Peace Race's 30th version set for Oct. 24

The traditional fall event will benefit Tod Children's Hospital.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- The 30th annual Youngstown Peace Race will be held Oct. 24.
The 2004 event, which will consist of two races as in the past, will benefit Tod Children's Hospital.
The featured 10-kilometer run course again will wend through Mill Creek Park, and will start at 10:15 a.m. on Indianola Avenue near Glenwood Avenue. The course drops 280 feet in elevation from start to finish.
The 2-mile fun run/walk again will begin near the Youngstown YMCA on Commerce Street at 9:30 a.m., also ending there.
Entry information
Entry forms are available at Second Sole or area YMCAs. The entry fee is $13 before race day and $17 on race day.
More information may be obtained by calling Second Sole at 330-758-8708 or by e-mailing Peace Race director Ted Rupe at ted.rupe@neomin.org.
Runners may register and pick up their packets at Second Sole on the Friday and Saturday (Oct. 22-23) before the race between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Second Sole is located at 755 Boardman-Canfield Rd. (Ohio route 224) in Boardman.
A pre-race Peace Race party will be held Oct. 22 at Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant downtown on the Federal Plaza starting at 5 p.m.
Runners also may register and pick up their race packets on the day of the race at the Youngstown YMCA beginning at 7:45 a.m.
Last year's top runners
Last year's overall 10k winner was Jim Jurcevich of Columbus, in 29 minutes, 15.3 seconds, followed by Fred Kiesner of Cleveland (29:51.9), Matthew Folk of Youngstown ((30:22.4), Rick Wilson of Canfield (31:55.3) and Kevin Machalski of Westlake (31:59.8).
The top 10k women were Anjanette Arabian of Rocky River (34:27.8), trailed by Jessica Textoris of Strongsville (35:55.5), Melissa Rittenhouse of Wooster (35:56.8), Jeannie Debonis of Brecksville (36:53.1) and Laura Kaulen of Austintown (37:30.6).
Bob Daniluk of Girard won the 2-mile run in 10:51.8, followed by Robert Lape of Boardman (11:17.6), Taylor Sowers of McDonald (11:36.4), Mark Nemenz of North Lima (11:51.2) and Brandon Ayres of Warren (11:54.2).
Tradition
The Peace Race, founded by Jack Cessna, has become a Youngstown tradition and has been an attraction to many of the world's top runners over its 29-year history, including Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter among others.
Shorter won the 1975 Peace Race in between winning the gold medal in the Munich Olympic Marathon, and the silver medal in the Montreal Olympic Marathon.
After his Peace Race win, Shorter remarked that the race course was the most beautiful of any he had run.
Other top runners who have been in the Peace Race are: (men) Lasse Viren (Finland), Salvador Garcia (Mexico), Keith Brantley (U.S), Zackariah Barie (Tanzania), Rob de Castella (Australia), Sean Dollman (Ireland) and Moses Macharia (Kenya); (women) Cyndie Brown (U.S.), Anne Audain (New Zealand), Liz McColgan (Scotland), Danuta Bartoszek (Russia), Jackline Torori (Kenya), Julie Brown (U.S.), Sissel Grottenberg (Norway), Lioudmila Alexeeff (Russia) and Elaine van Blunk (U.S.).
kovach@vindy.com