the cycle race.

"I'm just kind of building right now to gain some confidence and kick the fitness in. You're not going to come in (to Parkersburg) and run your PR (personal record), but it's always fun to run up and down some hills."

Despite what Weiss called, "a little bit of stomach issues probably the last three or four miles," he felt great overall and noted "you'll have that. You just hold it off and finish it up and chalk it up as a good day."

Kenyan Richard Kessio finished his 13.1-mile trek in 1 hour, 10 minutes and 27 seconds to win the Masters title and $750. He topped runner-up Jason Newport of Eaton, Ohio, who cashed $400 with his effort of 1:19:48.

"I ran last year," said Kessio, who just turned 40. "I felt good. I just wanted to come and see if I could win my masters.

"It's a nice course. I enjoyed it. I had no problems. It was smooth all the way."

Virginia's John Piggott, a regular at the race, just turned 50 and claimed the $750 prize for posting a winning Grandmasters time of 1:22:45.

"I couldn't get stretched out at all," admitted Piggott. "I should have ran a faster time. This course is good, but I should've been around 1:17. I tried, but I couldn't speed up."

Also winning $750 on Saturday was Bill Long of Berea, Ohio, who clocked in at 1:26:35 to win the Senior Grandmasters division.

 
 

 

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