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Title:Winter Challenge Cross Country V
Date:Sunday January 8th, 2023
Author:Bill + Michelle Thom
Report:
Winter Challenge Cross Country V
[logo:Winter Challenge Cross Country]
Cross Country and Gratuitous Six-Hour Runs!

Winter Challenge Cross Country V was held Sunday January 8, 2023 within the tree-lined forest preserve groves of Caldwell Woods and Bunker Hill, Chicago/Niles, Illinois. Upon arrival at sunrise, with moderate winter temperatures and no wind, no snow coverage and a firm racecourse, it seemed obvious this would be our most race-friendly race day ever in the five years of WC3 history.

Of 111 preregistered runners, 95 braved the not-too wintry conditions to take on this year's challenge. 8 ultrarunners in our Gratuitous 6-Hour Run, 43 raced WC3 15-Km, 44 opted for one lap in WC3 5-Km. Our thin team of volunteers was superbly staffed by community ultrarunners Boris Tannenbaum, Jeni Goodwin, Koyo Masore, and running-enthusiast Paula Donato.

Climate statistics for January 8, 2023; Zip code: 60646; Between hours 6:00 am - 6:pm...
Air temperature: minimum 28°F; maximum 37°F; average: 33.
Wind speed MPH: mean 5 NNW; maximum sustained 6.8 NNW; maximum gust; 9.3 N.
Sunrise: 7:19 am. Sunset: 4:37 pm.
Official race statistics for 2023 Winter Challenge Cross Country V...
Weather Statistics
Time:Temp
°F
Humidity
%
Wind Chill
°F
Wind
MPH
Exposure
8:00 am:3079 0Cloudy
9:00 am:3179 0Cloudy
10:00 am:3172 0Cloudy
11:00 am:3273 SSW 3Cloudy
12:00 pm:3373 0Cloudy
1:00 pm:3469 WNW 8Cloudy
2:00 pm:3572 NW 9Mostly Cloudy
Race Registration Statistics
Event:RegisteredStartedFinished
Gratuitous 6-Hour:1388
15 Kilometer:504342
5 Kilometer:484444
WC3 Race Totals:1119594
Volunteers:4

12 o'clock noon on Saturday, race eve Tom Kohler and I began setting up our Caldwell Woods / Bunker Hill cross country racecourse. We marked the entire course with knee-level colored-wire-flagging, at a maximum interval of 25 steps between flags... a total of 436 flags! In the direction of running, keep red/orange flags on your right and pink flags on your left.

On race day at 8:03:48 am, Gratuitous 6-Hour runners began repeating laps of the five kilometer cross country racecourse. Their mission... cover as much distance as possible in the span of six hours. They could continue running along the 5k "Big Loop," then as six hours ticked down-to-zero, switch to our quarter-mile "Little Loop" and continue right up to the 2:03:48 pm air-horn signal.

Meanwhile traditional-distance runners arrived for check-in and packet pickup, which was managed by volunteer Jeni Goodwin. At 9:30:35 am co-RD Michelle Thom gave the commands "To your mark..." then blasted the air-horn, starting events WC3 15-Km and WC3 5-Km. Soon after, the groves of Caldwell Woods / Bunker Hill were churning with variable-speed runners of Winter Challenge Cross Country V!

11:30 am... while Gratuitous 6-Hour runners pursued evermore mileage, our traditional distance runners were completing their races. An awards ceremony / bagel bash was held in the warming-shelter building atop the hill near our start/finish area. Young Running Achievers (17 and younger) of the 5-Km earned special shiny medals. Presented to top-performing runners in both traditional distance events... Gold medals for 1st place, along with engraved pint-glasses for top-two "Age Group Podium Achievers." Engraved pint-glasses were earned by "Team Podium Achievers" for both distances as well!

Winter Challenge Cross Country 5-Km...
Young Running Achievers:
1st) Winston Conwell
2nd) Samuel Birkner
3rd) Elsie Conwell
4th) Liam Weinand
5th) Alonzo Shook
6th) Robbie Carlson
7th) Leah Carlson

Top Female Open (All Ages):
1st) Leslie Navarro
Top Male Open (All Ages):
1st) Michael Cortese
Top Female Masters (40 - Over):
1st) Carrie Messinger
Top Male Masters (40 - Over):
1st) Jamie Dihiansan
3-Runner Team Podium Achievers (combined time):
1st) Outer Lanes Athletic Club - 1:11:24.8: Jamie Dihiansan, Winston Conwell, Samuel Birkner
2nd) Riis Park Striders - 1:32:31.5: Joe Lentino, Paul Angarone, Bob Chadwick
3rd) Tri-umph - 1:47:00.8: Kate Schnatterbeck, Abbe Burke, Kathy Moore

Winter Challenge Cross Country 15-Km...
Top Female Open (All Ages):
1st) Stephanie Clapham
2nd) Agnes Burkevic
3rd) Laura Lackner

Top Male Open (All Ages):
1st) James Weissensel
2nd) Michael LaSusa
3rd) Elias Theodosis
Top Female Masters (40 - Over):
1st) Marta Borkowska
2nd) Connie Nash
3rd) Tammy Chase
Top Male Masters (40 - Over):
1st) Kip Conwell
2nd) Bob Geiger
3rd) Paul Garcia
3-Runner Team Podium Achievers (combined time):
1st) South Chicago Track Club - 3:05:38.1: James Weissensel, Michael LaSusa, Bob Geiger
2nd) Team Sloth - 3:20:00.5: Paul Garcia, Jr., Cormac Scheilsman, Paul Garcia
3rd) Outer Lanes Athletic Club: 3:47:07.4 - Kip Conwell, David Mueller, Irving Birkner
4th) BiegAm: 3:55:47.4 - Agnes Burkevic, Olga Varabei, Henry Biskup

2:03 pm... our air-horn signaled the end of Gratuitous Six-Hour Run and those runners who were still on our "Little Loop" stopped, held their position and were tallied with each extra quarter-mile that they'd achieved. Seven of eight starters covered more than 26.2 miles, for which they earned newly minted "Ultra Achiever" custom heavy medals molded with the image of Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse of Norse mythology. More bagels arrived at the warming shelter and all runners were honored for their achievements.

Winter Challenge Cross Country Gratuitous Six-Hour...
Female Podium Achievers:
1st) Becky Patch, 35.742 miles
2nd) Juli Aistars, 28.243 miles
3rd) Edna Jackeline Vazquez, 27.114 miles

Male Podium Achievers:
1st) Brian Sheridan, 33.569 miles
2nd) Steve Carlson, 27.963 miles, 5:03:58.13
3rd) Andrae Marak, 27.963, 5:31:11.56
Additional Ultra Achievers:
7th Overall) Arizona Lagousakos, 26.355 miles
Also Ran WC3 Gratuitous 6-Hourers:
8th Overall) Michael Czuba, 22.712 miles
2-Runner Team Podium Achievers (combined distance):
1st) Best: 62.855 miles: Becky Patch, Edna Jackeline Vazquez
2nd) Winter Challengers: 61.811: Brian Sheridan, Juli Aistars
3rd) TURD: 50.674 miles: Steve Carlson, Michael Czuba


Race production, hosting, timing, webcasting and finish-line scoring was managed by RunRace. Check out complete results through the links...
Results: Results on RunRace
Webcast: Webcast on RunRace (with Checkpoint Splits where available)
Check out: Winter Challenge Cross Country video coverage from our `racecourse river cam`, our `timing-mat cam`, and our `overhead drone` that did its best to hover for ~20 mins nearby the finish area!
Winter Challenge Cross Country Playlist on our RunRace Network YouTube Channel

Let's give a rousing "shout out" to our thin-line of expert race volunteers for their generous support and dedication to cross country racing:
  • Race Packet Preparation: Michelle and Bill Thom.
  • Aid Station Setup: Boris Tannenbaum, Koyo Masore.
  • Runner Greeting / Check In: Jeni Goodwin, Michelle Thom.
  • Aid Station Captains: Boris Tannenbaum, Paula Donato, Koyo Masore.
  • Leader of pre-race Runner Warm-up / Stretching: Dr. Michael Cortese.
  • Refreshments Restockers / Coordinators: Paula Donato, Michelle Thom.
  • Keeper of Finish-line Audit Trail: Jeni Goodwin (607-day running streak -and- counting).
  • Racecourse Marshalling: Michelle Thom.
  • Racecourse Marking / Course Cleanup: Thomas Kohler, Paula Donato, Bill Thom.
  • Photography, Video, Drone: Michelle + Bill Thom, with additional pics provided by Kip Conwell and Outer Lanes Athletic Club.
  • Local Clubs / Supporters of Cross Country Running & WC3: Dick Pond Athletics of Park Ridge, Riis Park Striders, Evanston Running Club.
  • [Did I miss anyone here?... if you notice a missing or misspelled name please let me know.]
Photos of our gallery have been optimized for web-display... if you'd like a high-resolution original contact me, and I will respond with an attachment of the original image... be sure to specify which photo(s) you'd like. Got a photo that you'd like to share? We'd love to include with our gallery, so please send to me, optionally with your copyright credit info and description!

Congratulations to all who participated in this fifth annual edition of Winter Challenge Cross Country!
"Cross Country... best of all human endeavors!"
-Bill Thom: bill@runrace.net

Got related info? Please send your links and we'll stitch it in here!
Website:
https://RunRace.net/wc3/ Go there or Go there in new browser
Additional website reference address.

Winter Challenge Cross Country V
Image ©: 2023 Michelle + Bill
Viewed: 81
Last View: March 16th, 2024 8:29 am
Image Id: 20395
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Posted:January 11th, 2023 12:23 pm
Last Update:January 12th, 2023 6:40 pm
Viewed:13500
Last View:March 28th, 2024 5:38 pm
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