100 MARATHON CLUB 32 Newsletter

100 MARATHON CLUB NORTH AMERICA NEWSLETTER #32, September 1, 2013 The Dolphin Marathon Team Remembers April 15, 2013 The morning of April 15, 2013, started out in an unusual way. The first thing we saw on cable news on the right side of the television screen was a picture of Dr. Mitch Hungate, our Renton dentist and good friend. On the left half of screen was a picture of rescuers in the Cascade Mountains being interviewed by a reporter from a Seattle TV station. The next full picture was of an interview with Mitch’s wife Marilynn. Two days before, on Saturday, April 13 th , the local news had reported two avalanches near Snoqualmie Pass at Exits 47 and 51 of I-90 mentioning a female fatality at Exit 51 and a snowshoer still missing at Exit 47. We immediately thought of our local Yakima friends who could have been on the mountain that day. Would Jeff Hagen and his wife Joyce be there? And were they okay? We later found out that they were indeed snowshoeing in the Cascades that day….but farther north, and they were okay. We had no more thoughts about the avalanches until early that Monday morning when we saw Mitch’s picture on cable news as the “Renton dentist who was still lost in the Saturday avalanche in Washington State!” Mitch was an Ironman Triathlete who had climbed mountains all over the world: Aconcagua, McKinley, Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya, Pico de Orizaba, the Matterhorn, Mt. Blanc, Mt. Whitney, Mt. Assiniboine and the major peaks in Washington and Oregon. He climbed Mt. Rainier over a dozen times including two one-day ascents by different routes. This was two days after the slide, but we thought, “If anyone can make it, Mitch could.” We had hope! It was early in the morning, a terrible way to start a day that was supposed to be one of fun as we followed our friends who were running the Boston Marathon on Patriots Day. Bob was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and lived there until he joined the Marine Corps on October 4, 1946, his 17 th birthday. He had done some running in high school, but it wasn’t until many years later that he became a “competitive” runner. He ran his first marathon, the Heart of America Marathon in Columbia, Missouri, on September 1, 1981, at the age of 51. Like many runners after their first marathon, he set a new goal to “quality for Boston.” He hoped to do that while his Dad was still alive. It happened, and his Dad was at the finish line on April 18, 1983, when he completed his first of eleven Boston Marathons. Instead of our “planned fun day” we sat in front of the TV set watching the coverage of the bombings at this year’s Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. The street where it all happened was familiar to both of us. Many times when I accompanied Bob to Boston I would walk with him to the Boston Common where he caught the bus to the start in Hopkinton. Then I’d return to our car by walking under the Finishing Chute and down Boylston Avenue to where our car was parked. For several years I was able to watch the end of the race from a fourth floor, 1 corner suite in the Lenox Hotel where I could see runners as they approached the last block or watch them from another window as they crossed the finish line. That day we saw the often-repeated picture of a man wearing an orange singlet who fell as a bomb exploded nearby…….and then get up to finish the race. Eventually, we commented, “There he goes again!” We were so proud to find out later that the “man in the orange singlet” was our 78 year old friend Bill Iffrig from Lake Stevens, Washington, who is a well-known great runner in the Pacific Northwest. As we watched the horrors of the day, our thoughts were of our friends and acquaintances who were at Boston. When Bob ran his 400 th marathon at the Yakima River Canyon Marathon (YRCM) on March 31, 2007, our five children started the “Team Dolphin Boston Marathon Fund Award” in his honor. It gives a monetary gift each year to runners who qualify for Boston at our race (YRCM), apply for the award and receive a check and certificate before the next Boston Marathon. On the certificate is printed, “Congratulations for QUALIFYING for the Boston Marathon. Looking forward to giving you another one for FINISHING the Boston Marathon” Dave McGillivray, Boston Marathon Race Director. Were this year’s three winners okay? Have our good friends, the Main Maniacs Steve Yee, Chris Warren and Tony Phillippi , crossed the finish line? Are Mary and Cliff Richards all right? Dave McGillivray always runs Boston by himself after the last person crosses the finish line. This year it will be different. The phone started ringing, and we heard many sighs of relief from relatives and friends who thought about us and called to make sure we weren’t in Boston. Scott Sandsberry from the Yakima Herald Republic newspaper called to ask for phone numbers we might have for locals he knew were at Boston. It was a day for caring! Fortunately, the ones I’ve mentioned had all finished and were safe. April 15, 2013, was indeed an unusual day for us…..unusually sad. The bombings took our minds off of our concern for Mitch Hungate. The week before the avalanche he had walked the first 18 miles of our YRCM with Bob, and they shared stories about their adventures. After he finished the marathon, he came to the motor home where I was for a visit……our last visit after his last race ever. Because the avalanche danger continued to be a threat to the rescuers, it wasn’t until May 8 th that his body was brought down from the mountain. A memorial service that was attended by hundreds was held in Renton on June 1 st . Next year’s Yakima River Canyon Marathon on April 5, 2014, will be dedicated to the memory of our Renton dentist and good friend, Mitch Hungate. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Another Upcoming Event October 27, 2013 – Stone Steps 50K, Cincinnati, OH, David Corfman 2 WELCOME TO CLUB MEMBER #407 The Lincoln Marathon in Nebraska in May of 1999 was the first marathon for Doug Claxton (Olathe, KS) and #100 was run last month (August 2013) in Reykjavik, Iceland. He has a PR of 4:17:00 set in January of 2004 at the age of 37, * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * THE 100 MARATHON CLUB FROM “A” TO “Z” We didn’t hear from the “A’s” so we hope that Tom Adair,Adair, Michael Alsworth and Armen Anassian are all doing okay. As mentioned in Newsletter #31, Frank Bartocci (Rochester, MN) ran his 500500500 ththth marathon at Steve & Paula Boone’s Texas Marathon in Kingwood, Texas, on January 1, 2013. He had run his 400 th marathon at the Yakima River Canyon Marathon (YRCM) that we direct on April 2, 2011. We were able to “spoil” him that day with a special poster at the finish line and the presentation of a “400” pin at the awards ceremony. He let us know ahead of time about the date of the big 500, so Cheri Pompeo provided a certificate and we sent a “500” pin and medallion to be presented to him after the race. At the end of an e-mail from Lois Berkowitz (Riverview, MI) is written: “President, 50 States Marathon Club; Editor, Toledo Roadrunners’ Club Footprints; Editor, 50 States Marathon Club Newsletter and Med Mutual Glass City Marathon, April 27, 2014. She’s a busy person who also writes articles for the Marathon & Beyond magazine. Roger Biggs Stevenage, UK) is so good about sending us postcards from many of his marathons as he travels around the world: 12/12 – Lisbon, Portugal; 1/27 – Naples, Italy; 3/3 – Auckland, New Zealand; 3/9 – Sydney, Australia; 4/15 – Brighton, UK; 5/6 - Hannover, Germany; 5/26 – Leiden, Netherlands; 6/9 – Luxembourg; 6/16 – Bournemouth, Dorset, England; 6/30 – Imst, Austria; 7/10 – Sixmilebridge, Ireland. This past spring Jeff Bishton (Ft. Myers Beach, FL) had a good month of sightseeing in Paris, Vienna, Greece, Budapest and Kiev, Ukraine while in Europe to run four marathons. He ran his 250250250 ththth marathon at the Savage Seven Day 4 Marathon on December 28, 2012, at Winter Rock, Florida. Good to hear from Marathon Maniac (MM) #160 Jim Bitgood (Laurel, MI). The Maine Coast Marathon at Biddeford, Maine, on May 12, 2013, was #200 for Diane Bolton (Nashville, TN). Good to hear from Steve & Paula Boone (Humble, TX). After he retired, Jim Boyd moved from Seattle to Aberdeen, Washington, in June of 2012 and was recently featured on the “Profile” page of the Daily World newspaper. The headlines were, “In the long run, Jim Boyd is loving his life” and “He’s run 351 marathons and plans to stop when he drops.” Marathon #350 was completed at the April 6, 2013, YRCM. Jim writes interesting articles about his marathons. Tom BrandBrand (Summit, NJ) became a TWO TIME STATES FINISHER at the End of the World Marathon in Humble, Texas, on December 21, 2012. Jack Brooks (St. Albans, UK) ran his 300300300 ththth marathon at the City of Oaks Marathon on November 4, 2012, at Raleigh, North Carolina. We enjoy 3 the special jokes, sentimental messages etc. sent by Mike Brooks (Danville, ME) Good to hear from Brian Buffaloe (Heathsville, VA) and brothers Clint Burleson (Organ, NM) and Jeff Burleson (Wrenshall, MN).

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