Africans Sweep North Shore Half on Busy Weekend

North Shore Half, Roselle, Cosley in Wheaton and many more excellent races dotted the Chicagoland running landscape this past weekend. It is mind-boggling in a way how many races there are and how many people participate. It's great, and as I move forward as race director of the Community Bank of Elmhurst 4 on the 4th, I salute everyone who organized and ran in the many great races in our area Saturday and Sunday. Here's hoping we see some of you on the 4th of July (www.4on4th.com)!
As for the North Shore Half Marathon in Highland Park, it was another stellar field, bolstered by the fine organization and, of course, the prize money. African natives living in the U.S. dominated the podiums with some terrific performances. In the men's competition, Benson Cheruiyot, 30, of Valparaiso, IN, won in a hot 1:05:28. Robert Wambua, 23, of Hebron, KY, was second in 1:05:32, and Chris Erichsen, 27, of Minneapolis, was third in 1:05:35. Top local finisher was Dan Kremske, 24, of Woodstock, who took fifth overall in 1:06:30, a sparkling time. Kudos to masters winner Scott Laumann, 42, of Chicago, who beat the 40-and-ups with a blistering 1:15:45. On the women's side, Belainesh Gebre, 25, of Flagstaff, AZ, won individual honors with a 1:14:49. Chemtai Rionotutei, 26, of Lansing, MI, was runner-up in 1:16:14, and Tina Muir, 24, of Philadelphia, was third in 1:16:27. Top local was Amber Druien, 27, of Naperville, who placed eighth with a 1:21:28. There were 2,366 finishers.
At the Roselle 5K, a CARA Runners' Choice Circuit race, Jim Akita, 32, of Elmhurst took honors with a 15:42. He was followed by Jeremy Ruston, 33, of Roselle, in 16:07. He was followed by Krzystof Bak, 32, of Melrose Park, in 16:08. Pamela Staton, 26, of Chicago, was the women's champ in 17:42. Second went to Wendy Jaehn, 38, of Chicago, in 18:02, and third was won by Kristine Burgess, 28, of Mundelein, in 18:45.

Feet Definitely Fleet for SF10 Winners Kremske, Giuliano

It was a good day to run on a new, apparently fast course, for the 10th annual Fleet Feet Soldier Field 10-miler Saturday along the lakefront. It was the headliner on a weekend loaded with quality events, including the Elgin Valley Fox Trot 10-miler and the Tower Trot 5K/10K in Western Springs. But at the Soldier Field 10M, cool temps and hot runners made this one special with Dan Kremske, 24, of Woodstock winning in a very impressive 49:57. The women's title went to Jacqui Giuliano, 27, of Oakwood Hill, in 59:31. Jacqui has been piling up wins on the CARA Runners' Choice Circuit this year. Second in a very fast men's field was Matt Flaherty, 27, of Chicago, in 51:11, and third was taken by Matthew Blume, 31, of Chicago, in 51:19. Runner-up woman was Melissa Hardesty, 35, of Chicago, in 59:32, and third went to Kristen Heckert, 26, of Lisle, in 59:48. The field was deep and age-group placers up and down the charts ran great times. Fleet Feet put on another sparkler today. Congrats to all. Don't forget what Memorial Day is all about as you enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Imig, Guerrero Take Cinco de Miler

Cinco miles on Cinco de Mayo means a five-miler on May 5. For the 5,058 finishers in Sunday's Cinco de Miler in Chicago, it was a day to salute Steve Imig, 36, of Chicago, who won the overall title in 26:13, and amazing Angelica Guerrero, 51 (that's right), of Chicago, who was the women's champ in 31:47. A distant second in the men's race was Nickolaus Early, 33, of Chicago, in 27:03. Third was taken by Jeff Hojnacki, 39, of Chicago, in 27:48, and fourth was earned by Matthew Jeromin, 32, of Des Plaines, in 27:58. Second woman was Kelly Shuma, 28, of Chicago, who ran a 32:12. Next was Annabel Chammas, 13, of Chicago (wow), in 32:20, and fourth went to Jeannie Sullivan, 32, of Chicago, in 32:22. RAM Racing was in charge of this biggie. Great job by everyone involved.

Blume, Giuliano Win Race That's Good for Life

Things really got fast at Oak Park Running Club's Race That's Good for Life 5K. The CARA Runner's Choice Circuit event drew a top field through every age group with Matthew Blume, 31, of Chicago, taking top honors in a blistering 15:04.3. He led 30 more runners under 17 minutes on a course that is usually fast, but not that fast! Second was Ryan Giuliano, 28, of Oakwood Hills, in 15:12.9, and third went to Rob Wiley, 37, of Gurnee, in 15:20.7. Four more runners cracked 16 minutes -- incredible. Women's champion was Jacqui Giuliano, 26, and wife of Ryan. She cruised in a 17:40.6. Runner-up woman was Pamela Staton, 26, of Chicago, in 17:55.6, and the sidebar of the day was third-place Mary Blankmeier, 13, of Oak Park, an eighth-grader who turned in a 17:59.5. Of the many other great performances, I have to cite 88-year-old Bob McKeague, of Villa Park, who told me he needed a 33:30 to make the 80th percentile in age-graded timing. He went out and ran a 32:32! I enjoyed the race, stuck to my pace and ran my fastest 5K on a certified course in several years. I'm not sure I could do that again, at least not for a while. Kudos to race organizers for another superb job. A total of 531 women and 490 men finished the race.

It's Sansevervino, Moody at Ravenswood 5K

Part 1 of the great Chicago-area 5K doubleheader began at 8 a.m. on the north side as the Fleet Feet Crew welcomed more than 3,000 runners to the Ravenswood 5K. When it was over, Cole Sanseverino, 24, of Chicago, and our city's "guest" celebrity Tera Moody emerged as the winners. Sanseverino led 18 runners under the 17-minute mark with a winning time of 15:21. Moody, making the most of her current stay in Chicago, won the women's race in a PR-tying 16:14, a week after she won the lakefront 10-mile. Runner-up in the men's standings was Brent Alexander, 32, of Chicago, in 15:22. Third in the deep field went to Douglas Maisey, 25, of Chicago, in 15:54. Second-place female was was Melissa Hardesty, 35, of Chicago, in 17:49. Blossom Marimpietri, 27, of Downers Grove was third in 18:53. There were 3,048 finishers. Great job!

Two Races That Really Stand Out

A pair of great 5Ks, The Race That's Good for Life in Oak Park and the Ravenswood 5K in Chicago go head-to-head this morning. That's a shame really because both are strictly top-shelf. Best of luck to runners, walkers and organizers in both of these races.

Moody, Berns Win Lakefront 10

With Boston's tragic events firmly on the minds of many, a field of more than 1,300 raced in the First Merit Bank Lakefront 10-miler on Saturday along Chicago's north lakefront. A bit of ice and snow over the first three mies or so didn't affect runners, many of whom were bundled up for the cold temps and wind. When it was over, Jake Berns, 27, of Chicago, had won the second Chicago Area Runners Association Runners' Choice Circuit Race in 52 minuts, 20 seconds. St. Charles native and elite-class runner Tera Moody, 32, came in from her home in Boulder, Colo., to win the women's race in 56:14. Ryan Giuliano, 28, and his wife, Jacqui, 26, of Oakwood Hills, both placed second. Ryan ran a 52:32, and Jacqui a 1:01:29. Third-place male was Thomas Frazer, 31, of Lake Forest, in 53:09. Third-place female was Columba Montes, 33, of Chicago, in 1:01:40.