Area runners in their 40s dominated the 11th Walt Disney Marathon.
Forerunners training partners Kim Donaldson and Mary Ann Protz placed 1-2 in the women's division last Sunday.
Tampa's Brian Bradway, 42, Protz's brother-in-law, was the first finisher from the five-county bay area. And 47-year-old Fred Dorsey, fresh off a 1:22:55 Max Bayne Half-Marathon the previous weekend, ran a swift 3-hour, 3-minute event through the theme parks in Lake Buena Vista.
In contrast, the Run For The Rec 5K the previous day in Belleair saw a teenage dominance, at least in the men's division.
Ken Magee, a Seminole High School senior, led a group of five teens across the finish line on a cold morning along Florida's Gulf Coast. Indian Rocks Christian's Nate Holden, a friend and former prep teammate of Magee, took an early 50-yard lead by the half-mile mark.
"Nate took it out real hard," said Magee, who was in a similar situation at November's Times Turkey Trot 5K before posting a 15:44 win.
"I didn't catch up with him till about the three-quarter-mile mark, and we ran together and talked some for another half mile," Magee said of the Rec 5K. "At that point, I was feeling a little too comfortable and decided to pick up the pace."
Magee gradually pulled away, finishing in 16:45. Holden followed in 17:05, then it was Largo High's Karim Abdelbary in 17:35.
Judy Maguire, 45, of Clearwater, defended her crown by holding off Vicki Stum, 18:43-18:49. Maguire finished 12th overall in a field of 353, significantly up from last year's turnout of 270 despite the weather conditions. Indian Rocks Christian sophomore Melissa Kotchman out-sprinted Donna Nesslar of Largo to take third by a second in 19:31.
Lisa Valentine, coming off a Max Bayne Half-Marathon victory, will be in Gasparilla. However, it will be after another half marathon, this weekend's 13.1-miler in Naples.
MAX BAYNE RACE REVISITED: Coach Joe Burgasser of the Forerunners narrowly missed another age-group record when he posted a winning 1:24:15 in the 50-and-over division at Fort DeSoto Park for 13.1 miles.
The mark in his 65-69 class is 1:23:50, set by Mike Bertolini in 1985, according to the USATF Road Running Information Center in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Burgasser, ranked second in nation for his age group in 2002, will try for the record again in the Naples Daily News Half-Marathon.
DISNEY: Donaldson's win (2:59:13) at Disney was her third in the past 12 months.
She won last January's Hops Marathon in 3:01:18, her previous best; then captured her third Ocala Marathon title in February in a women's course-record 3:04:59. Donaldson also has won the Jacksonville Marathon, giving her six victories in 13 starts, not counting her Forerunners team win at last year's Boston Marathon.
Not many marathoners at any level have a winning percentage of 46. Donaldson was overwhelmed with last Sunday's victory.
"I never thought I'd win," Donaldson said. "My whole focus was breaking 3 hours. But with about 3 miles to go, I began to think I had a chance, except that I began to be concerned that Mary Ann (Protz) would come back to pass me.
"The win was very emotional for me because the Disney people treat you like royalty," Donaldson said. "I've already been invited back for next year."
Debby Farias and Patty Farese were the top overall Pinellas performers in the Disney Half-Marathon. They finished virtually together in 1:35:35.
CROSS COUNTRY: After running undefeated all season, St.Petersburg High's Kerry Allen finished second to Jennifer Barringer of Oviedo in November's Class 4A state meet.
How good is Barringer? She went on to win the South region Footlocker title in North Carolina, then placed third in last month's national prep championships in San Diego's Balboa Park.
NEXT UP: It's not too late to register for Saturday's Bank of America Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K or 5K.
Sign up online at www.tampabayrun.com The prize money for men's and women's finishers 1-5 is $100-1,000. Full-time area residence is a requirement, and awards will not be made until verification.
Teats and Keith Sawayda are the top Pinellas entries. Teats took fifth last year, and Sawayda is coming off a half-marathon win at Max Bayne.
The Jan.25 Hops Marathon goes five deep, with prize money ranging from $250 to $2,250 for men and women. No residency restrictions apply.
