Media Articles - 2008 - Run for Hospice

Undaunted by a couple of hills that she said surprised her a bit, the 24-year-old Notre Dame All-American and newly crowned national 10K champion from Providence, R.I., showed her heels to all the 310 other women and all but 11 of the 362 men on North Greece Road.

"Oh yeah," admitted Daniel Moore of Lakewood, Chautauqua County, "they'd never admit it, but you know there were other guys besides me trying not to get beat by a girl."

Moore, an Alfred University graduate who finished seventh in the 3.1-mile race behind overall winner Jeff Eggleston of Greece, managed to stay ahead of Huddle by 24 seconds, but only with a 4:50 mile that he threw in after discovering at 11/2 that she wasn't dropping back.

"I looked over my shoulder to check and whoa, there she is. I said to myself 'I've gotta break away from her.'"

While Eggleston's wire-to-wire victory was a breakout performance in its own right — a "good-effort" 14:42 and 30-second margin over Canadian Jacob Smith — it was the 5-foot-4, 110-pound Huddle who earned the greatest admiration from runners and spectators alike.

She was easy to spot in her deep red Saucony singlet and black shorts, drawing cheers all along the out-and-back course and accepting a rousing ovation when she was introduced by race director Pete VanPeursem at the awards ceremony.

"She's amazing," said Sarah Nazarian-Elliott of Fairport, who was eighth woman, four minutes behind. "She runs faster than I drive."

Huddle's finishing time of 16 minutes, 4 seconds was just five seconds off the late Emily Mondor's race record of three years ago — at a 5:11 mile pace.

"She told me she thought it could have been at least 10 seconds faster if the course had been flatter," said her uncle, Bill Huddle of Penfield.

"Oh, easily," Eggleston concurred. "It was a great race for her. All due respect, but a 16:04 on this course is worth more than Emily's 15:59 on the old course, which was a lot flatter."

The near miss deprived Huddle of an additional $200, on top of her $800 race winnings, but she was her typically modest and appreciative self afterward.

"I really enjoyed the race," she said with a big smile as she held a complimentary bouquet of roses after the awards ceremony. "I would have liked to break the record, but I'm proud of just being close to a time that Emily ran here. She was a great athlete who always kept herself in top shape, year-round."

Mondor, who died in an automobile accident in September of 2006, was an acquaintance of Huddle's fiance, Canadian miler Kurt Benninger.

Former JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge winner Jim Derick of Big Flats wasn't surprised at Huddle's dominance. Derick, 43, was another of the 11 who managed to stay ahead of her Saturday - he was ninth in 15:49.

"I've known Molly and her family since she was this high," he said, flattening his right hand at knee level. "We've run lots of races together in the Southern Tier. She really opened my eyes one year, I think it was at the Elmira-thon, when she was 15.

"She almost beat me. She's a very quiet, very humble person, but what a competitor!"

Huddle said she was glad Derick was here.

"It was a comfort to see a face I knew, other than my family. It helped relax me."

Notes: Kyle Heath (Victor/Syracuse) swept to an easy victory in the 10-mile race in 52:14 and Judy Johnson, formerly of Syracuse but now a Rochester resident, was the lead woman in 59:41 ... Huddle's father, Robert (77th, 21:07), and grandfather, 85-year-old Robert Sr. (355th, 45:30), were among her family members who raced as well. Her cousin Jeff was a winner in his own right, having finished first earlier in a Reserve Officers' Training Corps 5K at the University of Rochester. ... Youngest finisher was 5-year-old J.K. (Jacob-Kurtis) Guy (41:52) who ran with his mom, former marathoner Nikki Guy of Greece.

JCASTOR@DemocratandChronicle.com

Rochester Website Design by Next Wave Services.