Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Running and boating and biking.
It was time once again Saturday for the annual, one-of-a-kind Great Greenbrier River Race triathlon in Marlinton.
Hundreds of racers of all ages were pumped up for the day ahead when they met at the Gazebo Park on Main Street before taking off on an adventure that sees them running three miles, paddling four miles down the Greenbrier River and biking 10 miles – from Buckeye south a few miles on the Greenbrier River Trail, then back to Marlinton.
The beautiful day saw families and friends working together on teams of two, three or four, as well as individuals taking on all three legs of the event. It was a day to enjoy the river and trail, and even made for a unique backdrop for a last minute prom-posal.
A crowd of friends, family and community members cheered on the racers as the returned to Marlinton in the final portion of the race. Whether they had someone in the race or not, the crowd was supportive of everyone who participated.
Afterward, everyone gathered back at Gazebo Park for a catered celebration and live music and awards.
Winners of the race are as follows:
Top Male Finisher – Hansel Lucas, 40, of Brookville, Pennsylvania.
Top Female Finisher – Peggy Novak, 66, of Derry, Pennsylvania.
Male 0-16 – first place, Leo Hoover, 13, of Charleston; and second place, Trendon Ritchie, 14, of Lavalette.
Female 0-16 – first place, Madeleine Rose, 16, of Glen Allen, Virginia; and second place, Lila Foster, 16.
Male 17-29 – first place, Daniel Parlock, 29, of Huntington; second place, Jeremiah Jordan, 23, of South Charleston; and third place, Garrett Eads, 25, of Asheville, North Carolina.
Female 17-29 – first place, Rachel Rubin, 27, of Charleston; second place, Hannah Parlock, 28, of Huntington; and third place, Elizabeth Ford, 25, of Mayseville.
Male 30-39 – first place, William Blake, 39, of Scott Depot; second place, William Ross, 36, of Charleston; and third place, Tyson Price, 37, of Glenville.
Female 30-39 – first place, Marie Hedges, 35, of Spencer; second place, Tiffany Harless, 38, of Charleston; and third place, Shannon Rittenhouse, 35, of Dunmore.
Male 40-49 – first place, Mike Renner, 41, of Lewisburg; second place, Kevin Flaim, 40, of Kernersville, North Carolina; and third place, Richard Lewis, 42, of Chillicothe, Ohio.
Female 40-49 – first place, Allison Blanton, 44, of Charleston; second place, Teresa Segelson, 45, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and third place, Kellie Blake, 45, of Scott Depot.
Male 50-59 – first place, Bruce Poacher, 52, of Jonesborough, Tennessee; second place, David Burkwall, 52, of Mechanicsville, Virginia; and third place, Andrew Rose, 50, of Glen Allen, Virginia.
Female 50-59 – first place, Judy Jordan, 54, of Hurricane; second place, Kim Lucas, 59, of Brockport, Pennsylvania; and third place, Melissa Gamponia, 58, of Charleston.
Male 60-69 – first place, Sven Jonsson, 62, of Brevard, North Carolina; second place, William Jeffrey, 60, of Charleston; and third place, Ray Legge, 62, of Winchester, Virginia.
Female 60-69 – first place, Anita Swanson, 63, of Fayetteville; second place, Liz Wickline, 61; and third place, Cindy Evans, 60, of Ronceverte.
Male 70 and older – first place, Lynn Brookhouser, 77, of Tilghman, Maryland; second place, Dennis Pinkley, 76, of Hardy, Virginia; and third place, Ronald Salisbury, 75, of Charleston.
Female 70 and older – first place, Lynne Ryan, 70, of Maidsville; second place, Susan Chappell, 70, of Hillsboro; and third place, Joan Phillips, 70, of Winfield.
Teams
Adaptive – first place, Challenged Athletes of West Virginia.
Co-ed – first place, That is All You, of Ashland, Kentucky; second place, Team GHM, of Upper Tract; and third place, Collins Run Road Runners, of Durbin.
Family – first place, Mom is 74, of Lewisburg; second place, River Runners, of Fort Defiance, Virginia; and third place, Joneses, of Frankford.
Female – first place, South Branch River Pirate, of Morgantown; second place, Wonder Twins, of Charleston; and third place, Annie’s Kruger Cruisers, of Fayetteville.
Male – first place, Sunny Hotdogs, of Green Bank; second place, Segars Engineering, of Charlottesville, Virginia; and third place, Mech Double, of Lewisburg.
Masters – first place, Faster Than We Look, of Huntington; second place, Snap, Crackle and Pop, of Fayetteville; and third place, Speckled-Hound Racing, of Clifton Forge, Virginia.
Youth – first place, Back for More, of Buckeye; and second place, Bus Gang, of Marlinton.