Long after winner Steve Wilcox passed the finish line in the St. Anthony's Carillon 5K race Saturday in St. Petersburg, Jack Gough of Clearwater came across equally joyful.
Gough, 73, wasn't particularly happy with his 25-minute, 40-second performance, but he was pleased to win his age division and grateful he still has the motivation to join in friendly competition.
"I believe this is only the second race I've run all year," said Gough, a retired mechanical design engineer. "I've got to start doing some races if I want to be ready for the West Florida Y's Pier 60 beach series, which starts June 4."
Gough thought he was in shape to break 25 minutes on the Carillon course but said that doing an 8-mile run two days before might have left him a little tired.
Gough trains 30-40 miles a week in his Clearwater neighborhood, only about half the distance he ran in his 50s when he was a dominant age-group competitor and nationally ranked in his divisions.
At 49, Gough made his marathon debut in Savannah, Ga., with a swift 2:49:35, unusually fast in a learning experience. He went on to post a personal record (2:49:35) in the British American Marathon from Tampa Stadium to downtown St. Petersburg via the Gandy Bridge.
"Although my top mileage during my marathoning years only got up to 80 a week, I prefered a training program focusing more on quality speed workouts rather than high mileage," Gough said.
"My early success with running, both in high school back in the Dayton, Ohio, area and in the military in Germany, was based on quality miles," he said.
Gough's prep track experience was shortened when his school, which didn't have a track, dropped the program. He did some running in college at Wilmington in Ohio but did not blossom until Germany, where he excelled in the 880 and mile.
Gough runs now to maintain his good health and for the fellowship he enjoys with West Florida Y Runners Club members.
"I don't take any medication or pills," he said.
"I'm looking forward to the beach series. It's tough sometimes with the wind, humidity and surface on the beach, but it's the same for everyone," Gough said. "I'm not ready now, but I will be. Also, the fee is low for a five-race series, not high like most of the other area events."
Wilcox, of St. Petersburg, took the St. Anthony's lead at the half-mile mark, cruised through Mile 1 in 5:30 and went on to a 17:04 victory.
Tampa's Bob Dicarlo took second (17:39) and was followed by Seminole's Tom Nagy (17:49).
"I'm not disappointed with my (winning) time," said Wilcox, a former FSU track athlete. "It wasn't as fast as my winning time last month at the Festival of States 5K (16:11), but under the circumstances, it was satisfactory."
Wilcox said the race was well organized and he would like to see more area events. There was a mild upset in the women's race at Carillon Office Park as Forerunner Mary Ann Protz, 48, reeled in leader Vicki Stum of the West Florida club with a mile remaining.
Protz prevailed in 18:25. Stum, a former Turkey Trot winner, was 8 seconds back.
"I was hurting during that race because I've missed some training lately," Stum said. "Also, I'm looking ahead to my marriage on Saturday."
THIS JUST IN: The Boston Athletic Association, which runs the annual Boston Marathon, reversed its policy governing prize money for the 44 elite women's runners who started 29 minutes earlier than the field of 20,000.
The result is that Kim Donaldson of the winning Forerunners team will receive $2,500 for her third-place masters finish. She completed Protz and Lisa Valentine, who took second and fifth, respectively, among 2,098 masters starting the 108th classic.
HOG HUSTLE 5K: In Dunedin two weeks ago, a rare road-race sprint to the finish line saw Seminole High's Josh Comer outkick David Meri by 2 seconds for a 17:41 victory.
After running close together most of the way on the one-loop course through the city, Meri made a bold maneuver by starting to sprint just before Mile 3. Comer, a sophomore with track speed, covered the move to win by a narrow margin.
Comer has the Pier 60 series on his summer schedule after the May 29 Run Thru The Jungle 5K at War Veterans Memorial Park.
The top three women in Dunedin were over 40. Judy Maguire of Clearwater led the field and was trailed by Protz and Lisa Kothe.
JUNIOR RECORD: St. Petersburg's Kyle Groh, 9, set a personal mark for the 5K in the May 7 Spartan Sprint in Tampa.
He finished in 19:41, a 14-second improvement over his previous best. Groh placed 38th in a field of about 200.
He is being coached by St. Petersburg Catholic's Jeff Ehlert in preparation for next month's Sunshine State Games in Tallahassee. Groh will compete in the 800- and 1,500-meter events.
SATURDAY: The Masonic Charity Run 5K is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. at Eastlake Woodlands. There also is a mile event. Age-group awards range from 14-and-under to 80-plus. The competition is a benefit for the National Childhood Cancer Foundation. For information, call (813) 874-7223 in Tampa.
SAFETY HARBOR SPRINTS: Peter Collins of Clearwater's Dianetics Team ran 2 seconds faster than he did in the Hog Hustle and moved from third to first with a winning 18:13.
Matt Huston took second (18:35) and was followed by Ariel Gonzalez (18:45).
Kothe, of Clearwater, edged Amy McClenathan by 5 seconds to win the women's division in 19:39. Riverview's Nina Stokes was third (19:51).
