Tri State
Mountain Maryland Marathon Women Preview
By Christine Yurko
County United Way Intern
CUMBERLAND - Kari Brown, Amy Rowan, Brittney Rooks. Jennifer Sober, Kelly Gruber. These women are no strangers to a long distance run.
Each of them are competing in the Mountain Maryland Marathon Festival on Sunday. The marathon and half marathon races have a combined 7:30 a.m. start beginning on Harrison Street in downtown Cumberland.
Brown, of Bedford County, Pa., and a teacher at Cresaptown Elementary School, has completed the John F. Kennedy 50-mile Ultramarathon five times and has completed multiple 100-milers. On Good Friday, she and her husband, Rande, ran the entire marathon course - mostly along the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail - plus another 24 miles afterward to complete an “easy” 50-mile jaunt. The run was her last long run leading up to the Mountain Maryland Marathon presented by Life Fitness Management.
The festival is to benefit County United Way, which serves Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland as well as Mineral County, W.Va. The County United Way and its umbrella agencies will be leading an army of volunteers at water stations, minor traffic intersections and other key areas during the day.
Of all the things that could be on Kari Brown’s mind during the 26.2-mile run - including 10.5 miles of incline, cool temperatures and competition - a fundamental is likely to take the No. 1 spot.
“I think the hardest part for me is that I’m used to running 31 miles with food, and on Sunday I have to do 26 miles without food,” Brown said of the marathon distance, which typically has less meal-type food offerings than ultramarathons.
Amy Rowan, 29, is making only her second foray into the 26.2-mile distance with a host of lessons learned. The first one she attempted in Frederick, Md., she sprinted the first 13 miles and soon learned that wasn’t necessarily the best strategy.
“By the 21st mile, the lactic acid had built up so much that my legs hurt too much to finish,” said Rowan, of Cumberland. “I’ve learned how to pace myself better so that won’t be the case on Sunday.”
Brittany Rooks, a 15-year-old Baltimore native, is another potential contender for the $1,000 first-place prize on Sunday. Rooks is coming off an impressive 26.2-mile time in the B&A Marathon on March 1 in 3:21:58 - putting her smack in the middle - or perhaps at the front - of the contenders. The time was more than 36 minutes faster than her time last November in the Richmond (Va.) Marathon.
The current clear-cut favorite for the half marathon is Kelly Gruber, of Frederick. In preparation for her first 13.1-mile race, she’s competed in two 10 mile events. She ran the hilly RRCA Club Challenge in February in 67 minutes and 25 seconds. Earlier this month, Gruber ran the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in 66:09.
Competing with Gruber for the top spot is Savage Man Triathlon veteran Jennifer Sober. Sober, 36, from McHenry, is hoping for a strong finishing time for the half marathon.
“For the last few years I have not been racing (because) in 2004 I took time out to hike the (2,000-mile Appalachian Trail) and then have a baby,” she said. “Last year was my first year back and it was my fastest year ever. Running is my passion. It fuels me!”
By Christine Yurko
County United Way Intern
CUMBERLAND - Kari Brown, Amy Rowan, Brittney Rooks. Jennifer Sober, Kelly Gruber. These women are no strangers to a long distance run.
Each of them are competing in the Mountain Maryland Marathon Festival on Sunday. The marathon and half marathon races have a combined 7:30 a.m. start beginning on Harrison Street in downtown Cumberland.
Brown, of Bedford County, Pa., and a teacher at Cresaptown Elementary School, has completed the John F. Kennedy 50-mile Ultramarathon five times and has completed multiple 100-milers. On Good Friday, she and her husband, Rande, ran the entire marathon course - mostly along the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail - plus another 24 miles afterward to complete an “easy” 50-mile jaunt. The run was her last long run leading up to the Mountain Maryland Marathon presented by Life Fitness Management.
The festival is to benefit County United Way, which serves Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland as well as Mineral County, W.Va. The County United Way and its umbrella agencies will be leading an army of volunteers at water stations, minor traffic intersections and other key areas during the day.
Of all the things that could be on Kari Brown’s mind during the 26.2-mile run - including 10.5 miles of incline, cool temperatures and competition - a fundamental is likely to take the No. 1 spot.
“I think the hardest part for me is that I’m used to running 31 miles with food, and on Sunday I have to do 26 miles without food,” Brown said of the marathon distance, which typically has less meal-type food offerings than ultramarathons.
Amy Rowan, 29, is making only her second foray into the 26.2-mile distance with a host of lessons learned. The first one she attempted in Frederick, Md., she sprinted the first 13 miles and soon learned that wasn’t necessarily the best strategy.
“By the 21st mile, the lactic acid had built up so much that my legs hurt too much to finish,” said Rowan, of Cumberland. “I’ve learned how to pace myself better so that won’t be the case on Sunday.”
Brittany Rooks, a 15-year-old Baltimore native, is another potential contender for the $1,000 first-place prize on Sunday. Rooks is coming off an impressive 26.2-mile time in the B&A Marathon on March 1 in 3:21:58 - putting her smack in the middle - or perhaps at the front - of the contenders. The time was more than 36 minutes faster than her time last November in the Richmond (Va.) Marathon.
The current clear-cut favorite for the half marathon is Kelly Gruber, of Frederick. In preparation for her first 13.1-mile race, she’s competed in two 10 mile events. She ran the hilly RRCA Club Challenge in February in 67 minutes and 25 seconds. Earlier this month, Gruber ran the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in 66:09.
Competing with Gruber for the top spot is Savage Man Triathlon veteran Jennifer Sober. Sober, 36, from McHenry, is hoping for a strong finishing time for the half marathon.
“For the last few years I have not been racing (because) in 2004 I took time out to hike the (2,000-mile Appalachian Trail) and then have a baby,” she said. “Last year was my first year back and it was my fastest year ever. Running is my passion. It fuels me!”
Race start times:
Marathon and half marathon (combined): 7:30 a.m.
5K for United Way: 8 a.m.
Kids Marathon: 9:30 a.m.
400-meter Tot Trot: 10:30 a.m.
Men’s marathon preview: Piggott, others coming to run ‘hilly part of Maryland’
CUMBERLAND – Doug Oates is about as competitive as a man can be. So it’s more than a little surprising when he said he doesn’t mind finishing the Mountain Maryland Marathon today in second place.
But Oates, 30, of Hagerstown, is a longtime runner and knows the competition is solid. And winning isn’t everything after all.
“I’ll be honest with you, I wouldn’t mind losing to him,” Oates said of frontrunner John Piggott, 43, of Williamsburg, Va. “He has more marathon experience.”
The Mountain Maryland Marathon Festival presented by Life Fitness Management kicks off today at 7:30 a.m. on Harrison Street in downtown Cumberland. The marathon is just one of five running events to start and finish near Canal Place. The other events include the half marathon, the 5K for United Way, the kids marathon and the 400-meter tot trot.
There also is a day-long health and wellness expo presented by Allegany HealthCare Group.There are more than 415 pre-registered runners heading into today's festival. Race-day registration for all but the marathon begins at the Western Maryland Railway Station at 6:30 a.m.
To be sure, Oates is a seasoned long distance runner himself – one with an extensive history of success on the roads, on the track and along the cross country course. In fact, the 1997 Boonsboro High School graduate was runner-up in the Maryland state cross country championship race in his senior year.
Still, Piggott is something else altogether. Oates has completed only two marathons. Youth and fresh legs will be on his side. Piggott’s finish on Sunday would be his 100th at the 26.2-mile distance. Oates is hoping to lower his personal best, which currently stands at 2 hours and 51 minutes.
Piggott has run all 99 marathons since 1999. His PR is 2:30:14 (2003 in Virginia Beach, Va.). He finished 17 marathons in 2008 and in 2007 ran 18, including eight finishes in eight weeks. Each of those eight times were from 2:35 on down.
“I’ve been blessed with what I have done,” Piggott said. “I’m still going pretty good.”
And Oates will have to be at his best to have a shot at the $1,000 first-place cash prize. Second place? Just enough to pay his way back to Hagerstown.
Oates, though, has solid support in coach Wayne Kretzer and a strong training group. He also has a plan.
“I just want to relax the first half,” Oates said of the first part of the race, which includes a steady and constant 10.5-mile climb up the Great Allegheny Passage. “If I win, I win. If I don’t, I don’t. I haven’t done one in so many years I just wanted to try it again and see what happens. Mentally and physically, it’s going to be tough.”
Other marathon contenders include Cumberland resident Aaron MacGray, 24, and Douglas Basinski, 38, of Pittsburgh, Pa.
In the men’s half marathon, Ridgeley, W.Va., resident Woody Snoberger is expected to lead the field of more than 160 runners. Snoberger, 24, is coming off his marathon debut of 2:40:08, contested last month in Washington, D.C. His top challenger is expected to be Tommy Chandler, 26, of Cumberland.