Weather takes slight toll on race

Although part of the original course was impassible as a result of the weekend rain and flooding, 180 area runners came out to take part in the 20th annual Blacksburg Classic race Saturday morning, February 22.

The event, hosted by the Blacksburg Striders, consisted of a 5K race and a 10-mile race, with prizes for those who finished in the top spots. In addition, there was a one-mile "fun run" which, in spite of the weather, had 15–20 hardy sub-teen participants.

That morning, organizers discovered a section of the 10-mile course was flooded and a new course needed to be marked, said Katherine Phillips, director of the race and a member of the Blacksburg Striders. Maarten van Gelder, who had previously marked out the course, set out on his bike, worked out a new course and re-marked it, Phillips said. "In the end, it worked out OK," she said.

Although the turnout was lower than the 260 people who had signed up, the weather did little to dampen the spirits of those who came out to run, Phillips said. "The people that were there, they had a great time as far as I know," she said.

The Blacksburg Classic does not benefit any specific charity and is put on as a community event for runners to enjoy, Phillips said. However, the club, which is a non-profit organization, does sponsor other races and activities and donate the proceeds to local children’s running clubs or other causes, she said.

The winners in the 5K were Alexis Sharangabo, with a time of 16 minutes, 3 seconds, and Erin Alexander, with a time of 20:39. During the 5K run, both the first- and second-place men took a wrong turn just before the finish and actually ended up running about 200 extra yards, Phillips said. The winners in the 10-mile run were Glen Mays, with a time of 54:21, and Moriah O’Brien, with a time of 1:09:21.

The 5K and 10-mile races both began at 1:00 p.m., starting at Margaret Beeks Elementary School on Airport Road. The 10-mile course is largely on Huckleberry Trail, while the 5K is split up, about half on the streets and half on Huckleberry Trail.

John Merna founded the original Blacksburg Striders, known then as the Virginia Tech Striders, in 1980, Phillips said. The club was later renamed in the interest of broadening its scope in the community.

The Blacksburg Striders’ annual events include the Summer Decathlon Series, the Draper Mile and the Brush Mountain Breakdown, Phillips said. In all these events, males and females run together but compete separately, and there are winners in several age-group division.

by Jill Moser, Staff Writer
Collegiate Times
February 25, 2003

Reproduced with permission from the editor of the Collegiate Times

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