Fall hospitable for runners

Run for Hospice 5K is rapidly increasing in popularity.

BY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR JIM CASTOR

Is it just a matter of time before Rochester¹s most popular fall road race becomes Rochester¹s most popular race, period?

Pete Van Peursem says his Run for Hospice 5K tomorrow has registration momentum building toward 1,100 entries. At that rate the Lilac 10K, which had 1,169 finishers last May, would fall to No. 2 in 2002.

³We¹re already at 600, with a week to go,² he said. ³I told our newest sponsor, Krispy Kremes, that we¹d like at least one for every entry. They¹re sending us 100 dozen.²

Since 1996, when 223 finishers celebrated the first run on the front lawn of First Bible Baptist Church in Greece, the benefit for Visiting Nurse Hospice of Rochester has expanded its fields to 381, 523, 660 and 710.

Its signature attractions include a relatively fast 3.1-mile loop course, a devoted race director who works tirelessly and pays attention to details, generous awards ($7,000 in cash alone) and food . . . food . . . and more food. Hospice offers Rochester¹s most lavish post-race spread, with donated catering by Outback Steakhouse and several other food vendors.

Its race winners have included, in order, Scott Bagley of Pittsford (three times), Derek White of Fayetteville, Onondaga County, and Hamilton, Ontario-trained Kenyan Joseph Ndiritu. Christine Sisting, Vicki Mitchell, Audra Naujokas-Knapp, Renee Rombaut and Jackline Torori are previous women¹s winners.

As race No. 10 in the Rochester Runner of the Year series gains stature and the cash purse grows, out-of-town runners gravitate. This year¹s field again will include Hamilton-trained Kenyans, top masters from Toronto and Montreal, a familiar Olympian from Atlanta, Ga., and many of western New York¹s top post-collegians from Buffalo and Syracuse.

³I¹ll give it another try,² said 42-year-old Alfred native John Tuttle of suburban Atlanta. He was the top master at last year¹s race and fourth overall. ³I¹ve had an Achilles¹ heel problem on my left foot, but it may be coming around.²

While last year¹s top Kenyans who went 1-2 ‹ Joseph Nderitu and Julius Gichobi ‹ won¹t be back, Hamilton-based agent Tim Forrester has two more ready to take over. Moses Macharia, 26, was fourth at the Pittsburgh Great Race 10K three weeks ago in 27:47 and David Kipngetich, 25, ran Canada¹s fastest 5K recently, a 13:49 in Hamilton. Those mile paces, in the 4:25 range, are plenty fast enough to turn back all challengers and capture the $500 and $300 cash for the first two spots. Tuttle¹s friend from Canisteo, Mark Andrews, 30, is hurting from a rough marathon last weekend at Wineglass and may have to renege on his promise to run. ³It¹s tough, just six days away,² said Andrews, who was 11 seconds behind Tuttle last year. ³I didn¹t expect to be so beat up when I said I¹d try to be there.²

Mile at a time: Carolyn Smith-Hanna thought about quitting Monday¹s Ocean State Marathon, then resolved to remain true to her promises.

The 50-year-old elementary school physical education teacher from Pittsford counted out the last seven miles of the cold and windy race in Providence, R.I., by keeping friends and family in mind.

³I¹d told them before I left I¹d dedicate a mile to them to help me finish,² she said. ³Mile 20 was for Mitchell, a great runner who¹s helped and inspired me. Mile 21 was for my dad, my sister and all our family. Twenty-two was for my daughter, Charlotte; twenty-three for my best friends and all the children at the Penfield schools where I teach; twenty-four for my son, Tom; twenty-five for my husband, Tom and the last one for my coach, Mike Reif. Each mile I ran, I thought about them, and with the situation around the world so difficult, surely I could find the strength to finish 26 miles.²

The mental calisthenics pulled her to a 3:30:27 time, a 21st-place finish and a spot in next April¹s Boston Marathon. Mile 24 was perhaps the most difficult of all, when the memory of her 24-year-old son escaping from the 80th floor of New York¹s World Trade Center came flooding back once again.

³He was one of the lucky ones,² she said. ³It took him an hour to run down the 80 floors of the first tower, just after the first plane hit. He was running just ahead of the dust cloud when the building collapsed. It¹s a miracle he¹s alive.²

Run For Hospice 5K

Event: Sixth annual Run For Hospice 5K road race, 3.1 miles, 9:32 a.m. tomorrow. Tenth in 12-race Rochester Runner of the Year Series.

Location: Loop course with start/finish on North Greece Road, Greece at First Bible Baptist Church, one-quarter mile north of West Ridge Road.

Course amenities: Water stops, police-controlled, timing by Don Mitchell¹s Runtime Services of Buffalo.

Charitable beneficiary: Visiting Nurse Hospice of Rochester.

Registration: $18, 2 to 8 p.m. Friday and $20, 7:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. race day at First Bible Baptist Church. Also on Web site, extended to 3.a.m Friday, at www.runforhospice.com

Parking: At church, limited to 500 cars. Early arrival (by 8:30) encouraged.

Awards: $7,000 cash purse, more than $2,000 worth of gift certificates/merchandise to top 10 percent in each of 14 age groups. $75 one-mile and $50 two-mile primes for leading Americans. More than 400 door prizes. Plaque to 50-and-over winners in memory of Helen Addona. Primary sponsors Moran and Kufta law firm, Outback Steakhouse, WHAM-AM (1180) radio station, High Falls Brewing, Monroe Ambulance and Western Chiropractic.

Defending champions: Joseph Ndiritu, Hamilton, Ontario, 14:12 (race record); Jackline Torori, Hamilton, Ontario, 16:24 (race record). Finishing field last year 710.

Invited runners: World-class masters John Tuttle of Douglasville, Ga., and Diane Legare of Montreal.

Other highlights: Half-and quarter-mile fun runs for kids, 2.5-mile fitness walk, wheelchair competition, post-race catered picnic.

PHOTO CAPTION

Pete Van Peursem has seen his Hospice 5K become a popular area race.

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