Raptors run all over in the space of a week!

Post date: Nov 25, 2013 8:37:46 PM

This is starting to seem like some WWII strategy that someone might have used to fool the enemy into thinking they had far more troops then they actually possessed! If one looked at how many races in various places the Raptors have been in over the past week or so, we would seem like a huge club!

First in this diaspora were Michaela and Jared, who traveled to Las Vegas for the awesome Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon. Both did the Raptors proud, each finishing a stellar fourth in their age group in this absolutely huge race! Not only did they run well but everyone had so much fun (I mean how could it not be fun to run down a closed-to-cars-and traffic Vegas Strip at night?) that we are considering making this an optional (it's all optional!) Raptors "Field trip" next year!

So, Michaela and Jared had barely returned and settled back into Sunnyvale and Albany life when it was time to race again. Michaela ran yet another (her fourth!) 1/2 Marathon in Berkeley. This was of course the long-anticipated (and it looks like wildly successful) first annual "Berkeley Half." Michaela was joined by Clara (her first 1/2 marathon! Congrats Clara!), Krisna (his first!), Kim, sometime Raptors and star BHS runners Rachel and Chaia and many others. . . like 5,000 others!

Note: Gary showed me cool pics of these two at the race and Clara sent 'em to me but they won't open for some reason. . . if I can get those from someone I'll put 'em here. . .

This also looks like a winner for next year. Everyone I talked to raved about how much fun it was, how good the course was, the music at every mile marker, the incredible swag given out afterwards. . .

The odd thing was that I, along with Ann had been named an "ambassador" for the race and had been given some cool swag of my own in exchange for talking up the race, whicfh I did, but I didn't attend! I had to make a decision which one: Lake Merritt or Berkeley 1/2? I figured that everyone running the 1/2 didn't really need my help. . . they were pretty much experienced "pros" at all this, while we would have some "newbies" at the Lake that might need some "care and feeding". . . so I went there!

And it might have been a somewhat wise decision since we had a sizable group there and they were ready to race! We did have one brand-new Raptor, actually two, MLK 6th grader Jack and his little brother. Actually Jack showed up as an "MLK kid" But I had an extra uniform and jacket that Laura had given me to give to someone that they fit. . . so I gave 'em to Jack and they fit perfectly! So he raced for the club and then, after the "Fenton's feed" he seemed like he really liked the club!

I was unfortunately talking and missed the "little kids" race but I did see that Shai, Mellissa and Jack's brother were going very fast! And I actually managed to get a few quick shots. There may have been more "Raptor youngsters" that I missed?

Shai gives his all!

Raptors just don't get too nervous at the start!

In the 5k, our first finisher was Abby who finished an incredible fourth overall! She was first woman (well, yeah!) by an eternity!

But the fireworks were not over! Raptors managed to put an astounding eight runners in the top 25 out of 99 total competitors in the 5K!

The order looked like this:

8th--Katy

10th--Esme

11th Corina

15th Abby's dad, Andy

23rd--Uma ( Uma had a great race at the end with the boy's 11-14 winner and beat him! She would have gotten a first-place ribbon in the boy's class but only got fourth in the girls. . . !)

24th--Jack (This was Jack's first-ever non-MLK race. He was a bit nervous--as all first-timers are-- about finishing last. He beat seventy-five people! He was also hoping to run 30 minutes flat and he ran twenty-seven!--great job, Jack!)

25th--Tetsu (who ran a great race that culminated with a no-holds-barred sprint to the finish, racing Jack!)

Not that far behind these stalwarts were:

'Belle--29th

Corina's mom Molly--46th

Lily--64th

When the 10K ended, Jared was in third place and had broken Jacob's all-time age group record for the 10K with a new PR of 42:55! Wow!!!

In sixth place was Esme's dad, Jeff and in 18th, running her first-ever 10K was "little" Clara, running with her dad, who finished one place behind her! Considering how far she had run, Clara looked as fresh as can be at the end of the race! Great job, Clara!

So now it was time to head off to Fenton's! Some couldn't go. . . Fernando, for example had just purchased a new washing machine and had to haul it off his truck and install it (sounds like fun!). . . but we had a good crowd and many happy kids.

Altogether a fine weekend! And the good weather just keeps going! I hope we are not going to pay dearly for it later on in the winter!