Cork 10, triathlons, Dogfish make huge September for racing

The largest events at the beach are in September with the start of the triathlon season, the end of summer with the Bottle & Cork 1-Miler, and the Milton Dogfish Dash 5/10 K races. September brings about 4,800 athletes, hundreds of volunteers, thousands of spectators and a whole lot of revenue to the Cape Region with the events. The Dogfish Dash, to be held Sunday, Sept. 25, in Milton, currently has more than 1,000 runners in the 5K and over 700 in the 10K, making it the largest combination in the state. The support from the Town of Milton has been great and the course support even better with the following emergency groups ready to go: Milton Fire Police, Milton Ambulance Crew, Milton Police Department, Sussex County Emergency Medical Services, Delaware State Police, ARES Radio Communication Group, Delaware State Police Cadets, Sussex Cyclists and the Seashore Striders Race Crew.

Residents in the Town of Milton can expect delays on Sunday from 8 to 9 a.m. in the area of Chestnut Street, downtown Federal Street, Union Street, and the area of Milton Memorial Park behind the Milton Public Library.

The Dogfish event will send its proceeds to the Nature Conservancy, which is a great charity to support. Arrive early for parking, and see you on the starting line.

Bamforth captures Philly Invite
Twelve-year-old Ben Bamforth ran the fastest 3,000-meter time of the day at one of the area’s most challenging courses as he captured the 11-12 race at the Philadelphia Express Invitational in a time of 12:05. His performance was a personal record on the course and 48 seconds ahead of the chase pack, including several runners from the Ambler Athletic Club. Teammate Blake Hundley finished in fourth place in the 9-10 boys' race, running 12:51, while Logan Shuttleworth battled a few national track champions in a tough girls' 11-12 race, where she was fifth in 13:03.

Make-A-Wish
The 28th Annual Make-A-Wish Triathlon at Sea Colony will be held Saturday, Sept. 24, in Bethany Beach. This is an Olympic-distance triathlon featuring a 1.5K ocean swim, 41K bike and 10K run. The event will draw 550–650 athletes, 125 volunteers and an additional 500–1,000 spectators. For a first-time triathlete or a veteran competitor, the Sea Colony course is the perfect challenge; competitors must be age 14 or older. Participants will compete as individuals, as members of a relay team or as AquaVelo competitors. The race begins at 7:30 a.m., while the post-race picnic opens at 11 a.m., followed by an awards ceremony at noon. Randy Lee Ashcraft and the Saltwater Cowboys will perform from 4 to 6 p.m. on the Bethany Beach boardwalk stage. The event will raise funds for Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic. The race is an opportunity for participants to add meaning to their miles and raise money while training. The average cost of a Mid-Atlantic wish is around $7,500, thus every dollar counts. Serving Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland and northern Virginia, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic is proud to have granted the wishes of nearly 7,000 children through generous donations and efforts of volunteers.

Green takes Cannonball 5K
The annual Cannonball 5K Run & Walk and 1-Mile Walk was held Sept. 18 at the Lewes Historical Complex on Third Street in Lewes. A field of 100 participants took part in the event won by 34-year-old Matt Green of Salisbury, Md., in 18:32, while 34-year-old Susan Dunn of Laurel won the female race in 21:22. Mardiny Ung of Elizabethtown, Pa., won the female masters in 22:12, while Alan Quillen of Seaford won the male masters in 21:48. Special thanks to all the sponsors and volunteers that made the event a success. Results and photos can be viewed at www.seashorestriders.com.

Dolphin Dash
The running of the annual Dolphin Dash 5K Run & Walk will be Friday evening, Sept. 30, with proceeds to benefit the children of Shields Elementary School. Registration will begin at 4 p.m., and the 5K Run & Walk will start at 5:30. Race-day registration will be $25 with tech T-shirts to the first 100 registered. For the younger kids, there will be the popular Dolphin Dashes in which kids, grouped by grade, will circle the track for one lap. The Dolphin Dash is always a fun event, so come out and support the kids with a run, walk, or dash!

Cross country
Cross country is in full swing with several large meets scheduled in the next few weeks around the Henlopen Conference. On Sept. 21, the Tech Team traveled to Seaford and came away with a double 15-50 victory as the team trains through the week to get ready for the visiting Riders of Caesar Rodney Monday, Sept. 26. The Cape team traveled to Lake Forest and Killens Pond and also won both meets against the Spartans coached by Ray Parker. The Vikings will host Woodbridge at home at the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment on Sept. 26. On Wednesday, Sept. 28, in Salisbury, Md. is the Tidewater Classic, a large meet with a flat and fast course, an event that gives the Henlopen Conference teams a feel for the conference and state meets that will be here soon.