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Letter to the editor

Largo race gets competitors ready

By Dave Theall, Times Correspondent
Published February 10, 2008

A small race last weekend in Largo served as preparation for a big race this weekend in Tampa for the men's and women's winners.

At the Caring Heart 5K, Jeff Weber, 24, a first-year science teacher and assistant track coach at Largo High, set out with a goal of 15:45 and won in 15:42. He's set to run his first long race today in the Gasparilla Half Marathon in Tampa.

Kim Miles of Clearwater ran unchallenged, winning in 20:33. She was to compete in the Publix Super Markets Gasparilla 15K on Saturday. Last year, she ran the scenic course in 1:08:40.

Weber, a former track and cross country standout at Hope College in Michigan, ran stride for stride with the Largo Packers' No. 1 runner, Gabe Ramos, for 1.5 miles before pulling away to win by a wide margin. Ramos finished in 16:22. Teammate Thomas McGrath closed the gap over the last half-mile for third place in 16:30.

"That was the fastest 5K I've run since I moved here in August," said Weber, 6 feet 2 and 155 pounds. "I've never done a 15K before, but I'm more anxious to step up to longer races such as the half marathon. My college track experience centered around the mile. I want to move up in distance."

Weber is moving up rapidly among Pinellas distance runners. At December's Say No to Drugs 10K, he finished a strong third behind Tyrone Bell of Lakeland and consistent area winner Lee Stephens of Tampa.

Miles ran unchallenged in the inaugural Caring Heart run despite having to cut back on training in recent months because of a leg injury. Taylor Scott, 14, of St. Petersburg finished second in 25:16 in a field of 62.

The low-key race, at the Palms of Largo, served as a benefit for the Caregiving Youth Project of Pinellas under the direction of Jeni Coticchio, executive director of the Caregivers Support Network, which runs the project.

Race wrapup: One second separated winner Jon Mott of St. Petersburg from runnerup Brian Burke (16:29) of Tampa at the Jan. 26 Run with the Nuns 5K in St. Petersburg. Ramos, Largo High's state championship qualifier last fall, was another two seconds behind Burke.

Mott, a former 800-meter specialist at Northeast High now at Webber International University, was the first Pinellas finisher (51:50) at the Gasparilla 15K last year. College teammate Austin Richmond finished second to Todd Snyder of Michigan.

At the Nuns race, Jeanne Townsend of St. Petersburg broke 20 minutes with a 19:59 effort for the women's title over Brianne Shoby (21:06) of Kenneth City and Kaley Matthews (21:09) of St. Petersburg.

- The 29th annual Flatlanders Challenge 10K in Brooksville had hometown favorite Drew Martuccibreaking the finish-line tape in 34 minutes flat. Jon Docs of Tampa won the masters division in 40:44. Duncan Cameron of Palm Harbor not only prevailed in his 65-69 division, his time was faster than the winners of 25-29 through 60-64.

Three-time Gasparilla 15K winner Laura Drake repeated as the women's winner in 44:15, ahead of masters winner Kit Van Allan (47:24) of Palm Harbor.

In the 5K at Brooksville, Tyler Maier of Ridge Manor won in 17:24, with Albert Wieringa, 61, of St. Petersburg finishing first, 40 and over, in 19:57. Natalie Durrum of Spring Hill took the women's title in 21:22.

National honors: The March issue of Running Times lists the top masters in the world for 2007. Three Pinellas men made their mark. Bill Riley, a St. Petersburg winter resident from Centerville, Mass., is first 70-74, posting a 10K time of 40:57. Honorable mention was achieved by Wieringa of the West Florida Y Runners Club in the 65-69 bracket, and Joe Burgasser again cracked the elite field in the 65-69 group.

[Last modified February 9, 2008, 23:08:31]