Ed Dean 4-Miler and Sundance Sashay highlight weekend
A unique event is on the schedule at 8 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 24, in Ocean View as the fifth Ed Dean 4-Miler will take off from Magnolia’s Seafood Bar & Grill Restaurant. Race-day registration at $25 starts at 7 a.m. with sleeveless tech T-shirts guaranteed to the first 100 people to register.
The Ed Dean Memorial Scholarship is in honor and memory of Ed Dean and will benefit a Bethany Beach Patrol lifeguard. Dean was captain of the Bethany Beach Patrol for many years, a teacher and coach at Sussex Central High School, and an administrator in Lake Forest School District and Somerset County Public Schools.
The scholarship was founded after his untimely passing in June 2006. The event will loop Fresh Pond State Park, loaded with beautiful trails through the woods.
There are very few four-mile races in the state, so this is one not to miss. See you on the starting line, and don’t forget your bug spray.
4th Sundance Land & Sea
This Sunday, Aug. 25, at 8 a.m., four different events will begin: On the Boardwalk will be the start of the 5K run and 1-mile walk; on the beach will be the start of the swim/run biathlon and the half-mile swim. All four are a part of the fourth Sundance Land & Sea event.
The flier for the event reads, “Whether you’re a serious runner, a swimmer, a power walker, or want to dress like a diva and sashay away, there will be something for everyone. This event will feature four individual events to pick from and a catwalk for best costumes.”
Registration will be at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand with the post-race party to be held at CAMP Rehoboth.
Coach Sonja
The Vanderbilt cross country team will see a familiar face working with the members and pushing the athletes in workouts as former Cape runner Sonja Friend-Uhl has been brought on as an assistant coach for the upcoming season. For the third straight year, Vanderbilt's women's cross country team is expected to compete for a Southeastern Conference championship with the league's coaches picking the Commodores to finish third behind Arkansas and defending champ Florida. I spoke to Sonja, the top-rated female masters runner in the country, the other evening, and she was excited about the freshman class of female runners. “We have three freshman that all have run 2:09 in the 800 and 4:48 in the mile in high school, so it’s exciting to be able to work with them. I am hanging onto the team in workouts.”
Sonja also spoke about the new multiuse facility that should be completed in October at Vanderbilt. It will host a 300-meter indoor track considered to be one of the finest in the country. I watched a tour of the facility by the athletic director, and one of the nicest items I picked up on is that all field events do not cross the track at any time. This means, unlike most indoor facilities, that all the running events as well as all the field events can be going on at the same time. This is a major plus for any track & field meet.
Sonja is coming off a masters track win at 1,500 meters at the USA Championships and will compete Oct. 6 in Syracuse, N.Y., at the 5K Road Nationals, which she won last year in 16:50.
IHOP Tri - a fun event
The IHOP Labor Day Tri is here again along with the close of summer. The unofficial event will be at 6:30 a.m., Monday, Sept. 2, on Queen Street in Rehoboth Beach.
This is your opportunity to gain a little confidence prior to the fall tri season. This event is not a race but a workout. There are no clocks, no DQs, no trophies or T-shirts, no stress or fuss. There is plenty of fun, and race support is provided on the swim. To register, simply email Dell Pearson at wkpmustang@yahoo.com Registration is important so no one is left standing on Queen Street after the group begins the walk to the beginning of the swim. There is no fee for this event.
The event is a half-mile ocean swim, a 17-mile out-and-back bike and a 5K on the Boardwalk and into Henlopen Acres. It is followed by a great breakfast get-together at IHOP.
The transition area is on Queen Street with no security, so bike locks are suggested. Swim support will be supplied by Jere Stephano, but if conditions are too rough, the swim portion could be cancelled. It is Jere’s call. Unfortunately, the usual bike support that Bob Hughes provides is not available this year. The run course is described but not marked, and you must provide your own hydration.
This race is very flexible. Each year we have participants who are dealing with injuries, lacking equipment, or simply elect to alter the events slightly. Make the event your own. The goal here is to participate and have fun.
