STEVE JACONETH, WINNER OF THE MEN’S RACE IN 51:41. DAVE THOMAS PHOTO

Jaconeth, Deery Take First
in Schuylkill River Loop Race

BY DIANE MCMANUS

PHILADELPHIA, PA- -For runners who find early morning races daunting and welcome the chance to idle over their breakfast and the Sunday paper, the 8.4-mile Schuylkill River Loop Race was the answer for the 67 runners who participated. Held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 4, it offered runners an historic and scenic run along the popular Schuylkill River bike path, running parallel to Kelly and Martin Luther King Drives that make up part of the Philadelphia Distance Run route.

And for Julie Deery, the winner of the women’s division, the timing was especially convenient. Deery, a lead singer in a band could come home late from a gig, get a decent night’s sleep, then transition from lead singer to lead runner, finishing fourth overall (men and women) in 55:41 to take first place by almost eight minutes.

The men’s winner, Steve Jaconeth, also took a commanding lead, gapping the field by over two minutes to win with a time of 51:41.

In conjunction with the 8.4 mile run, a 5K racewalk is featured. In this event, Dan Andreason took first place for the men with a time of 26:10 and Bernadette McNulty won the women’s division in 36:18.

Established in 1972, the Schuylkill River Loop race boasts a distinguished history. It is the oldest continuously held road race in Philadelphia. Such Olympians as Villanova graduates Terrence Mahon and Jen Rhines have won top places in this thirty-five-year-old event. Indeed, Rhines holds the women’s course record of 49:10, set in 2002. The men’s course record of 40:08 has weathered the test of time. George Buckheit, a Bucknell stand-out, achieved this mark in 1981.

Directed now by Dave Thomas and timed by Thomas’s Fast Cat Sports, this race benefits the Fairmount Park System, as well as Students Run Philly Style, a program that helps city high school students become active as runners and, in some cases, complete marathons. With almost half of the entrants in the nineteen-and-under age group, Philly Style running means showing up in force.

MALE

Overall

1. Steve Jaconeth 51:41
2. John Holland 53:59
3. Rex Santiago 55:07

Masters

1. Mike Schoppe 56:10

19 and under

1. Jonathan Holland 56:41
2. Tyrell Smith 56:56
3. Andrew Reddick 1:12:59

20-29

1. Joseph Allebach 59:33
2. Eric DeBoer 1:15:32
3. Andrew Brown 1:15:42

30-39

1. Mark Giordano 56:00
2. William Krill 1:27:38

40-49

1. Steve Frankenfield 1:08:13

50-59

1. Jerry Mullen 56:25
2. Stewart Mills 1:04:14
3. Rory McManus 1:07:54

Teams

1. Saul
2. Ivy Leaf
3. PSD

FEMALE

Overall

1. Julie Deery 55:41
2. Missy Wietlisbach 1:03:31
3. Kristen Saponaro-Kish 1:09:08

Masters

1. Lillian Feliciano 1:12:29

19 and under

1. Dana Kilgarriff 1:16:10
2. Nemiah Ladd 1:16:44
3. Jenna Moser 1:28:19

20-29

1. Krista Wenclawiak 1:12:56
2. Melissa Munro 1:13:00
3. Sarah Gardner 1:15:31

30-39
1. Melanie Wright 1:13:33
2. Jessica Naugle 1:18:50
3. Merideth Grzybowski 1:28:13

50-59

1. Diane McManus 1:29:52

Teams

1. Saul
2. OMS