Striders set to host first race in Long Neck

This Sunday morning we will crush cancer with the Paradise 5K Run at Paradise Island in Long Neck, beginning at 9 a.m. The race course is, amazingly, along the water for the first two miles of the course and then the final mile is on a shady cart path back to paradise. This is the first event the Seashore Striders have hosted in the Long Neck area and many people I have spoken to are excited about the event. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. for a $25 entry fee. Tech T-shirts are guaranteed to all preregistered participants. Awards will be presented to the top three finishers in nine age groups from 9 & U to 70 & O. The popular Mike Hines & The Look will perform at the post-race party. Wear your pink and we will see you at the starting line.

Herring Point Five & Dime

Herring Point will be the site of the second annual Herring Point 5K & 10K. Those of you who choose this 8 a.m. race will run on one of the most beautiful courses in Delaware. The course begins on the road for 1K and then jumps on the new bike/running path heading toward Gordons Pond. While on the trail, runners will have the marsh to their right and the ocean to their left and wildlife all around them on the trail. At last year's race, several runners were within feet of several deer that were along the path of the run. Delaware does not have very many 10K races anymore, so this is a good excuse to run a 10K, get a great T-shirt, a 6.2-mile workout and experience nature and the beautiful state park system. Registration will be at 7 a.m. at Herring Point.

Dolphin Dash Take II

The rescheduled annual Dolphin Dash 5K and kids' dashes will be held Friday, Oct. 23, with the dashes at 5 p.m. and the 5K at 5:30 p.m. The course will loop the Shields track and head to Highland Acres for a loop around the neighborhood before taking a second loop around Blockhouse Pond and returning to the finish the same way by way of Highland Acres and the Shields track.

Registration will begin at 4 p.m. for a $25 a race-day fee, while awards will be presented to the top three in 10 age groups, 6 & U, 7-9, 10-13, 14-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70 & O as well as the overall and masters finishers.

Parking for the Dolphin Dash will be tight, as the Shields Fall Festival will also be taking place. Give yourself extra time as parking may be held on Savannah Road as well. The Dolphin Dash proceeds will benefit the Betty Gooch Scholarship presented annually to a senior student in Sussex County. Come out and support a good cause, and remember Mrs. Gooch, our teacher and friend.

Visit www.seashorestriders.com for more race information.

Mary Beth Ellis

I connected last week to wish my friend pro triathlete Mary Beth Ellis, 38, good luck at the Ironman World Championships in Kona. Mary Beth lined up last Saturday with the best in the world. Highlighting Ellis and her year of racing, she logged a win at the ITU long-distance world championships and won both Ironman Mont Tremblant and 70.3 Ironman.

In Kona, Ellis had a great swim of 56:16 and exited the water with seven other female pros all within 10 seconds of each other. MB followed the swim with an impressive bike of 4:59:29 and only the winner and one other had a faster bike. The transition time going into the marathon at 5:55:45 put her in third place and only seconds out of second place. Ellis dropped from third to 13th and only managed to run 3:33 in the marathon, which put her about 25 minutes behind the leaders' splits. Total time was 9:33:34, which is very impressive, but not where MB wanted to finish at 13th place.

I remember it like it was yesterday having MB at the Striders Track Workouts at Cape High School doing repeat quarters and I knew back then at only 13 years old how tough this athlete was going to become. The Rehoboth Biathlon was another event that MB owned for many years as she used to exit the water with the top male swimmers and then run some amazing splits on the run course. At 38, her pro triathlete career is nearing its end, but I am hoping she can stay injury-free and put another string of years together on the pro circuit. Locals can follow MB at marybethellisracing.com. Good luck, MB, and we will see you in December.

Race Wrap

The fifth annual Monster Mash Marathon & Half-Marathon will take off Saturday morning, Oct. 17, from Dover Downs. The race will loop the track and head through the City of Dover before making its way to the east countryside before finishing just outside the stadium at the Monster Mile statue. The course is a USA Track & Field Certified Course and a Boston Marathon qualifier. The event will be benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project.

Don’t wait to sign up for the Sea Witch Fall 5K Classic, as registration will close in less than a week with a record number of preregistrered runners, over 200 already ready to roll. Begin to finalize your running costume and begin to start talking about your parking spot now, as parking will be at a premium on race morning. The Seashore Striders will also have their annual bake sale with homemade goodies raising funds for the national championships in November. Over and out!