Almost 2,500 women, most of them runners, finished Sunday’s Girlfriends Half Marathon in Vancouver.
The first of them was 19-year-old Carolyn Green from Ridgefield. A sophomore at Notre Dame University, Green covered the 13.1-mile course in 1 hour, 28 minutes, 59 seconds.
“It was really exciting,” said Green, who said she was hoping for a top-10 finish and a personal-best time for the half-marathon.
“It was a PR by eight minutes. I was pretty excited about that,” Green said.
She finished 55 seconds before runner-up Cynthia Hein of Camas. Melissa Johnson of Vancouver finished third in 1:31:27.
For race organizer Sherri McMillan of Northwest Personal Training, who founded this event in 2007, it was another thrilling and emotional day.
“From all ends it was just amazing,” McMillan said. “The energy and the feeling that comes from women supporting women is inspiring.”
Green, the winner, has run in four of the Girlfriends Half Marathons. She said the first race in 2007 was her first half-marathon. At that time, she was a sophomore who played soccer at Portland’s Central Catholic High School, and she entered to run that race with her mom, Nancy.
Green said she won several cross country races as a high school senior, but called Sunday’s her biggest win. She said she took the lead around mile 5.8, and from there was energized by the encouragement of spectators and the runners and walkers who were still heading out on the out-and-back course.
“I think more road races are in my future,” Green said.
She has considered walking on to the Notre Dame cross country team, but is busy with a number of other projects and activities, including student government and serving as a campus tour guide and Boys and Girls Club volunteer.
Oh, and she is the student race director for the Holy Half Marathon, a race held each spring to benefit charities in South Bend, Ind.
On Sunday, Green was the winner of a race that is all about success stories. The fifth annual edition of the event grew by 700 finishers over the 2010 race.
In 2010, the Gilrlfriends Half Marathon raised about $50,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. McMillan estimated that this year’s event raised about $70,000 for the foundation. All of that money will be used to support the fight against breast cancer in Southwest Washington and Portland, McMillan said.
The inspiration for the event came in the summer of 2007. McMillan and several friends tried to sign up for a race in San Francisco that was sold out. At the same time, McMillan’s friend Joleen Skarberg was undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
Over a couple of months, McMillan spearheaded organization of the first Girlfriends Half Marathon, which had 400 runners and walkers.
Skarberg, along with family and friends, completed the half-marathon again on Sunday. McMillan noted that Skarberg’s daughter Megan is expecting a child soon, and that without screening and treatment, Joleen might not have survived to see her grandchild.
The consistent expansion of the race since 2007 is evidence of its popularity. But McMillan said she and her team of organizers will sit down and discuss whether they want the event to continue to grow.
“That’s the question. How much can we handle? How much can the city handle?” McMillan said.
McMillan, who finished 88th with a time of 1:46:35 on Sunday, said the course did not feel too crowded despite the growth in participation. She said she would prefer to keep the scenic out-and-back route along the Columbia River, but adjustments might be needed if the race grows significantly.
Grant will aid blind athletes
The Northwest Association for Blind Athletes has been selected to receive an $8,000 grant from the Nike Employee Grant Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation.
“This grant will help to provide life-changing sports opportunities to individuals who are blind and visually impaired in the Clark County and the Portland metro area,” NWABA executive director Billy Henry said in announcing the grant.
The NWABA is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization formed in May 2007. The mission of NWABA is to provide opportunities for blind and visually impaired persons to become engaged in physical activity and sports.
“Through participation in sports and physical activity, individuals of all ages who are blind and visually impaired build confidence, self-esteem, muscular strength, and the inspiration to achieve success in other areas of life,” Henry said. “Funding from this grant will enable us to drastically increase the number of individuals with visual impairments served in the area.”
For more information about the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes, contact Henry at 360-448-7254, or visit www.nwaba.org.
13-year-old driver wins points title
Nick Bessette of Battle Ground won the points championship of the Tracer Division at Sunset Speedway in Banks, Ore.
Driving a 1979 Chevy Malibu, the 13-year-old won a total of 14 races over the summer, including four main-event races. He finished with 1,083 points, 81 ahead of runner-up Tanner Baldwin.
The Tracer Division at Sunset Speedway is for drivers ages 13-15.
An eighth-grader at Tukes Valley Middle School, Nick did most of the mechanical work on his car and on the car driven by his sister Natalie, who finished eighth in the point standings.
Harlem Ambassadors hoops scheduled
A basketball exhibition featuring the Harlem Ambassadors will be played at 6 p.m. Nov. 6 at Hudson’s Bay High School.
The Harlem Ambassadors Professional Show Basketball Team formed in 1998 and has traveled the world to assist local charity organizations through its shows. The show in Vancouver is a benefit event for Unity Outreach and Dream Team Basketball.
Tickets purchased in advance cost $8, or $6 for seniors. Tickets will cost $10 at the door. To purchase advance tickets for groups or individuals, or to learn more, call Curtis Kimbrough at 360-773-6697.
