March 19, 2008

Mebane Runners Compete in Fun & Charity Events 3.12.08

Published in the 3.12.08 edition of the Mebane Enterprise...

Members of the local Mebane Running Club and Fitness Playground's Boot Camp came together over the last several weekends to participate in local competitive and charity events. Four teams and one individual braved a cold day with threats of rain on February 17th , 2008 for Off 'n Running Sports' annual Valentine's Day Massacre Marathon and Marathon Relay. The event offered either a full marathon or a relay option for 2 or 4 person teams. The first participant ran a 2.2 mile leg and then three 1.6 mile loops, and the remaining three team members each ran four 1.6 mile loops to make a full marathon. Team members alternated with about 30-40 minutes of recovery time in between each lap. Throughout the event, participants and their families, including many from Mebane, were able to cheer on their fellow team members. Jack Mignosa won the overall individual event as the first finisher of the solo marathon category with a time of 3:01:09. Team Mebane 2 finished in second place at 3:09:43 for the 4 person, co-ed category. Team members included Wally Bixby, Denise Snyder, Barbara Taylor, and Chris Walker. Team Mebane 3, which included Elaine Bixby, Pete Elder, Sarah Elder and Steve Gray, finished in third place in the same category with a time of 3:15:02. The fourth team was Mebane 1, which finished second in the 'Geezer' category which included runners whose combined ages exceeded 160. This team included Laura Brown, Rod Snyder, Derek Waterhouse and Lynn Waterhouse. The Mebane Running Club's participation in the event was headed up by club member Stephanie Rankin. Last minute illness prompted Lynn Waterhouse and Rod Snyder to substitute for Stephanie and her husband Bob.

On February 23rd , 2008, the Coach Bubba 20 km and 4 mile races took place in Durham. The event was organized by the Carolina Godiva Track Club to honor Bruce Koenig, aka 'Coach Bubba' who passed away unexpectedly while leading a group run. This year the primary beneficiary of the race was the Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers (TROSA), a treatment and rehabilitation program founded in Durham. Mebane Running Club member Rachel Massai finished 8th in her age group in the 4 mile event with a finishing time of 34:43.

Saturday, March 1st brought the 19th annual Zeta Tau Alpha Franklin Street 5K Race to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. It was a perfect day for running for the nearly 400 participants, with near 60 degree temperatures and sunny skies. Mebane Running Club members won first place in three age categories, including Sarah Elder in the 25-29 group with a time of 23:20, Elaine Bixby in the 30-34 group with a 27:01 finish and Wally Bixby in the 35-39 group coming in at 21:11. Annie Luxmore of the Fitness Playground challenged her Bootcamp and CardioFit program participants to run in the event. Three members of the group received third in their respective age categories, including King Nelson at 28:38 in the 35-39 group, Annie Luxmore at 27:48 in the 25-29 group and Kim Powell-Bailey at 29:44 in the 35-39 category. Tara Corbett finished twelfth in the 25-29 group with a finishing time of 37:23. Mike Aydt finished fifth in the 50-54 age group with a time of 28:59. Mike's daughter Melanie is a member of the race organizers, the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority at UNC Chapel Hill.

Members of these two groups will be participating in many more events as the spring racing season takes off, including the Carrboro Classic Endurance Sports Festival and the Dogwood Festival 5K. The Mebane Running Club welcomes new beginner, recreational and competitive runners to its Saturday morning runs. They meet at 8 am each Saturday in front of Sweet Tooth Heaven on Clay Street. Coffee and conversation after the group run is optional but highly encouraged. Email mebanerunning@gmail.com for more information. The Fitness Playground is in a new facility on North 5th Street, offering Bootcamp, CardioFit, Indoor Cycling, Yoga and personal training. More information is available at http://www.fitplayground.com/.