Age, younger runners not catching up with winners

Published 6:55 am Sunday, September 30, 2012

ETON — Give the older runners their due as pacesetters in the ninth annual Eton Country Fair 4-Miler on Saturday.

Chattanooga’s Geno Phillips, 41, established a new state open record by covering the rolling four miles in 20 minutes and 56 seconds, an average of 5:14.

Over the final half mile, Phillips outkicked North Murray High senior Isaac Pacheco — The Daily Citizen’s All-Area Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2011 — who clocked 21:12 for the runner-up spot. Cohutta’s Dean Thompson, 47, who won the title this past Tuesday at Calhoun’s Unity Race, a 5K, took third in 21:59.

“I finished second behind Isaac last year in my first year here,” said Phillips, who teaches at Chattanooga’s Brown Middle and averages 65 miles a week in training. “My wife (Paige) and I love running this race. It was more or less a warmup race for the Dalton Half Marathon next week.”

That race is set to begin at 8 a.m. Saturday in downtown Dalton. There, Phillips will challenge Thompson, who has won the first two Dalton Red Carpet Half Marathon titles.

Toccoa’s Donna Presley, 66, claimed the overall female championship in 30:33, ahead of 17-year-old Murray County High senior Nayeli Jacobo, who finished eight seconds back. Presley was participating for the first time in the race, which was run under a light rain.

“I love the course,” said the petite 5-foot-3-inch Presley, a retired graphic arts designer. “I wish that it had been a little cooler. I’m accustomed to the longer races. I’ve done about half a dozen marathons. I run between 35 and 40 miles a week.”

Thompson was the male masters (40 and older) title winner.

“I was a little slower than last year,” Thompson said. “I couldn’t get it going. I might have been a little sluggish from (the Unity Race).”

Dalton’s Rhonda Gage, 54, emerged the female master’s winner in 31:06.

“I felt good,” Gage said. “I enjoyed the little bit of rain. I was thinking of it as more of a training run for the Dalton Half Marathon next week.”

Dalton’s Bret Yaeger, 52, took the grandmasters (50 and older) in 29:36. The female prize went to Morganton’s Carolyn Mather, 63, who has completed 113 marathons and will compete in a national masters marathon on Oct. 6 in Minneapolis.

She said the presence of race director Terry Strawser makes the event worthwhile.

“I come here every year because of Terry and the great job that he does,” Mather said. “He does everything by himself. I came over yesterday to help him a little bit.”

Clarkesville’s David Turner, 72, was the male senior (60 and older) champion in 31:42.

“We had 67 finishers, which is about what we usually have,” said Strawser, who had three participants in a 1-mile fun run. “I wish that we had more. We obviously had some great performances with several state records, including overall and age divisions.”

The course, which starts and ends at the Old Wishing Well, is Georgia’s only 4-mile road course certified by USA Track and Field.

Carpet Capital Running Club of Dalton coordinated race logistics. Proceeds aided City of Eton Park and Georgia National Guard Family Readiness Group.

Complete results will be posted at carpetcapitalrunningclub.com.