The weather gods
once again looked kindly upon the CU triathlon team as they hosted
the third annual Frozen Foot 5K at the University of Colorado on Sunday,
February 4. Sunny skies
and balmy temperatures created spring like conditions for the nearly
two hundred runners who lined up to chase the rabbit attached to the
back of the lead pace bike.
Pedro Alvarez of Boulder
took the early lead and never looked back.
In the first mile, he was followed closely by a small pack
of runners more intent on following him than chasing the rabbit,
literally or figuratively.
Alvarez, who moved to Boulder from Morelos, Mexico five years
ago, just got over a bad case of shin splints and has only recently
started ramping up his training again.
He’s a familiar face at the front of many local races,
though, and this race proved no different as he cruised to victory
in 15:16.
Mark Werner of the Boulder
Running Company’s racing team took second in 15:29.
Werner took up serious running only three years ago and credits
his improvement to coach and former 10K standout Arturo Barrios.
“He has a good philosophy on training,” said Werner,
who is keying on the 12K race at cross country nationals in two
weeks.
Women’s winner Sarah
Toland cranked it up in the final mile to post a time of 16:29,
good for a sixth place overall finish.
Toland recently graduated from Colby College in Maine and
is back in Boulder to run.
Relatively new to the sport, Toland started running to get
in shape for lifeguard competitions on Cape Cod, where she spent
her college summers guarding the beaches.
Toland used this race as a final tune-up before she heads
to Portland in two weeks for cross country nationals.
Toland will be competing in the 8K race there.
Faith Byrum, who posted a
blazing time of 16:59, took second in the women’s race.
As the field of runners wound
their way around the CU campus, they were directed at every turn
by CU triathlon team members taking the morning off from training
to put on the event. The race acts as the primary fundraiser to help the team travel
to the Wildflower Triathlon in California at the beginning of May.
Wildflower is where the collegiate triathlon championships
are contested and the CU team looks to continue their domination
of the event this year.
Women's Top Ten
1 Sarah
Toland 16:29
2 Faith
Byrum 16:59
3 Kristine
Leader 18:29
4 Cindy
Rosenberg 18:51
5 Laura
Bruess 18:52
6 Kelli
Kidd 19:21
7 Imke
Slacik 20:05
8 Lisa
Mickley 20:23
9 Jan
Ward 20:51
10
Christine Spehm 21:11
Men's Top Ten
1 Pedro
Alvarez 15:16
2 Mark
Werner 15:29
3 Tim
Geldean 16:03
4 Rick
Bruess 16:17
5 Andy
Ames 16:26
6 Adam
Hodges 16:42
7 Erik
Bitru 16:54
8 Hector
Martinez 16:55
9 Todd
Baldini 17:14
10
David Gotgill 17:14
* This article appeared in the Colorado Daily (February 6, 2001).