It was a Hot Time in the Hills of Punxsy  

 A total of 78 runners took to the starting line on Saturday morning for
the 3rd annual Groundhog Fall 50k, and it was a pair of athletes from
the relative flatlands of Ohio who handled the hilly terrain best to
earn top honors, both for the first time in this race.

 Despite less-than-ideal weather conditions, forty-three year old Ron
Ross of Medina, Ohio, improved his best time on the challenging 31 mile
course by seven minutes, completing the race in four hours and eighteen
minutes.  Ross finished a relatively comfortable five minutes ahead of
2nd finisher Max Mlambo, who was competing for the first time in the
Groundhog Fall 50k.

 Defending champion and local favorite Doug Craft placed 5th, twelve
minutes behind the winner.  Craft’s finishing time of 4:30 is one
indication of how difficult the heat and humidity were on the runners as
he was a full twenty-two minutes slower than his time from a year ago.

 Women’s winner Connie Gardner, also of Medina, Ohio, turned in the
day’s most impressive performance, male of female, as she destroyed the
women’s course record by forty minutes en route to a sensational time of
4:30.  Gardner’s effort placed her 3rd overall and set a standard that
may be difficult to beat in years to come.

 Cindy Sanchas of Carnegie, Pa., continued her run of impressive
performances as she placed 2nd in the women’s division with a time of
5:22.  Sanchas now has 1 victory and 2 runner-up finishes in the 3
editions of the race.  Sanchas has been remarkably consistent in her 3
races as she has now run the course in 5:23, 5:21, and 5:22, respectively.

  

 Race director John Goss said that despite the increased number of
competitors for this year’s event, everything went smoothly and the
comments from the runners were largely favorable.  “Most of the runners
were hoping for a cooler, less humid day, but although we didn’t get
that there were still some great performances,” stated Goss.
Indeed, the quality of the field was never better, as last year only 4
runners broke 5 hours, while this year twelve runners broke that same barrier.

 Although there were no course records on the men’s side, winner Ron
Ross finally ended a personal record of futility regarding ultramarathon
events in Punxsutawney.  “This is my twelfth race in Punxs’y, dating
back to when they had the 50 mile race at the Saddle Club, and it feels
good to finally win one.  That’s something new for me here,” said Ross.
 Ross was content to run the first half of the race with a group that
included Craft, Greg Zaruba of Westminster, Md., and Bob Jordan of
Pittsburgh.  “I didn’t feel like I had to push the pace and was content
to run with the lead group,” said Ross.  “At about 18 miles, Greg Zaruba
took off, so I had someone out there that I could try to chase down.
Luckily, I was able to do so.”

 Zaruba led the race for nearly 10 miles before being overhauled by Ross
near the Adrian Ballfield aid station, the race’s final checkpoint.
“After I took the lead, I felt great,” said Zaruba.  “I’m not sure what
hit me those last few miles, but I was really slowing down.”  Zaruba
eventually lost 2nd place to Max Mlambo, a native of Zimbabwe currently
residing in Lititz, Pa.

 Mlambo chose to run conservatively for the first portion of the race,
content to stay slightly behind the lead group of runners.  “The guys in
front of me knew the course, and I just wanted to let them set the
pace,” explained Mlambo.  “On a day like today, with the heat, I felt it
was important to stay hydrated and run conservatively.  I don’t consider
myself a trail runner, so I am happy with my race today.”

  

 While the outcome of the men’s race was not decided until the final few
miles, the women’s race featured a dominating performance by the
thirty-seven year-old Gardner.  Her time of 4:30 is the 10th fastest
performance ever on the course, with the other 9 times ahead of her all
being run by men.  Gardner was one of the pre-race favorites last year
but mistakenly went off course during the race, eventually finishing 2nd in 5:28.

 “After last year, I was motivated to come back here and do well,”
stated Gardner. “I run well on hills, and I really like the layout of the course here.
It is challenging but it plays to some of my strengths.”
 Gardner ran according to how she felt and was not concerned about her
pace, preferring instead to focus on moving up in the standings as the
race progressed.  “I went from seventh overall to third overall in the
last few miles of the race, and I don’t think it was because I was
running faster,” said Gardner.  “I felt as if they were just coming back
to me as I maintained my pace.”

 Gardner’s running resume includes and impressive 3rd place finish at
the Mohican Trail 100 (miles) in her home state of Ohio, but most
runners and spectators on Saturday were hard-pressed to imagine her
putting on a better performance than the one they had just witnessed.

RACE NOTES - 74 of the 78 runners who started completed the entire 31
mile course.  The youngest finisher was PAHS graduate Kevin Bloom, 23,
while the oldest finisher was Punxsy resident Ron Canton, 64.  The 78
entries in this year’s race nearly doubled the turnout of the first 50k
two years ago, when there were forty-three starters...Former Punxsy
residents Butch and Mindy Gagliardi made the trip from Apex, N.C. to
compete in the race...The aid stations and volunteers were given high
praise by the runners, both for their enthusiasm and their efficiency.

Article by George Wehrle, 16th place finisher in the 2001 event.

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