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Distance addict triples up as part of training

By DAVE THEALL
Published March 9, 2006

Congratulations to everyone who ran and finished one of the four events at the Bank of America Distance Classic.

A relatively small number of spartans took on a more daunting challenge: the three-event Jeep Liberty Challenge, or the PT Cruiser Challenge.

The former consisted of the 15K and 5K Saturday morning, followed by the half-marathon the next morning.

Pinellas runners finished first and second. Andy Scavelli, 43, of Palm Harbor won with a cumulative time of 2:35:42, followed by two minutes by David Putnam, 47, of Belleair Bluffs.

Laura Drake, 37, of St. Petersburg, finished strong to capture the women's title by seven minutes in 2:51:10, good for eighth place overall.

For Scavelli, racing three events within 24 hours was a means to an end.

"Essentially, I ran the Jeep Liberty Challenge as a training run for Boston where I'm striving to improve on my previous best time of 2:47:42, which I ran there in 2002," Scavelli said. "Although I'm still a little sore from it - a pain in my hip - it was a good experience toward next month's marathon."

Scavelli ran the 15K in 54:36 almost stride for stride with close friend Michael Weiss of Oldsmar, who finished one place ahead in 19th in 54:25.

In their 40-44 age group they finished 1-2. Both are members of the West Florida Y Runners Club. Weiss serves as president.

"The toughest part of Jeep Challenge is turning around about half-hour later and running the 5K," Scavelli said.

That didn't prevent him from running 18:14 and edging Tony Lahnston by four seconds for first among 366 men in the 40-44 division. Between the 5K and Sunday's 13.1-mile race, Scavelli said he stretched a lot and braced himself for the hot, humid conditions.

"I ran alone during the early part of the race trying to maintain a 6:15 per-mile pace," said the former state Class 2A cross country titlist at Clearwater Central Catholic.

"I picked up the pace after a while and started passing people because I had the endurance."

The result was a time of 1:22:52, good for third place in his age bracket in a field of 150.

"I'm confident that running those three races back-to-back will help me at Boston," Scavelli said.

Putnam edged Scavelli in one department: taking two 45-49 age group firsts and one third-place finish en route to second overall based on time in the Jeep Liberty Challenge.

Putnam was first of 298 in the 15K in 55:41, then third of 315 in the 5K in 18:31 and finished with another first in the half-marathon among 106 in 1:23:30.

"I went all out in each of the three events," said Putnam, whose goal in the 15K was under 56 minutes.

"Actually, I thought I'd won the competition after finishing fourth in it last year. But then I saw the official results that Andy had beaten me."

Putnam was a high school track standout in Ashville, N.C., before joining the Navy, where his running opportunities were limited.

When he found himself weighing 206 on a 6-1 frame at age 39, and a bachelor, he decided to try to recapture the benefits of the sport.

"I run half for therapy and half for the weight," said Putnam, who now weighs 170. "My short-term goal is a sub-36 minute 10K at Armadillo (Oldsmar) on March 18, and my long term is the Green Bay Marathon on May 21, my first at that distance."

WOMEN'S WINNER: Drake, a three-time winner of the 15K between 1999 and 2001, opened with a 58:47 15K this year, good for third in her age division among 245 contestants, followed with a 35-39 win among 467 in 19:45 in the 5K, and finished the half seventh of 158 in 1:32:38.

PT CRUISER CHALLENGE: Millie Hamilton, 61, of Treasure Island ran the full package of events, including the Bank of America Marathon in 4:44:50, good for second among six in her age group.

She opened with a 1:24:22 15K and turned around a few minutes later to run the 5K in 32:21.

Coach Joe Burgasser of the Forerunners Club ran a sub five-hour tripleheader. That placed him eighth overall among 61 finishers.

Burgasser, 67, opened with an age-group win (1:02:06) in the 15K, followed by a 27:22 5K and ending with a 3:24:33 marathon Sunday.

Jon Kieffer, 62, of Treasure Island finished 14th overall in 5:25:53.

GASPARILLA NOTES: Christa Benton, the area's dominant distance runner last year, might have challenged 15K winner Vicki Gill had she not taken ill during the event.

She dropped out near the 4-mile mark with a sinus infection she caught the previous weekend running in the snow in New York's Van Cortlandt Park in the National Cross Country Championships. She had been taking heavy antibiotics.

Benton fared well in the New York meet, finishing the hilly 8K in 29:25, three seconds behind former Stanford champion Julia Stamps. Blake Russell won in 26:47 to earn a place on the April 1-2 U.S. team competing in the World Championships in Japan.

Rachel Winter, a St. Pete Beach resident, was the first Pinellas woman in the marathon timed in 3:20:05 for ninth.

Kim Bumbul of St. Petersburg moved up to sixth in the half (1:30:09) with the DQ of twins Lisa and Teresa Vaill, who had not registered for that event.

St. Petersburg's Jim Bumbul broke the three-hour mark in the marathon with a 2:59:22 for 19th place among men.

COMING UP: March has a full slate of races starting Saturday at 8 a.m. with the 25th annual Strawberry Classic in Temple Terrace. Pinellas winners last year included Lisa Valentine in the 10K and Jacki Wachtel in the 5K.

At 6 p.m. Saturday the Shamrock 'N Run 5K will be held in Largo's Ulmer Park. Register on site starting at 4:30.

The Armadillo 10K/5K is set for the 8 a.m. March 18 in Oldsmar. The Bay to Bay (12K) across St. Petersburg is March 19. The event's information hotline is (727) 367-RACE. Lee Stephens and Mary Ann Protz were last year's winners.

On the following weekend Belleair's Run For The Rec 5K will be topped off with a pancake breakfast catered by the Belleview Biltmore Resort Hotel. Call Dave Portillo days at (727) 588-3769 for further details on the March 25 event.

Largo's popular Taylor Park will be the scene of the March 26 Run For the Matzahs 5K. Call David Sadowski for an entry form at (727) 588-0100.

[Last modified March 9, 2006, 03:00:34]