By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
Clad in a cornucopia of colors, nearly 500 runners descended on Mahomet last weekend.
The draw was the 24th version of Run Mahomet, a fundraiser for the Mahomet Area Youth Club featuring races at various distances.
Some competitors were there hoping to achieve a first, the top prize in their race or age division.
Others were there to experience a first, participating at a distance they had never before raced.
Some were there simply hoping to register their fastest time ever.
Among the 486 total entries for the four races, held over a two-day period, were individual stories of determination and triumph, of perseverance and joy.
It wasn’t necessary to possess one of the top medals to feel like a winner and to sport a brilliant smile.
The day’s accomplishments were enough.
Here is a sampling of the experiences felt – and shared – by some of the runners on Saturday, from a day when the temperatures were in the mid-60s when the first races got underway at 7 a.m.
Race Day Success
Jim Davis lives in Gibson City.
His brother, John Davis, lives in Gainesville, Fla.
They participated in different races, but met up at the finish line on Saturday to reminisce and reflect.
Jim Davis was entered in the 5-kilometer race.
John Davis ran the 10K.
Jim Davis was celebrating more than his 67th birthday.
“Thirteen weeks ago,” he said, “I had a hip replacement.”
Prior to the surgery, the pain had prevented him from an active lifestyle.
“I went from running to walking to not doing anything without a walker,” Jim Davis said.
As his procedure was scheduled, he mentioned a goal to his doctor.
“I said by Aug, 3, I want to try and run the 5 K,” Jim Davis said.
On the first of August, he had a follow-up appointment to check on his progress.
His doctor offered some words of encouragement.
“He said I could walk, bike or swim,” Jim Davis said.
The doctor also said more.
“He said, ‘Don’t you dare run,’ “ Jim Davis said. “No running or anything high impact.”
Jim Davis showed up at the starting line for the 5K, wearing bib No. 331.
He walked the entire 5 kilometers, finishing in 51 minutes, 34 seconds.
“I almost started running,” he said, “but I thought, ‘No way.’
“It was beautiful weather. It was fun talking to people and I’m grateful to walk without any pain.
It’s amazing.”
John Davis, 59, was as proud of his older brother as he was to have run the Boston Marathon twice.
“This was his first race ever,” John Davis said. “He has been on a physical fitness program since surgery and we’re here to celebrate being outdoors.
“Every mile is a gift. This is a great way to introduce him to the running community.”
The Davis’ are originally from Bloomington. For John Davis, this was his fourth time participating in the Mahomet run.
He saw the most important portion of his brother’s event.
“I saw the tail end,” John Davis said. “I saw him do the victory lap on the track.”
Triumphant return
A few years ago, as teen-agers, Brian Butcher, Gabe Pommier and Andrew Walmer were prominent parts of highly-successful Mahomet-Seymour High School cross-country teams.
They were all part of state championship and state-runner-up teams.
They were each delighted to participate in an annual race that has helped Mahomet establish itself as a destination in the running community.
Walmer was the 10K overall winner, covering the distance in 35 minutes, 53 seconds.
Pommier was fourth overall in the 13.1-mile half-marathon – and the winner of the 20-24 age division – with a time of 1 hour, 13 minutes, 11 seconds.
Butcher competed on consecutive days and produced two top-five finishes.
A junior runner at North Central College in Naperville, Saturday’s race was the longest competitive event Pommier has run.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “I was taking it a mile at a time.”
He didn’t have a pre-determined time in mind prior to stepping onto the course.
“I go out to compete with myself,” Pommier said. “I wanted to give an honest effort.”
He does have an idea of what to expect for his future.
“When college is over, I’ll move off the cross-country course and onto roads,” he said.
Walmer is a junior at the University of Illinois and a member of the UI’s running club.
Two years ago, he won the 5K race in Mahomet.
He was unchallenged at the end of the 10K race, beating the runner-up by 3 minutes, 21 seconds.
In his second-ever 10K race, Walmer bettered his previous mark by 97 seconds.
“I’ve had a pretty good summer of training,” he said.
Walmer was pleased to see so many former Bulldogs competing.
“It’s a testament to the Mahomet distance running program that we have so many alumni come back and participating,” he said.
Butcher was Friday’s winner of the first Mile on Main and then had the fifth-best time overall a day later in the half-marathon (1:14.02).
Competing on back-to-back days, he said, “wasn’t too tough.
“I know the course very well,” added Butcher, a University of Illinois junior who is a member of the school’s cross-country club team.
The Mahomet race was a special event for Butcher.
“I’ve worked at MAYC this summer,” he said. “It was fun to see some of those kids (volunteering) out and about.”
In Friday’s mile, Butcher’s winning time was 4:49. He was 21 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.
More of the same
Arcola’s Ivan Fink showed his sense of humor when asked what got him to Mahomet for the 5K race.
“A 2010 Nissan,” he responded.
His adopted son, Scott Reed from LeRoy, said it was the chance for him to continue what he has been doing now for more than 9,100 consecutive days.
“He has a 25-year streak of running every day,” Reed said.
The 69-year-old Fink is an example of what a person can accomplish.
“If I can do it, anybody can,” said Fink, who won his age group (65-69) with a time of 25 minutes, 10 seconds.
Reed is a frequent competitor.
“I try to go every weekend,” he said. “This was my 36th race of the year, mostly 5Ks.
“I did three last weekend, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I love the positive atmosphere (at races).”
Reed is on pace to break his personal record for races in one year, 60, set in 2018.
He had a favorite part of the Mahomet event.
“I like the track finish,” Reed said.
A special race
Mahomet’s Isabel Lietz, who is about to enter sixth grade, was anxious to get back to running.
“I took the week off to go to a camp at Clinton,” she said.
The path for the 5K race was a significant one for Lietz.
“I passed my house while running,” she said.
She ran the race in 26 minutes, 48 seconds, a step behind another runner, Mahomet’s Lauren Bednar.
Lietz was second to Bednar in their age group (11-14).
Top five finish for teen-ager
Mahomet’s Delaney King, who will start her sophomore year of high school later this month, won her age division (15-19) and was the fifth-place finisher overall in the women’s 10K race.
Her time was 51 minutes, 53 seconds in her first official 10K.
The timing was perfect for King.
“I try to run 4-plus miles a day and today was a good long-run day,” said King, a member of the Bulldogs’ cross-country team.
“I tried to run a comfortable pace. The last mile was the toughest, but I am happy with my time. It was a fun experience.”
Traveling together
Ten members of the Gibson City-based Elite Sport and Fitness Running Club were among the participants on Saturday in Mahomet.
“There are usually a lot of us who race at the same time,” said Brad Fairfield, who tied for the ninth-best men’s time overall in the 5K (23:06) and was the winner in his age group (55-59).
Another club member, Alison Sizemore, was the overall female winner, finishing the 5K in 20 minutes, 23 seconds. Sizemore was more than 90 seconds in front of the women’s runner-up.
The former St. Ambrose University runner didn’t have expectations for the event.
“I knew it would be a challenge, but I didn’t know who all would be here,” said Sizemore, who has posted her top two 5K times on consecutive weekends. Saturday’s time was her second-best.
She intentionally selected the shorter distance.
“It’s fun to get together,” Sizemore said. “I wanted to make it one of my easier days so I could chat with everyone.”
Making Mahomet a destination
The top two placers in both the men’s and women’s division of the half-marathon are native Kenyans, who are now living and training in the Madison, Wis., suburb of Sun Prairie.
After running 13.1 miles, Elias Rutto’s winning margin over Denis Koech was a scant 15 seconds. Rutto’s time was 1 hour, 8 minutes, 15 seconds.
Rutto enjoyed the challenges the course presented.
“I really liked it,” Rutto said. “It was so very nice.”
In the women’s race, Hellen Mugo was triumphant with a time of 1:20.25. Runner-up Janet Isaac completed the course in 1:27.28.
The third-place finisher in the women’s half-marathon was Mahomet’s Alexis Dorsey, a sophomore who competes in college at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington. Dorsey’s time was 1:31.49.
Setting the pace
As he congratulations Rutto, Mahomet’s Dennis Hatcher told him, “I’m the only guy who led the whole race.”
Technically, Hatcher was correct.
He was driving the pace vehicle, a Mercedes CLS 55 amg.
“It’s the only car I’ve had with a 200 mph speedometer,” Hatcher said.
His car wasn’t pushed close to its limit.
While navigating the pace car, he was keeping the vehicle between 12 and 13 mph.
“You can’t get too far away (from the lead pack of runners),” he said.
In six years of driving pace cars at the race, Hatcher has discovered one important point.
“I’ve learned not to drive a car with a carburetor (because of the exhaust fumes),” Hatcher said.
Road trip winner
Sterling’s Margaret McPherson made a race-week decision to compete at Mahomet.
“Mom and I decided to make a road trip and come here,” said McPherson, a junior-to-be at Eastern Illinois University.
Her summer workouts gave her confidence in her fitness level and her ability to compete.
“I try to run a lot, 50 to 60 miles a week, more than the average person,” McPherson said.
She enjoyed the course, except for one detail.
“Seventy-five percent of the time, I was by myself,” McPherson said, “but I didn’t know where I was going.
“I’d never been to Mahomet before, but drove past here on my way to school.”
In the women’s 10K race, McPherson was victorious by 24 seconds over Mahomet’s Tonya Nunn.
Even when she had no one to chase, she imagined that there was a challenge ahead of her.
“I tried to picture my teammates in front and the need to catch up to them,” said McPherson, who focuses on the steeplechase at EIU.
Supportive community
Mahomet’s Rick Swearingen has participated in the races in Mahomet “four or five times,” he said.
He’s a walker in the 5K race.
“I shoot for about a 12-minute mile,” Swearingen said, “but I go as fast as I can.”
To have extra energy, he planned ahead.
“I walk three miles four or five days a week, but I didn’t on Friday in anticipation of this,” he said.
He finished the course in 45 minutes, 34 seconds.
Swearingen finds it rewarding to see the support, not only from volunteers surrounding the finish line at the high school, but also from others scattered throughout the course.
“The community really comes together for this,” Swearingen said.
Mahomet’s Pommier also took notice.
“There were a lot more fans than I expected,” Pommier said.
Putting training to use
Matthew Kovich, a recent Tri-Valley High School graduate, placed fourth in his age group on Saturday, the first time running a half-marathon.
“My buddies are going to be running in college and I’ve been training with them,” said Kovich, who will major in aviation and join a running club this fall at Southern Illinois University University.
He had mixed impressions after completing his first 13.1-mile race.
“It was brutal,” Kovich said, “different than any race I’ve done before, but it’s very self-satisfying.
“I feel good about myself.”
His time was 1 hour, 24 minutes and 5 seconds.
“I told myself not to push too hard, but then I got caught up in the excitement,” Kovich added.
With a half-marathon in the books, it’s time for the teen-ager to look ahead.
“I’ve got my sights set on a full marathon next April in Nashville,” he said.
OVERALL RACE LEADERS
Men’s Half-Marathon
NAME TOWN TIME
- Elias Rutto Sun Prairie, Wis. 1:08.15
- Denis Koech Sun Prairie, Wis. 1:08.30
- Nolan McKenna Wheaton 1:08.56
- Gabe Pommier Mahomet 1:13.11
- Brian Butcher Mahomet 1:14.02
- Gabe Martinez Rossville 1:15.40
- Ryan Thompsen St. Joseph 1:16.08
- Henry Kraatz Champaign 1:20.16
- Luke Brewer Ivesdale 1:22.27
- Zach Boehmke Urbana 1:22.46
Women’s Half-Marathon
NAME TOWN TIME
- Hellen Mugo Sun Prairie, Wis. 1:20.25
- Janet Isaac Sun Prairie, Wis. 1:27.28
- Alexis Dorsey Mahomet 1:31.49
- Mary Toohill Davenport, Iowa 1:33.09
- Ank Michielsen Champaign 1:37.10
- Alexis Fischer Freeburg 1:37.54
- Savanah Beavers Danvers 1:42.39
- Fran Hendrickson Champaign 1:48.28
- Kimbery Hoss Downs 1:49.26
- Melissa Hunsinger Mahomet 1:50.24
Men’s 10K
NAME TOWN TIME
- Andrew Walmer Mahomet 35.53
- Lloyd Munjanja Urbana 39.14
- Nic Carter Urbana 42.43
- Michael Nickrent Mahomet 45.14
- Harrison Freeland Champaign 45.20
- Dale Conroy Bloomington 45.54
- Rick Devine Mahomet 47.28
- Anthony Schuble Not available 47.44
- John Reed Mahomet 48.50
- Tyler Reifsteck Champaign 48.54
Women’s 10K
NAME TOWN TIME
- Maggie McPherson Sterling 40.09
- Tonya Nunn Mahomet 40.33
- Catherine McPherson Sterling 50.17
- Holly Tompkins Gibson City 51.11
- Delaney King Mahomet 51.53
- Twinkle Mehta Mahomet 52.59
- Emily Olson Mahomet 55.00
- Ana Valle Urbana 55.20
- Alejandra Quintino Urbana 55.21
- Nancy Roth St. Joseph 58.07
Men’s 5K
NAME TOWN TIME
- Nick Mies Mahomet 17.50
- Richard Oakley Danville 19.32
- Dylan Howell Oakley 20.22
- Carl Carman Champaign 20.44
- Eli Stelle Mahomet 21.25
- Finn Randolph Mahomet 21.26
- Mike Bednar Mahomet 21.31
- Henry McMurry Mahomet 22.52
- Larry Dykes Gibson City 23.06
- Brad Fairfield Gibson City 23.06
Women’s 5K
NAME TOWN TIME
- Alison Sizemore Gibson City 20.23
- Ava Boyd Dewey 22.05
- Andrea Palmer Catlin 22.09
- Emily Bednar Mahomet 22.11
- Amy Pristovnik Urbana 23.23
- Gretchen Scheele Mahomet 23.44
- Charlotte Bednar Mahomet 24.05
- Melissa Quigg Mahomet 24.39
- Rebekah Hopkins Not available 25.27
- Jama Grotelueschen Mahomet 25.34
Men’s Mile
NAME TOWN TIME
- Brian Butcher Mahomet 4.49
- Anthony Morgan Champaign 5.10
- Nick Morphew Mahomet 5.12
- Kyle Hammond Champaign 5.25
Women’s Mile
NAME TOWN TIME
- Paige Jansen Champaign 7.55
- Ashley Martin Mahomet 8.10
- Anniston Huff Not available 9.04
- Emme Laughton Mahomet 9.04
