The Downtown YMCA Running Club's MARGARITA MILE VII took place at the Glenridge/Baldwin Park track on Saturday, June 28. Nearby torrential rains, lightening strikes and a few crapulent spectators did not deter 35 YMCARunners from taking on the MM VII challenge. This year's MM was divided into four heats, the first three of which involved running, the fourth of which involved assorted snogging, imbibing, and a few unmentionable activities at Dan Traver's home later that night (pictures of the unmentionables will be available on an unaffiliated website).
Heat No. 1 kicked off just after 6 p.m. with Kevin Radbill immediately opening up a sizeable lead as he chased former MM Champion-turned-rabbit Bill Vanos. Midway through the heat it was clear that this race was about 2nd place, with Dean Ray, Bryan Capps and O'Neal Barnett battling it out behind Radbill. With Vanos as wind beneath his wings, Radbill brought it home with a 12 second win in 5:26.61. Bryan Capps won the battle for 2nd place with a big kick at 5:38.93 with Dean Ray just behind in 5:39.28. Bob Ericson had the most inspirational run as he took home the coveted "Most Improved" award with a time of 6:54.66, which was a full 20 seconds faster than his time at MM VI.
Heat No. 2 was a first in MM history: a ladies-only Championship Heat. Many of us remember a time when female runners were as rare as, say, the word "fidelity" in Madonna's vocabulary. Typically, only three or four women would attend the club's Monday and Wednesday workouts. Those days are far behind us now as evidenced by the 11 women who showed up to fight for the Women's Overall MM Title. At the gun it was Carolyn Lyon and former MM Champion / Running Fashion Critic Teresa Calio shooting up front with a large pack chasing just four yards back. Dr. Lyon pushed hard but couldn't shake the veteran Calio through the first half of the race. 3rd place was still up for grabs as Kelly Partain, Amy Duvall, Ryan Hall and Amanda McCammon tried to close the gap. With 400 meters to go, it was apparent that this race would come down to a kick. Lyon, a former USF XC/Track runner, had one more gear in her pocket, and she used it to finish in 5:47.75, just ahead of Calio's impressive 5:50.21. Ryan Hall, a champion on the Masters Swim Circuit, charged hard through the line to claim 3rd place in 6:16.05, narrowly beating Amy Duvall's time of 6:16.22.
Florida
MM VII had a few interesting back stories in that David Dix, the "official" 3rd place finisher (neither McCammon nor Markovic attended the Post Race Party) and Tim Perry ran 16 miles on the BuckhellSugarloaf loop in Mount Verde that morning. McCammon also managed to impress, despite the pre-race litany of sandbags that he tossed around like parade candy (I think my hip is broken/my stomach hurts/my iphone won't text). Special recognition should also be paid to Cory Jones, who doesn't run, has only run a few times in his life, and decided to compete in MM VII on his birthday after losing a bet to Kyle Williams. With the help of a few pre-race drinks and the soundtrack from "Hairspray," Jones managed to eke out an impressive 5:53. Cory's post race affection for regurgitation will be warmly remembered for years to come.
Heat No. 1 kicked off just after 6 p.m. with Kevin Radbill immediately opening up a sizeable lead as he chased former MM Champion-turned-rabbit Bill Vanos. Midway through the heat it was clear that this race was about 2nd place, with Dean Ray, Bryan Capps and O'Neal Barnett battling it out behind Radbill. With Vanos as wind beneath his wings, Radbill brought it home with a 12 second win in 5:26.61. Bryan Capps won the battle for 2nd place with a big kick at 5:38.93 with Dean Ray just behind in 5:39.28. Bob Ericson had the most inspirational run as he took home the coveted "Most Improved" award with a time of 6:54.66, which was a full 20 seconds faster than his time at MM VI.
Heat No. 2 was a first in MM history: a ladies-only Championship Heat. Many of us remember a time when female runners were as rare as, say, the word "fidelity" in Madonna's vocabulary. Typically, only three or four women would attend the club's Monday and Wednesday workouts. Those days are far behind us now as evidenced by the 11 women who showed up to fight for the Women's Overall MM Title. At the gun it was Carolyn Lyon and former MM Champion / Running Fashion Critic Teresa Calio shooting up front with a large pack chasing just four yards back. Dr. Lyon pushed hard but couldn't shake the veteran Calio through the first half of the race. 3rd place was still up for grabs as Kelly Partain, Amy Duvall, Ryan Hall and Amanda McCammon tried to close the gap. With 400 meters to go, it was apparent that this race would come down to a kick. Lyon, a former USF XC/Track runner, had one more gear in her pocket, and she used it to finish in 5:47.75, just ahead of Calio's impressive 5:50.21. Ryan Hall, a champion on the Masters Swim Circuit, charged hard through the line to claim 3rd place in 6:16.05, narrowly beating Amy Duvall's time of 6:16.22.
MM VII had a few interesting back stories in that David Dix, the "official" 3rd place finisher (neither McCammon nor Markovic attended the Post Race Party) and Tim Perry ran 16 miles on the BuckhellSugarloaf loop in Mount Verde that morning. McCammon also managed to impress, despite the pre-race litany of sandbags that he tossed around like parade candy (I think my hip is broken/my stomach hurts/my iphone won't text). Special recognition should also be paid to Cory Jones, who doesn't run, has only run a few times in his life, and decided to compete in MM VII on his birthday after losing a bet to Kyle Williams. With the help of a few pre-race drinks and the soundtrack from "Hairspray," Jones managed to eke out an impressive 5:53. Cory's post race affection for regurgitation will be warmly remembered for years to come.
