Delaware Track Hall of Famer Rod Lambert dies at 75

Rod Lambert, the Delaware track and cross country historian, coaches association and state committee member, author, record-keeper and originator of the N5CTA website, passed away this week at the age of 75.

Many remembered all those contributions after learning Lambert had died Tuesday. Though Lambert had battled Parkinson’s disease, he died from multiple system atrophy.

Lambert was among the 14 original inductees to the Delaware Track & Field Hall of Fame when it was formed in 1994. Two years later, Lambert was inducted to the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame.

I remember when Rod Lambert turned to coaching, highlighted by his 1980-90 stint at Padua.

Lambert guided Padua to seven Division I outdoor track and field titles from 1983-90, then coached William Penn’s girls to a share of the 1999 Division I state title with Dover. Lambert was state girls’ coach of the year in outdoor track five times from 1985-90.

Indoors, Lambert steered Padua to five straight state titles from 1983-87 and William Penn’s girls to back-to-back titles in 1998 and 1999, while picking up six more state coach of the year awards. The 1998 William Penn team had just five girls who scored but won the title.

Lambert was a man for all seasons. His Padua teams won the first eight state girls’ cross country titles, beginning in 1981, and he was coach of the year three times.

At meets, the ultra-focused Lambert could be seen with his clipboard in one hand and stopwatch in the other, methodically monitoring the performances of his athletes and conversing with them between events, providing tactical advice and motivational insight.

Rod’s son Randy, a standout long jumper, held the state record until a jumper out of Cape Henlopen by the name of Kai Maull took over the record. RIP, Rod. Delaware track and field will miss your expertise.

Run for Recovery 5K Run & Walk

The inaugural Run for Recovery 5K Run & Walk will be held Saturday, May 6, from Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes. The event is sponsored by AtTAcK Addiction and produced by Seashore Striders.

This event was founded in Sussex County to bring awareness to the growing drug addiction problem we have here, particularly with the use of opioid medications and heroin. Our goal is to present the proceeds of this event to AtTAcK Addiction to be used for the development and presentation of educational prevention programs in Sussex County, to support individuals and families coping with substance use disorder, and to raise community awareness through speaking engagements and table events offering educational literature and resource information. 

Preregistration fee through May 1 is $25; the late registration fee on race week through race day is $30. Awards will be presented to the overall, masters, and top 3 in 10-year age groups from 9-and-under to 80-and-over.

For more information, go to www.seashorestriders.com.

Coastal Delaware Running Festival

The Coastal Delaware Running Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23, benefiting Delaware Seashore Preservation Foundation and Delaware Seashore State Parks. The race will be produced by Focus Multisports of Bethany Beach. The marathon event will begin at Delaware State Parks/Tower Road and take in Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach and Lewes before making its way back to Dewey Beach and the Lighthouse-Baycenter waterfront complex for the finish.

There will be a 5K Saturday and a 9K, half marathon, and full marathon Sunday. Go to www.codelrun.com for more race information. 

Young sails 16-6 in pole vault

Sam Young, a freshman at the University of Virginia, graduate of Cape, jumped 16-feet-6-inches to finish second in the Miami Invitational March 25 in the pole vault event. Last weekend at the Texas Relays, Sam did not clear opening height of 16-feet-1-inch, which seems a bit high to me for an opening height. Next for Sam is the Virginia Challenge April 21-22 in Charlottesville, Va. Sam will compete at the ACC Championships Friday, May 12, in Atlanta, Ga.