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Several reasons to race

Paul Danzer: Community sports column

By Paul Danzer, Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published: January 25, 2011, 12:00am

Running can be a lonely enterprise. That is particularly evident during the short, often sloppy, winter days in these parts.

That, I suspect, is one reason the Vancouver Lake Half Marathon is such a popular race.

Each January, hundreds of runners converge on Vancouver Lake Park to run a 13.1-mile out-and-back course.

Each January, I am impressed by the event’s energy, and by the number of hearty souls from this community who are driven to be fit enough to race more than 13 miles.

On Sunday, a total of 372 folks — a few of them walkers, but most of them runners — completed the 21st renewal of the Clark County Running Club’s signature race. The finishers ranged in age from 12-year-old Sydney Shotwell of Battle Ground to 68-year-old Patrick Leonti of Ridgefield.

The range of the participants’ experience was captured an hour after race winner Eric Griffiths crossed the finish line. That’s when 18-year-old Meghan Wiebe finished her first half marathon, closely followed by her mother, Ironman triathlon champion Sandi Wiebe who has routinely used the Vancouver Lake Half Marathon as a mid-winter fitness check.

The reasons for entering the Vancouver Lake Half Marathon are as varied as the runners.

La Center High School principal David Holmes said he used the half marathon as motivation to stay in shape so he can keep up with the Wildcat distance runners he coaches.

Jim Ross of Vancouver is building toward the Vancouver USA Marathon. That new 26.2-mile race is scheduled for June 19. The 44-year-old Ross said he has completed eight half marathons and one full one in the 18 months since he began a running program.

To see how your friends and neighbors fared, check out the results in the Community Sports Scoreboard.

Because of its January date, the Vancouver Lake Half Marathon also attracts some of the fastest runners in the region.

It is a chance for the fastest runners to scratch that competitive itch and to get an idea of how in shape they are.

Griffiths, a 28-year-old Portlander who won the Portland Marathon in October, found himself to be in better shape than expected. As he eyes the Eugene Marathon in May, Griffiths said he plans to increase his tempo workouts as a result of his 1 hour, 8 minute, 24 second jaunt on Sunday.

Based on Sunday’s results, the Vancouver Lake Half Marathon is in fine shape.

The 372 finishers was 35 fewer than in 2010, when a event-record 407 braved a rainy day. Race organizer Russ Zornick said the decrease might have resulted from internet registration being cut off in one day to prevent overcrowding.

As long as the Vancouver Lake Half Marathon keeps its January date and the flat out-and-back course, it figures to be an attractive event.

Dave Harkin, who with his wife Paula owns Portland Running Company, finished second overall on Sunday. A past champion of this race, and someone who stages races for a living, Harkin appreciates the out-and-back course which takes runners from Vancouver Lake Park to Frenchman’s Bar and back.

“I love the spectator aspect,” Harkin said. “You usually can’t watch a half marathon. Normally (the runners) just disappear and then an hour and whatever they come back. At this race, you have an opportunity as a spectator to see everyone in the race three or four times.”

As Sunday’s race reminded this spectator, the Vancouver Lake Half Marathon really is a celebration — of both individual spirit and of shared accomplishment.

Soccer changes?

By this time next week, Clark County could be home to one of the larger youth soccer clubs in Washington. A vote is scheduled for Jan. 31 on a proposal to merge the Camas-Washougal Soccer Club and Vancouver United Soccer Alliance — and their affiliated advanced competition clubs into a yet-to-be named single club.

If approved, the merger would create a club with around 4,000 players. The Columbian will publish a story later this week detailing the reasons for and the challenges with the proposed merger.

In the Scoreboard

In addition to results of the Vancouver Lake Half Marathon, the Community Sports Scoreboard includes championship match results from the first tournament in the Vancouver Tennis Center’s annual grand slam series.

Also listed are scores from weekend state cup youth soccer matches. Some tournaments have entered elimination stages. Team coaches are encouraged to e-mail match details from state cup elimination games to me at the address below.

PAUL DANZER covers community sports for The Columbian. Reach him at 360-735-4521 or paul.danzer@columbian.com.

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Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter