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Winter relents for warm 5K Run to the Plunge

The weather shifted from unseasonably cold to unseasonably warm Feb. 1, as runners participated in the 5K Run to the Plunge in Rehoboth Beach. Shown are (l-r)  Frankie Jordan, Zach Krause, Brett Cordrey and Jayson Bak. BY NICK ROTH
Nick Roth
February 7, 2014
The 5K Run to the Plunge started at The Bandstand in Rehoboth Beach and ended on Maryland Avenue near the Atlantic Sands Hotel. BY NICK ROTH
It turned into an obstacle course for race winner Steven Eshelman, as a loose dog tried to play a little defense at the finish line. BY NICK ROTH
Steven Eshelman crossed the finish line at 17:40 to win the race by nearly 30 seconds. BY NICK ROTH
William Schaffer cruises down the home stretch to finish second in 18:06. BY NICK ROTH
David Marshall pushes himself the final few strides to finish in third place with a time of 18:53. BY NICK ROTH
Adam Marshell couldn't overtake his closest competitor, finishing one second behind in fourth place with a time of 18:54. BY NICK ROTH
Rebecca Lewandowski was the first female runner to complete the course, in 19:25. BY NICK ROTH
Sam Spillman, left, and Graham Spillman round the final corner onto Maryland Avenue to finish the race in 23:32 and 23:31, respectively. BY NICK ROTH
Brett Cordrey, front, and Jayson Bak run up First Street. They finished in 21:20 and 22:20, respectively. BY NICK ROTH
Leanne Carson ran a 6:40 pace to finish in 20:42. BY NICK ROTH

There was still snow on the ground, but the scene at the 5K Run to the Plunge Feb. 1 was juxtaposed with runners in shorts and T-shirts. Mother Nature offered a reprieve from the recent snow and frigid temperatures to provide a mildly warm weekend for the Lewes Polar Bear Plunge events in Rehoboth Beach.

More than 500 competitors took advantage of the warmer weather to run the 3.1-mile course and support Special Olympics Delaware. Steve Eshelman, 20, cruised to the win, crossing the finish line on Maryland Avenue in a time of 17:40. He was followed in by William Schaffer in 18:06, David Marshall in 18:53 and Adam Marshell in 18:54.

Rebecca Lewandowski finished fifth overall and was the first female competitor to complete the course, in 19:25. Rounding out the very competitive women's top five were Christine Marks in 20:18, Jennifer Lucas in 20:22, Leanne Carson in 20:42 and Jen Cawthern in 20:52.

More than $725,000 was raised during the whole Polar Plunge weekend. On Feb. 2, 3,252 people plunged into the 34-degree Atlantic Ocean off Rehoboth Beach. In its 23 years, the event has raised more than $7.525 million for Special Olympics Delaware.

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Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and handling page layout, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams. 

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