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Three years ago, Nordyke, a former Olympic biathlete, finished just six seconds behind race winner Jason Fiegl in what was unquestionably the closest and most dramatic ending in the 20+ year history of the event.
At 46, Nordyke will again bypass the Masters division to race in Women’s Open. However, by selecting the 9:00am starting time, instead of the elite 10:00am start, she is also ineligible to capture the “Janny” as the overall race champion.
Nordyke competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. She is a member of the prestigious Saratoga Biathlon Club, which annually sends elite racer to the Patch Sprint.
Following tense negotiations by Pok-O-MacCready camp Director Sharp Swan, the traditional approach to Bare Mountain has been cleared for use for the 2009 Patch Sprint. “The issue wasn’t trespassing,” stated Swan, “Nor environmental damage. It was hunting. From what I can tell, when he saw all of those orange Patch Sprint shirts a few years back, he thought that there were a bunch of poachers trying to bag his deer.”
No word on whether or not a financial settlement was involved in brokering the accord.
Veteran Patch Sprinter Ed Bunk passed away last month. Bunk was one of the event’s first trekkers, and remains the fastest trekker, having “race-walked” the course in a time of 3:15:40 in 2004. Bunk also finished in a second place tie at the 2005 Winter Sprint. He was 55.
Patch Sprint Masters racer and raffle ticket guru David Mason is again serving the Adirondack Scholarship Foundation cause. Mason is offering “POKO” car stickers for $3.00 apiece. He ordered 500 decals, paying for them himself “in hopes that people buy them for three dollars, with all the proceeds going to the Foundation.” Stickers can be purchased directly from Mason at: 195 Sandy Ridge-Mt. Airy Road, Stockton, NJ 08559
“Just send cash for as many as you want, and a stamped self-addressed envelope. Whatever I don’t sell in advance, I’ll bring to the Sprint, and then leave for camp to sell this summer.”
Rather than make the standard donation to the Patch Sprint’s sole beneficiary, elite racer Cole Starkey has instead offered an incentive to all racers: “For everyone that finishes faster than three hours, I am donating two dollars. And, for each person that comes in under four hours, I’ll throw in one dollar.” Based on 2008 results, that comes out to better than 60 dollars.
This is the third straight year in which a participant has offered a finish incentive. “This will hopefully help to encourage the racers.” said Foundation spokesperson Tim Singer, “knowing that their success will, in a small way, help a child attend summer camp is a nice motivation. Our thanks to Cole, and all of the donors.”
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