SEPARATE BUT EQUAL

     When 56-year old trekker Jon Bush neared the top of Mt. Pok-O-Moonshine, he was alone and well behind the next to last finisher at Saturday’s Patch Sprint.     That’s when he ran into a competitor who was on his way down, but offered to return to the top to accompany Bush to the finish.  “These steep sections are killing me,” groaned Bush.  “I know what you mean, I was struggling on the hills too,” the other racer concurred.

     The man accompanying Bush was Cole Starkey, 26, overall race winner, who finished with a time more than five hours faster then the final trekker.

     92 racers and trekkers completed the 2011 course, one less than in 2010, but under much more trying conditions.  “It was not a great spring, weather wise,” said Jim Kobak, five-time champion who knows the course better than most.  Indeed, water, mud, heat and humidity slowed finishing times for all.  “What a difference a year makes,” stated Tim Singer, who has finished more Patch Sprints than anyone.  “The course was never better than in 2010, and never worse than this year.  That’s adventure racing!”

     For the fourth time in as many tries, Deborah Nordyke (Hadley, NY) captured the women’s racing division.  “I woke up feeling sick and it was a struggle all day,” said Nordyke, who arrived at the top of Pok-O in just under three hours.  “But, this is a great event.”  At 49, Nordyke continues to defy age, winning the division by five minutes over 23-year old two-time champion Alexandra Disney.  Marcie Kobak recorded her third straight top-3, followed by Susie Trzaskos and Sabrina Smith.

     The Clydesdale division has never been thinner, both in numbers and size, with Matt Elliott (Brighton, MA) taking the title at just 210 pounds.  In the past, Elliott has finished as high as second overall, yet this was his first division win. Josh Bornt, also coming in trimmer than ever, earned his fifth top-3 finish.

     In three out of four racing divisions, the 2010 winners successfully defended their title;  Kindersprint was no exception, with Eric Shreiner taking the trophy by three minutes over 2009 champion Jackson Konowitz.  Wyatt Trzaskos took third; at just five-years old, he’s the youngest to ever score a top-3.

TAKING THEIR TIME

     42 out of 47 trekkers who started the event successfully completed the entire course, with all but one making it to the top of Pok-O-Moonshine.
     Most inspiring among them may have been Bob Andrews who covered the course with apparent ease of effort, and a cheerful attitude to become, at 76, the oldest ever Patch Sprinter.

     Andrews was book ended (and is pictured with) 9-year old Nora.  In 2009, Nora become the youngest ever Patch Sprinter and, again this year, was the youngest to cover the course.  She was led by her father Drew Canning, who co founded the trekker division in 2001, and has made it a habit of guiding young kids around the course.  “I had five with me this year.  We stopped a lot for food and had much more fun then those idiots who try to run it as fast as they can!”

WEATHER… OR NOT

      The 2011 Patch Sprint has been nicknamed by many (just go to Facebook and see) “The Year of the Mud.”  But, in truth, the weather Gods were smiling last Saturday.  During a holiday weekend filled with severe thunderstorms, tornado watches and warnings, and several inches of rain, Patch Sprinters were rewarded with an eight hour window Saturday, in which to run, trek, watch, celebrate and party.  It was the only dry extended period all weekend.

     Will the Patch Gods be smiling again next year?  Join in May 26-28, 2012 to find out!