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Dahmen, Klim win runYtown 10-mile race
By Greg Gulas
BOARDMAN
Battling the runYtown 5-mile field was a run in the park compared to the upper respiratory cold East Liverpool native and University of Mount Union running standout Erik Reed has been fighting the past two weeks.
Reed, who covered the course in 28:16.19, started fast and never slowed down despite a steady rain and falling temperatures to defend his title in Sunday’s 7th runYtown, which started in front of Second Sole on Route 224 in Boardman and used scenic Mill Creek MetroParks as a backdrop and part of its course.
Mike Dahmen, Canfield High’s boys’ track coach, defended his 10-mile championship in 57:16.84, and former Youngstown State runner Michelle Klim, who placed 10th overall, was the top female 10-miler with a time of 1:09:30.53.
Tara Mooney, of Hermitage, Pa., was the top 5-mile female runner, covering the course in 40:46.62.
Reed, who captured the inaugural Youngstown Marathon in June, used Sunday’s competition – it attracted 152 total entries – as a tune-up for the upcoming Pro Football Hall of Fame marathon and half marathon set for April 28 in Canton.
Canfield’s Mark Watkins finished second with a time of 31:09.43
“I usually run two marathons each year. One in the spring and the other in the fall and I’ll be running in the half marathon in Canton later this month. I wanted to use today’s event as a tune-up,” Reed said. “I’ve been battling this upper respiratory cold, but felt pretty good today.”
Like Reed, Dahmen is now a two-time defending champion after outdistancing runner-up Grant Menough (1:04:51.04) of Salem by nearly eight minutes.
“The weather wasn’t that bad the first four or five miles, but the last four or five it was cold and by the end of the race everyone was soaked,” Dahmen said. “I run in the Peace Race every fall and run several events like this a year, depending on my high school schedule.”
Mooney enters a running event once a month and hopes to take part in 12 this year. In the past she ran in the 10-mile portion of the event.
“My goal was to run and just have fun, so it’s really exciting to win,” Mooney said. “It wasn’t raining when the race started, but got colder and began to rain when we were already underway, which I really didn’t mind.”
The race had 312 participants, with runners from Ohio, Maryland, New York, Indiana, Virginia and Pennsylvania.