05/28/2006

Manning moves up from 10K to win Half Marathon

Harris wins women's race

By Garret Ellison

Special to the Record-Eagle

TRAVERSE CITY — Andrew Manning crossed the finish line and promptly dumped a cup of water over his head.

And then did it again.

"It's a little hotter than I thought," the 20-year-old Traverse City Central graduate said after winning Saturday's Bayshore Half Marathon by more than five minutes in 1:10:47.55. He ran a 5:24 per mile pace.

"I was pretty much in control from the gun," said Manning, who took first in the 10K race last year.

Manning, who is currently training for the cross-country season at Central Michigan University, was followed by Andrew Snyder, 30, of Madison Wis., (1:16:16.25); Bob Horan, 49, of Mt. Pleasant (1:19:45.75); and Joe Cantwell, 36, of Allegan (1:20:29.90).

The half-marathon, which was added this year, started at 7:30 a.m. The 800 runners followed the second half of the marathon course. They were bussed out to the starting point beforehand. The race ended at Traverse City Central High School.

Temperatures rose steadily during the morning, causing some runners problems.

"I hit the wall a little at nine miles," said Snyder, the men's second-place finisher. "I stopped, got some water and slowed down a little when I caught up with the 10Kers."

'I was hoping there would be some more people in my pace range," added Snyder, whose wife Sarah ran the marathon.

Dawn Harris, 34, of Southern Pines, N.C., won the women's race in 1:28:24.80.

The only out-of-state runner in the top 25, Harris started off near the front and said it was about mile 11 that the muscles started to get sore. Her pace was 6:46 per mile.

"I had no goal to finish first," said Harris, who is in town visiting her grandfather for his 90th birthday. "I just wanted to have a good time."

Harris was followed by Kathryn Boettcher, 23, of Traverse City (1:34:11.80); Kate Varela, 22, of Ann Arbor (1:34:13.50); Sheila Venhuizen, 39, of Traverse City (1:34:50.25); and Amy Ranger, 37, of Traverse City (1:34:59.70).

For Boettcher, who ran cross country and track at the College of Charleston, it was her first half-marathon.

"It was really fun," the 23-year-old said. "I didn't know how it was going to go, but it was really motivating talking to marathoners (out on the course."

Boettcher ran at a 7:11 pace.

"I went out a little fast," she said. "I actually kept up a faster pace than I thought I would. I slowed down the last three miles."