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Peace Race: Campbell's Sponseller broadens horizons in running shoes
YOUNGSTOWN
Carol Sponseller may be a one-timer, but a satisfied one.
When the 48-year-old Campbell woman ran in last year’s Peace Race, she was out for the experience.
The allure of participating with hundreds of runners brought her to the starting line for the first time.
She got her entry fee’s worth when a field of 1,590 took part in both the 10k and 2-miler.
“I’ve always loved running and wanted to try a race just to be in with a group of people and experience ways to push my [casual running] limits a little further,” she said.
Carol finished 835th in 1:05:12.6 in the 10k (6.2 miles), while her husband, Ken, was alongside in 1:05:14.1.
“He definitely could have gone faster,” Carol Sponseller said of her husband, who acquiesced to his wife by keeping her pace.
“It’s something I never did but wanted to experience,” Sponseller said. “I saw all ages — young and old — and they looked like they were having fun. Everybody’s out there encouraging you and cheering you on. It was a thrill, it really was. It was a beautiful day.”
Sponseller, whose maiden name was Stanley, ran track at Alliance High School, from which she and her husband-to-be graduated in 1981.
Sponseller always toyed with the idea of running in a Peace Race, but got the extra push when the social dimension was factored in.
“I train at the downtown ‘Y’, so that’s where a few of my friends were training and racing,” she said of the extra motivation. “There were tons of people and I saw people I knew from years ago. It’s great because it brings people to the city.”
Without a doubt, the race still has the international flavor as evidenced by first-place finishes in both the men’s and women’s divisions by Morocco native Abdelaziz Atmani and Mulu Seboka of Ethopia, respectively.
While Sponseller didn’t expect to be near the front at the finish in 2011, she’s not leaning toward an encore when the 2012 Peace Race is held Sunday.
As one who runs more on trails, Sponseller is not used to running on roads.
“I felt more pounding on the joints, but it wasn’t bad and I wasn’t sore afterward,” she said. “At the end I pushed it, but I’m glad I tried it.”
It’s not that she was intimidated by others, but her preference is to train on her own.
“Running and spinning are my No. 1 forms of exercise, but, to a lesser extent, weight-training and stair-master,” said Sponseller, who considers herself an avid exerciser, doing most cardio workouts at the YMCA.
“As a kid growing up, I wasn’t the type of person to just sit still. Luckily, I’ve never had any physical problems or injuries to hold me back, so, as long as I’m able to, I’ll keep running. The Peace Race was a fun thing. I’m more into competing by myself and pushing myself. I’d encourage anybody to try it [Peace Race]. Most people who do it come back.”