Published: January 06, 2008 01:56 am      

‘This weather was perfect for running’

Fast times, large field mark third Run to Read race

PRICKETTS FORT — Mike Scott, an auditor from Pittsburgh, looked at the time clock after finishing Saturday’s third annual Run to Read Half Marathon and saw that he had completed the race in an hour, 40 minutes and some change.

“Man, that was fast!” he exclaimed.

Usually, it takes Scott about two hours to run 13.1 miles, but he believes the flat course along the rail trail at Pricketts Fort State Park helped.

“It was nice,” he said. “Very scenic.”

Scott never had run the race, which benefits the Literacy Volunteers of Marion County, but found it online. On Saturday, he left Pittsburgh at about 10 a.m. with two friends and arrived in time to register and run the race, which began at noon.

“I’ll probably do it again next year,” Scott said.

More runners are learning about the race, and Saturday’s record registration of 204 proved it.

“We’ve had some no-shows, and there will be a couple that probably won’t finish,” said race director Jim Woolfitt.

Last year, 166 runners actually raced in balmy, 60-degree weather. Saturday brought cooler temperatures plus sprinkles and light rain for part of the race.

“This weather was perfect for running,” said David McCollam of Philippi, last year’s winner in the men’s division who came in second Saturday with a time of 1:14:09:7, just about a half minute slower than his winning time of 1:13:34.

“We had some snow and ice patches that might have slowed us down, but temperature-wise, it was perfect.”

This year’s overall winner was new to the race. Jaron Hawkins of Frostburg, Md., ran with some of his running club buddies, the Queen City Striders. He finished in 1:13:18.3.

“I would have liked to have run faster but I’ll take what I got,” Hawkins said. “It’s flat. Down my way is hilly, so that was nice.”

For the women, Chelsea Jarvis, a 17-year-old Capital High School junior from Clendenin, took first place with a time of 1:26:02.1. Jarvis won the women’s division two years ago and was runner-up last year.

Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt like many runners, Jarvis noted that she did not mind the 40-degree or so temperatures.

“I run in all weather,” she said. “I’m immune to it.”

Early in the race, Lee Mullett of Morgantown stood by the rail trail with family, waiting for her husband, Chuck, to finish.

“This is his first 13-mile run,” she said. “He’s done shorter ones.”

Chuck Mullett only began running a few years ago and did the Sprint, Splash ’n Spin Triathlon in Morgantown last summer with his brother, Jeremy Potter. Potter also waited for Mullett to finish.

“The nice thing is that it has spawned a nice family rivalry,” he said.

Mullett completed the race in a very respectable 1:52, more than two hours under the total four-hour time allowed to finish.

“Two miles back, I wondered if this was the dumbest thing I ever did, but then I thought how good it would feel when I was finished,” he said as he caught his breath. “And I’m anticipating feeling good in a while.”

E-mail Mary Wade Burnside at mwburnside@timeswv.com.