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Notebook: Great Race to be part of Power 3 10K series
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop can be reached via e-mail or at 412-320-7889.
Next year's Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh 10K Great Race will team with two other 10K events in Ohio and West Virginia to form a trifecta of sorts.
"This triple crown series will offer a new dimension in running," Great Race director Mike Radley said. "It turns running into a regional camaraderie of sorts which gives runners a chance to run 10K's in two other cities. We think it will become a great relationship for runners."
The other two races included are the Rite Aid Cleveland 10K, a spring race established in 1978, and the Greater Clarksburg 10K, which is a summer race started in 1997. That, teamed with the Great Race, founded in 1977 by the late Mayor Richard Caliguiri, will offer incentives for both elite and recreational runners who compete in all three. The professional runners can vie for more money while the amateur athletes will be eligible for prizes, awards and or drawings.
"We are still looking for sponsorships for this," said Radley, who has been race director the past 16 years. "It is still in the framework stage. It will be neat for runners her to compete with runners in those two cities in those races and for those runners to come here and participate. We look forward to getting it going."
ON ICE
Laura Ruby was glad to get a silver plate Sunday rather than an ice bucket when she was the first Pittsburgh woman to finish the 10K race. Rob Reeder of Pittsburgh was the first local male to cross the finish line. He ran the 6.2-mile course in 31 minutes, 27 seconds. Ruby has more than enough ice buckets at the Great Race. The 42-year-old Shady Side resident won the honor for the sixth time, and she has three ice buckets to show for it. Yesterday's gift was a silver plate with the Great Race and year on it instead. She finished 15th overall in 34:49. Ruby also was the masters' winner.
"One time I traded one of my ice buckets for someone's flowers," she said. "I really like this race. It is my hometown race, and the course is great. I can't say enough about this race."
CHAMPIONS
Dan Holland and Tricia Snyder won the male and female 5K races respectively yesterday. Both run with the Pharaoh Hounds running club.
Holland, a Friendship resident, usually runs the 10K, but he plans to run a marathon in Portland this weekend, so he didn't want to over exert himself. Holland spent a month in New Mexico training in high altitude which helped him be able to run more fluidly. He credits running to his father, Harry.
"My dad ran every Great Race until he died in 1994," said Holland, whose time was 15:51. "My dad is the one who has motivated me to run this race. I owe my success to him."
Snyder of Forest Hills ran a personal best 18:21
"Running with the Pharaohs helped me get ready for the race," she said. "They kept pushing me in workouts which helped (yesterday)."
BY THE NUMBERS
This year's Great Race was down a little bit in numbers. There were 6,887 participants in the 10K while there were 2,855 5K runners.
NO MEDICAL
The medical staff at the Great Race didn't do much yesterday, and that was a good thing according to Radley. The cool morning temperatures kept runners comfortable and out of the hospital.
WHEELCHAIR WINNERS
Ian Rice of Pittsburgh set a record in the quad division with a time of 28:32. He bettered the mark of 28:59 set by Jeff Dellovade of Canonsburg in 1997. Kelly Timms of Pittsburgh won the 5K race with a time of 18:53.
