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HISTORIC PEACE
Photo
Julius Bor of Erie, Pa., (4) leads a group of runner through Mill Creek Park during the middle leg of the 10K race during the 38th annual Peace Race on Sunday. Bor broke out early and held off Aiman Scullian of Kent to win with a time of 29:54.2.
HISTORIC PEACE
Erie, PA man wins 38th annual event amid record field
By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN
The 2012 Youngstown Peace Race winner used Las Cruces, New Mexico, as his training ground.
Forgetting his racing shoes and having to use his training shoes might just have been the blessing in disguise that he needed in order to cross the finish line first.
Julius Bor (29:54.2) broke out early and along with Luke Grau, Andrew Carnes, Andy Morgan and Aiman Scullian, remained the pacesetters and in the front of the pack for the first 5-plus miles.
It was during the last 1.2 miles that Bor’s kick could not be matched by the others en-route to his first Peace Race victory.
“My strategy was to start out and remain in the front of the pack, knowing full well that I would have to execute the last 200 meters if I expected to win,” Bor said. “Training and preparing in New Mexico really helped me out quite a bit.
“I saw Aiman [Scullian] coming on strong at the end and had to really push it that last mile or so. I pushed it hard once we hit the ground on Federal Street. Next time I hope I can remember to bring my racing shoes.”
Andrew Carnes, the 2010 winner, set the early pace by running a 4:46 mile for lead at the mile marker, duplicating that time for the lead two miles into the race and a pack of five that included Bor, second-place finisher Scullian and Luke Grau, who finished third.
Bor, Grau, Carnes and Andy Morgan were all neck-and-neck after completing a 4:56 third mile, but a 4:43 fourth mile left just Grau and Carnes in a virtual tie with Bor and Scullian jockeying for position during the final 2.2 miles.
As they passed the Mill Creek Park Fellows Riverside Gardens hill, Bor added some distance between him and Grau but by the time they had hit the Mr. Peanut Bridge, it was Scullian who overtook both Bor and Grau, albeit briefly.
That was when Bor gave a final push; a push that was too much for Scullian (29:57.4) to match and overcome.
“I made the mistake of hanging back early,” Scullian said. “I was still 10th at the two-mile mark so when I finally did catch the leaders, I just didn’t have enough left in my legs because I had already worked too hard trying to overcome them.”
Grau (30:03.5), who finished seventh in his first Peace Race last year, finished third but had a goal of breaking 30 minutes this year.
“When Julius [Bor] broke off I decided to with him, but at the four-and-a-half mile mark Aiman [Scullain] came on strong so my goal at that point was to hopefully finish third,” Grau said. “I just missed finishing the race in less than 30 minutes but overall, I was pleased with my effort today.”
Rachel Dickman (35:47.0) of Van Wert, who finished 27th overall, topped all women with Kelly Green (30th, 36:28.6) of Burton and Paige Biglin (33rd, 36:46.4) of Columbus rounding out the top three women in the field.
“You couldn’t ask for better weather and knowing the course was an added plus,” Green said. “Living in Burton with the hills helped me to train and my goal was just to finish in the top eight. I’ll settle for a runner-up finish.”
The top 2-mile runner was Anthony Costa, a senior at Girard High, while the top female was Mary Acker of New Wilmington, Pa.
“My cross country season ended early yesterday and I just wanted to race one more time,” Costa said. “This was my first road race this year so needless to say I am pleased with a first-place finish.”
Acker, 33, has been running since she was 11 years old and has seven marathons under her belt; two this year alone.
“I’m just coming out of marathon training so I wasn’t expecting much out of this today,” she said. “I am on down time so I’m really pleased with my finish. “It’s just fun to see so many people and so many age groups represented and competing,.”
Nick Spirko, a fourth grader who also plays football, soccer and runs cross country at St. Charles School in Boardman, topped the field of over 200 to win the Kid’s 400M run.
“I wanted to test myself to see if I can do it. It feels great to win,” he said.
Dollars raised by the Peace Race benefit the area’s Rescue Mission, St. Vincent DePaul Society, Special Olympics, Mindy Henning Scholarship Fund, YMCA, Beattitude House and the Joanie Abdu Breast Cancer Center.