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Tjalling Ypma - 2/22/06
The 38th running of this classic race took place on Sunday February 19, 2006. It was a sunny, windless but cold day, with temperatures well below freezing at the start. There were 47 starters and 45 finishers for the marathon. The associated 25k race, which took runners once around the Birch Point loop, had 28 participants. One marathoner DNFed, another decided to do only one loop and is listed as a 25k runner in the results. There were 15 DNSes, perhaps due to the cold; a total of 90 people registered for the race.
The course length was carefully measured and the start moved to the south end of Birch Bay State Park so as to meet the USATF course certification requirements. The race is now a qualifier for the Boston Marathon; the certification code is WA 06002 BL. The two other major changes made this year were the addition of an extra aid station on the loop, and the use of on-line pre-registration to simplify day-of-race administration. We had also planned to use chip-timing and place porta-potties at the aid stations, but the small number of runners does not yet warrant the associated considerable expenditure.
The marathon started promptly at 7:30 a.m., and the 25k race started 30 minutes later. Despite the extreme cold several of the faster runners ran in shorts and singlets. Both of the men’s races soon developed into one-on-one battles, but both battles terminated well before the finish. Last year’s marathon winner, Joel Pearson, held a slim lead over Pete Hansen well into the second loop of the course, but eventually withdrew just after mile 18 due to foot pain. This left Pete to cross the line first in 2:54:24, followed within 10 minutes by Jim Swadling of North Vancouver and Bryan Robertson of Ferndale. In the 25k race Carlos Gaspar and Damian Hill ran the first 10 miles shoulder-to-shoulder at a ferocious pace, but Damian hit the wall going into Birch Bay and had conceded 6 minutes to Carlos by the finish line. In the women’s marathon, Jennifer Yogi of Seattle was a comfortable winner over Amanda Rodgers of Bremerton, while Anntionette McCormack of Mount Vernon had to work hard but looked very strong in finishing just 3 minutes ahead of Donna Rode of Bellingham in the 25k race.
The clear winter conditions provided wonderful views over the still waters of the bays, with ice hummocks in the shallows, small fish splashing a bit further out, and flocks of waterfowl rippling the distant waters, while the snow-capped Cascades lined the eastern horizon. One runner reported near-decapitation by a bald eagle that suddenly swooped from a roadside branch. It was a gloriously peaceful day, warm enough by noon for the finishers to enjoy basking in the sun as they socialized with their friends and consumed some of the food and drink set out for them. Reporters from the Bellingham Herald and Blaine’s The Northern Light were on hand to interview and photograph runners; we were fortunate to have Jim Pearson to regale us with the history of the race, and many race veterans like Pete Hansen, Mel Preedy and Stan Nakashima added their own color.
Thanks for a very successful event go first to my co-RD Leigh Foley, who took care of most of the day-of-race organization. Jon and Lynn Hoskins, of Total Health Events, not only orchestrated the race certification but also took care of aid station establishment and finishing results, making our day very much easier. The WWU Cycling Club rendered us outstanding service by doing day-of-race registration, staffing aid stations and providing traffic control. Thanks also go to the other volunteers, as well as to Alison Allen (for race permits and liaison with officialdom) and Rick Hill (for maintaining the race website and entry lists). Thanks also to Fiona Cohen of the Herald for race publicity, and Karl King of The Northern Light for race day photographs. Special thanks go to the hired certified flagger who got into the spirit of the race to the extent that he devoted several unpaid hours to helping us shepherd the tail-enders home and clean up the aid stations.
Finally, of course, thanks to all the runners who participated. The race this year drew more than twice as many entries as last year. We expect continued growth, but plan to maintain the essential simplicity of the event. Come again, and bring all your friends, for the 39th running of the race on Sunday February 18 next year !