The 2012 version of the Will Rogers 10K was new and improved (if accuracy is your benchmark) thanks to a long-time TCLA member who pointed out to the race organizers that the former course was 500 feet short. Although runners might have preferred those 500 feet to have been added on a flat section, that would hardly have been in the spirit of this hilly, challenging course. At least the weather cooperated.
The 2012 running of the 10K also represented a breakthrough for Track Club Los Angeles with the club placing five runners in the top ten (and three in the top five), including overall winner Ankur Tarneja. Ankur picked a good year to win the race as he now holds the course record. Eric Bowles kept Ankur honest and pressed hard enough for second place overall. Almost joining them on the podium, Mike Davies was fourth overall and second in his age group. Also making the top ten list, Rasmus Tamstorf picked up an age group silver (all the more impressive given he ran a hard track workout the night before) and Bruce Reisenfeld took an age group bronze.
Patrick McFarlane looked fresh after the race, and kept his third place age group medal under wraps. The extra distance did not bother Mike Branch as he improved on his time from last year by 45 seconds. Gilbert Lemieux had the heart, and barely the legs, to keep it under 39 minutes. Ron Paquette chased after Mike a while, and though he could not catch him, Ron did grab a second place age group medal. Carl Finer had no club members near him, but still ran a strong race.
The TCLA women first made their mark with Susanne Eng's third place overall finish (and first in her age group). She would have been second but for Ankur's girlfriend, Becky McCullough, who ran an impressive race of her own. Ken Toshima broke seven-minute pace. Stephen Terry, who makes it to all the workouts but does not always like to run the whole workout, ran the whole race. Ravi Guha, who does not make it to all the workouts, finished a minute back of Stephen. Rikako Takei gave it her usual formidable effort, and won an age group silver medal. Finishing with the same time as Rikako, Cynthia Zarale looked focused on the hills. Tim Petersen, who was responsible for many in the club having trained on the course for the past month, covered familiar ground easily. One of those who trained with Tim, Wenise Wong, huffed and puffed for her own age group silver medal.
Robert Newmark, who always deserves a break at this race because of the energy he puts into his post-race party, got one this year with newfound fitness and over a minute improvement from last year's time. Mark Harris sailed down the hills and lost only a little time going up. Hoss Dubash considered the race early training for Heartbreak Hill. Alesia Sibrel nosed out Scott Allen by two seconds. Having first determined his proper pace using his McRun app, Peter Abraham knew just how hard to push it. Meg Kanatani managed to equal her effort from last year (extra distance factored in). Looking limber from a month's worth of post-long-run yoga sessions, Masami Fukuhara had no problem stretching out on the downhill portions of the course. Sharon Yamato (yes, the same Sharon Yamato who was responsible for the gourmet java at the Newmarks' party) finished her race with a third place age group medal. Finally, Liz Poppert's goal was to cruise over the course in about an hour, and so she did.
And then there was the 5K. David Kent's calves might not have let him run 10K, but at the shorter distance, they propelled him to an age group silver medal. Dean Goodman used the 5K as an opportunity to finish his long run at a good clip, and his was good enough for an age group gold medal. Likewise, Leslie Cohen won her age group. Tom Hiel has been hampered by injury, so it was an accomplishment for him just to get through the race. Tori Newmark (a most honorary member) really would have preferred to run the 10K, but had to be home in time to get the house ready for the TCLA onslaught. And Ron Hecker sported an age group gold medal after his strong effort.
With more than 30 TCLA'ers running, it was nice to see so many other club athletes supporting them (whether from the sidelines or moving alongside the runners), including Patrick Adams, Mike Berger, Nyron Bernard, Laura Dreskin, Ann Duarte, Peggy Enriquez (working her traditional spot in the finish chute), Olivia Ghaussy, Jim Gidlow, Dean Goodman, Albert Li, Jenny Liu, Su-Yang Liu, Anne-Marie Mowad, Brian Panosian, Stephanie Pogorelsky, David Pullman, Jacinda Raiche, Lydia Salinas, Jim Spear, Rit Tun, and Bram Weinkselbaum.
Of course, who knows who would turn up in the Palisades on a holiday morning if not for the great post-race party hosted by Tori and Robert Newmark.
Average Finishing Time: 44:42.3
Average Per Mile Pace: 7:11.7
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