Born to Run

The Winner

My daughter Hallie has always been a runner.  When she won the 5^th grade mile run by a considerable margin, boys included, I realized she had some talent.  A friend whose son competed in the Junior Olympics suggested I enter her in the program.  I did, and we spent the next several spring and summer weekends attending track meets in the Inland Northwest.  She was an instant success and won Inland Northwest championships several times in the 800 meter, 1500 meter and 3000 meter runs.  She also set the Lewiston-Clarkston bi-state junior high school record in the 800 meter which was the longest run in that meet.  The last time I checked she still had that record.

Just Crusin'

 

 

 

The Seaport River Run is an annual event in its 44^th year.  It’s comprised of two courses, a 10K run and a 2.9 mile run beginning in Swallows Nest Park in Clarkston, WA, crossing bridges on the Snake River to Lewiston, ID, and proceeding along the asphalt levy to Hells Gate State Park in Lewiston.  There are always several hundred participants in the combined events.  Although it’s not billed as a race, it is for many and times are recorded.  To my knowledge, Hallie was the youngest to win this event.  She won the 2.9 miles run when she was 12 years old and again the next year.  After those years she was competing in high school track meets on the date of the run.

Hallie & Clint

Fast forward to the present, Hallie is a 40 year old mother of a six month old son living with her husband in Seattle.  She has continued her non-competitive running over the years.  She decided it would be fun to bring the family over for a visit and do the 10K run just for fun and even convinced her brother, Clint, to run as well.  After getting over here I think someone may have mentioned that she might have a good chance to win her age group as she would be at the bottom of it.  At any rate, on race day she ran much faster than she ever imagined she could.  Not only did she win her age group and the Masters group but she won the whole female 10K.  In fact, only 8 men beat her overall.  I would guess she is probably the only nursing mother to win that race.  There were 428 race participants and 135 in the 10K.  Clint was just taking it easy but still finished 54^th.  I was one proud papa.  M/W