 “Wrapping” up the Year in Style
Who would’ve thought that just 6 months into its neophyte history, STOL would already be making a huge splash on the scene. From running themselves into the record books, to traveling across county lines, our team is off to a surprisingly high-energy start.
On December 5 in West Palm Beach, a group of four runners “stol the show” at the 8th Annual marathon of the Palm Beaches Festival. Jose Naranjo, Jasper Bell, Jonathan Mederos, and Gene Rutuolo (in that order) tackled the 26.2 mile distance in relay format, setting a new course record 2:53:59. That time was good enough to place just 3 spots behind overall race winner Ronnie Holassie, whose 2:27:45 finish time earned him a third consecutive victory at this event.
Jose Naranjo, a last-minute substitution, got things rolling with a sizzling first leg, running 20:11 for 3.2 miles! Then it was Jasper Bell’s turn to cement an early lead, handing off to Jonathan at the 11 mile mark. The latter passed the halfway point just under 1:30, picking off lagging runners and closing the gap on the race leaders. Gene Rutuolo, our anchorman, brought it home from there, cruising to victory in what ended up being an impressive negative split. We owe special thanks to Caroline Mantel, new Palm Beach resident and elite runner herself, for hosting two of our teammates overnight, and Jose Naranjo, our man in the clutch (literally!), who graciously lent out his car to be used as the transition vehicle.
(Jasper Bell, in blue)
Just 3 days later, STOL hosted its first annual road mile challenge coinciding with Boca Raton’s Holiday Mile. The race, now in its eleventh year, serves as the USATF state championship on the roads, taking runners down a spectator-lined street prior to the town’s Christmas parade. Out of the 50 runners invited to participate, five fearless individuals stepped up to the challenge, accepting the challenge on a cold, traffic-congested evening. In the end, our teammates finished in spots 4, 10, 19, 24, and 41 within a highly competitive field. Spencer West, in tenth position, won the challenge by running 4:56 and nailing his pre-race goal time. Other notables were Jasper Bell who set a new personal record (5:16), and both Jon Williams and Julie West who won their respective age groups.
2010 official results:
4) Jonathan Mederos – 4:44
10) Spencer West – 4:56
19) Jon Williams – 5:12 24)
Jasper Bell – 5:16 41)
Julie West – 5:57
As things wind down and come to a close, STOL is looking ahead and planning new events for 2011. Our goal is to recruit members who share a passion for the sport we love. It starts by putting in the work on a consistent basis, and as can be seen from race reports like the two above, culminates in both personal and team glory.
Happy Holidays from all your friends!
  
|
