(Ed Avol reporting)
June 27, Malaga Cove – A overcast PV morning met the 34 assembled runners and their well-wishers as all gathered for the annual Coach’s Handicap 10K Run. This is a long-standing event in which the goal is to turn typical racing on its head and get everyone to finish closely together, by holding back the faster runners and giving the rest a proportional head start. How close everyone actually finishes together relies on good estimates of performance, honest performance, a lot of luck, and the usual high quality of competitiveness among team mates. The first runner begins at 0715, with teammates give chase per timed exits over the next hour. Then, a half hour of waiting for bobbing heads coming down the street towards the Finish Line…
The course measures 6+ miles, but equates to a timed 10K due to the hills along the way, especially the first incline a half-mile into the run. This year, new Club Ed runner Patty Humphrey got the starting spot (87 minute estimate) and demolished her expected race pace, finishing in 75:40. Eleven minutes later, the groups began to appear, as shown below (see finish results, listed by various ways to compare performance).
Several performances were noteworthy. In addition to Patty’s impressive debut, Alison Atkinson showed she is on her way back, slowly but surely, and Nathalie Higley ran up to the race start from home ~8 miles away and then ran the race! Humberto is back, with almost-one-year-old Miles present to cheer for Dad, and Aaron Munger continued to rock the race course, leading all runners with a 35:33 effort. Perennial local running star David Cardona even joined the chase, helping to raise competitive juices.
Mitch Middler showed he is on a rapid rise to improvement with a fine 52:59 effort, only ONE SECOND off his predicted time. Tough-as-nails Sharon Lotesto ran a gutsy 52:30, stopping occasionally to rest an ailing knee. And there was no shortage of determination or guts on display: Chuck Weisman forgot his running shoes at home, but ran in street shoes (slip-ons)! Ultimately, reality set in, and Chuck had to bail, but one has to admire his gamesmanship…
Kudos go to Mark Silva for coming up at 5am to mark the course for everyone, running the race (45:58), and then serving as Master of Ceremonies for the Famous Race Awards (graciously shopped for and selected by Diane Silva, who jogged a few miles to show she is on the comeback trail, too). In the awards segment, few escaped Mark’s focus, remarks, or wit, and about half of the participants went home with prizes, from trail mix (for “being nuts to race in street shoes”, Chuck), to a “Catch Me If You Can” DVD for Karina, to a package of Smarties candy for Katie McKellar for careful, clever pacing).
After the run, we all celebrated with an amazing pot-luck breakfast replete with donuts, fresh fruit, scones, home-made coffee cake, coffee, donuts, juice, an incredible egg quiche dish, water, and donuts.
See you all next year, for the 2016 Ed-ition!
CLUB ED Coach's Handicap Race -- 2015 Edition By Clock Time
| ||||||
No.
|
Runner
|
10K Est.
|
HCP START TIME
|
Clock Time
|
Race Time
|
Time Difference
|
1
|
Patty Humphrey
|
87.00
|
0
|
75:40:00
|
75:40:00
|
11:20
|
2
|
Corrine Schratz
|
80.00
|
7:00
|
84:15:00
|
77:15:00
|
2:45
|
3
|
Sabina Helton
|
56.00
|
31:00:00
|
84:58:00
|
53:58:00
|
2:02
|
4
|
Pat Saraceno
|
50.00
|
37:00:00
|
85:26:00
|
48:26:00
|
1:34
|
5
|
Sharon Lotesto
|
54.00
|
33:00:00
|
85:30:00
|
52:30:00
|
1:30
|
6
|
Alison Atkinson
|
45.30
|
41:30:00
|
85:36:00
|
44:06:00
|
2:36
|
7
|
Nathalie Higley
|
45.30
|
41:30:00
|
85:36:00
|
44:06:00
|
1:24
|
8
|
Mark Kerper
|
50.00
|
37:00:00
|
85:42:00
|
48:42:00
|
1:18
|
9
|
Cam ____
|
61.00
|
26:00:00
|
86:01:00
|
60:01:00
|
0:59
|
10
|
Nicola Lowrey
|
52.30
|
34:30:00
|
86:03:00
|
51:33:00
|
0:57
|
11
|
Trish Riley
|
56.00
|
31:00:00
|
86:11:00
|
55:11:00
|
0:49
|
12
|
Humberto Sanchez
|
42.00
|
45:00:00
|
86:12:00
|
41:12:00
|
0:48
|
13
|
Greg Eng
|
40.00
|
47:00:00
|
86:26:00
|
39:26:00
|
0:34
|
14
|
Jake Courtney
|
39.50
|
47:10:00
|
86:36:00
|
39:26:00
|
0:24
|
15
|
Aaron Munger
|
35.40
|
51:20:00
|
86:53:00
|
35:33:00
|
0:07
|
16
|
Jon Megeff
|
37.00
|
50:00:00
|
86:58:00
|
36:58:00
|
0:02
|
17
|
Mitch Middler
|
53.00
|
34:00:00
|
86:59:00
|
52:59:00
|
0:01
|
18
|
Mike Sevier
|
36.00
|
51:00:00
|
87:05:00
|
36:05:00
|
0:05
|
19
|
Rick Dodson
|
41.20
|
45:40:00
|
87:08:00
|
41:28:00
|
0:08
|
20
|
Mark Silva
|
45.30
|
41:30:00
|
87:28:00
|
45:58:00
|
0:28
|
21
|
Leo Burzynski
|
58.00
|
29:00:00
|
87:31:00
|
58:31:00
|
0:31
|
22
|
Katie McKellar
|
42.00
|
45:00:00
|
87:33:00
|
42:33:00
|
0:33
|
23
|
Karina Bird
|
48.00
|
39:00:00
|
88:01:00
|
49:01:00
|
1:01
|
24
|
Simeon Petrov
|
44.00
|
43:00:00
|
88:38:00
|
45:38:00
|
1:38
|
25
|
Andy McKay
|
50
|
37:00:00
|
88:58:00
|
51:58:00
|
1:58
|
26
|
Mike Soto
|
35.00
|
52:00:00
|
89:37:00
|
37:37:00
|
2:37
|
27
|
Rick McKellar
|
36.30
|
50:30:00
|
89:52:00
|
39:22:00
|
2:52
|
28
|
David Cardona
|
33.00
|
54:00:00
|
90:09:00
|
36:09:00
|
3:09
|
29
|
Jim Newman
|
49.00
|
38:00:00
|
90:59:00
|
52:59:00
|
3:59
|
30
|
Steve Notaro
|
45.30
|
41:30:00
|
91:52:00
|
50:22:00
|
4:52
|
31
|
Julie Arreola
|
59.00
|
28:00:00
|
94:53:00
|
66:53:00
|
7:53
|
32
|
Christina Rojo
|
60.00
|
27:00:00
|
went off course
|
no time
|
--
|
33
34
|
Chuck Weisman
Mike Cortez
|
50
No time
|
37:00:00
No time
|
went off course…
jumped in on the course
|
no time
|
--
|