LRRC Victorious at the Spa 10K
Posted by: Brian S-ski
By all accounts, it was a great weekend in Hot Springs for the Little Rock Roadrunners. Many of us booked rooms at the famed Arlington Hotel for Friday and Saturday night and made a nice weekend of it in Spa City. The Spa Pacers hosted the Spa 10K/5K for the 29th year and things kicked off on Friday evening with packet pickup and a welcome reception at the Arlington.
On Saturday morning an easy warm up mile took us to the Hot Springs Convention Center where the races start and end. After last year’s freezing temps, the 45 degrees or so felt perfect at the start. The first two miles of the course are a deceptively gradual uphill, running along Central Ave past the Arlington and then a lap around Whittington Park before the real fun begins. The race course heads into Hot Springs National Park and up West Mountain Drive. Up a huge hill, then it levels out a bit and then back up another. Just about the time you are considering heading over to the side of the road and yacking up last night’s dinner, the road screams back down the mountain and before you know it there is only a mile to go.
LRRC was king of the mountain as both our male and female squads won the team competition at the race. Leah Thorvilson was the overall female winner to lead the women. Jenny Weatter, Mary Wells, Tina Coutu, Alea Humes, Becky Humes, Ginea Qualls, Shareese Kondo, Alesa Davis, and Coreen Frasier rounded out our female team.
On the men’s side, Steven Preston set a 30 second PR to take 3rd overall. Brian Sieczkowski, Kevin Golden, Bill Diamond, Joel Perez, Steve Yanoviak, Greg Helmbeck, John Russell, Harold Hays, Bill Torrey, David Williams, and Dan Belanger were the rest of the 1st Place men’s team at the race.
After the race was the annual Arkansas RRCA Awards Ceremony back at the Arlington Hotel. Our own Leah Thorvilson was crowned Arkansas Female Runner of the Year while Bill Torrey was named Race Director of the Year for the Capital City Classic 10K! After the awards were handed out, the LRRC members hit the town with much to celebrate. Make sure to put the Spa 10K weekend on your calendar for 2010, it is a must-do.
Leah Thorvilson: Arkansas RRCA Runner of the Year
Bill Torrey: Arkansas RRCA Race Director of the Year
