Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Runners hit the trail in Dammit

By Dick Sparrer

They ran for nearly a half an hour.

But when all was said and done, less than 33 seconds separated the top five finishers in the Los Gatos Dammit Run a year ago.

It was a brutal 5-mile run that ended up being a sprint to the finish line.

Kenrick Sealy outsprinted Russell Hill of Sunnyvale to the finish line. Sealy won the 22nd Dammit Run in the record-time of 27:39.60, but Hill was a close second in 27:49.10.

Rick Roman of San Jose was close behind in third in 27:55.80 with Jason Balkman of Saratoga fourth (28:02.07) and Terence Boynton of Cupertino fifth (28:11.95).

And the close finish continued with Patrick Moreton of Los Gatos sixth (28:45.90) and Tom Carney of San Jose seventh (28:55.67).

But that was last year. And things will be different when the runners hit the trail for the 23rd running of the Los Gatos Dammit Run on Aug. 17.

Runners will be on a new course this year, so Sealy and friends will be chasing a new record in 1996. Still, a couple of things remain the same-- the field will be competitive, and the course will be tough.

The new course is actually an old course. Runners will return to the old loop course that was the Dammit Run many years ago.

As races go, this is a tough one. And race organizers caution Dammit entrants about the conditions they may face on the trail with a warning printed right on the race flier:

"This course is rough, rocky, dusty, with very steep uphill terrain and narrow trails," the race flier warns. "Don't underestimate its difficulty--this is not a race for the faint of heart or the timid."

The race will start tamely enough on the track at Los Gatos High School, and it will finish in the same location. But in between, runners face a rocky, dusty trip.

Runners will race down the trail next to Los Gatos High School's lower field, past the Old Mill and across Main Street to make the climb up to Lexington Reservoir. Runners will dash across the face of the dam and head back down the hill to College Avenue, and race back to the finish line on the Los Gatos track.

Sealy, Farage defend titles

Sealy is not the only 1995 winner expected back to defend a title in the Dammit. Dina Farage won the women's title last year, clocking in at 33:00.83, and should return in '96.

Christy Runde finished second last year with Chrissy Duryea third, Julie Rohloff of Los Gatos fourth, Emily Allison fifth, Amber Joy Robinson sixth, and Debbie Follmar of Saratoga seventh. All are expected back this year.

Dan Johnson, John Cleveland, Dirk Rohloff, Neil Hogan, Dick Yaeger, Lisa Renteria, Lisa Gierlach, Lisa Yonaka, and Anne Griesmer of Los Gatos were other top local finishers a year ago.

Dammit veterans Diane Bromstead and Ruth Geredes of Los Gatos battled it out in the women's 55-59 age division, and are both expected to return this summer.

Dammit registration

Race-day registration will begin at 6:30 a.m., and the starting gun will blast at 8:30 a.m. Runners can pre-register at Athletic Performance, 55 W. Main St., or at the Runners Factory, 51 University Ave., through Aug. 15.

Awards will be given to the top 10 male and female finishers in the following divisions: open, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44 and 45-49. The top five male and female finishers in the 13 and under, high school (ages 14-17), 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70 and over and heavyweight divisions will receive awards.

All finishers will receive ribbons, and the West Valley Track Club will provide computerized results.

The preregistration entry fee is $8 ($20 with a T-shirt), and the fee is $15 on race day ($30 with a T-shirt). T-shirts alone are priced at $15 and will be sold at the track on race day or in advance at Runners Factory and Athletic Performance. Proceeds from the Dammit go to benefit the Los Gatos High School Track Repair Fund.

For more information, call 354-7365 or 395-4311.

Defending Dammit champions by age group: Men's Open--Kenrick Sealy; Women's Open--Dina Farage; Boys' 13-and-under--Russ Martin; Girls' 13-and-under-- Marie Hollenhorst; High school boys--Enrique Torres; High school girls--Emily Allison; Men's 30-34--Rick Roman; Women's 30-34--Chrissy Duryea; Men's 35-39--Terence Boynton; Women's 35-39--Dee Gray; Men's 40-44--Dennis Kurtis; Women's 40-44--Debbie Follmar; Men's 45-49--Norm Gould; Women's 45-49--Vickie Lames; Men's 50-54--Walter Radloff; Women's 50-54--Judi Shade; Men's 55-59--Carlos Saldivar; Women's 55-59--Diane Bromstead; Men's 60-64--William Flodbers; Women's 60-64--Grace Sorg; Men's 65-69--Dick Yaeger; Women's 65-69--Adela Girven, 1:30:26.25; Men's 70-and-over--Dennis Egley; Women's 70-and-over--Jackie Caselli; Men's heavyweight--Ross Malinowski.