A look from the back of the pack

On the morning of Fourth of July, 400 runners and walkers took off from Grove Park in the 25th Beach Paper Firecracker 5K, while 450 raced off the line in Dewey Beach the following day at the 6th Outlet Liquors 5K at the Rusty Rudder. Also Sunday, 250 participants raced into the surf in the half-mile swim and 5K run in Rehoboth Beach at the 25th Dave Reynolds Swim/Run Biathlon. It was a busy weekend in the world of racing with nearly 1,100 athletes of all shapes, sizes and ability levels taking part in the Fourth of July events at the beach.

When the dust settled from the weekend, Mike Digennaro, 37, of Wilmington ran 15:57, while Lisa Veneziano, 50, of Fenton, Mich., ran 19:23 to capture the Firecracker 5K.

Sean Ryan, 17, of Tuckahoe, N.Y., won the Outlet Liquors 5K on Sunday with a sprint to the finish in 16:36, while Veneziano again won the female title in 19:32. Brad Brooks of Newark completed the Dave Reynolds Biathlon in 29:00 to win the male title, while JoAnna Baird finished sixth overall and defended her title in 34:14.

A look from the back of the pack
by Jesse Bishop

You know you're bad at running when a 70-year-old man is behind you chanting, "Don't let me beat you!" Don't get me wrong, this was my first 5K ever, and I've improved ... a little bit.

I know this is a column usually written by Rehoboth's running aficionado, but today, it's written by someone with a bit of an outsider's perspective. That would be me, Jess, an athletically challenged 18 year old. (For those of you who know Tim well, I'm that girl who's been hanging around his eldest son for a good year and some change.)

Anyway, I'm here to encourage people - especially those who have never thought about running a race they know they won't ever win - to give a 5K a try.

Here's a couple reasons why:

1. The people who run are good people: There's the spirited running veterans, who can lap you while also taking pictures of you (Richard) as well as a crazy awesome group of volunteers who make your race experience as great as physical exercise could possibly be. Not to mention the people you meet and the outlandish outfits they will imprint in your memory, whether you want them to or not.

2. A chance to see the sunrise: Race registration starts really early for you morning people. And if you're not a morning person, running a race will turn that around as soon as you hear the starting gun.

3. It does wonders for your confidence: No matter if you're the leader or stopping to walk every now or then, you're still lapping that guy on the couch, and that should feel really good.

4. There's food: No kidding, there's a ton of fruit. And bagels. Who could say no to bagels?

5. Even if you don't win, you get a souvenir: Every race has a T-shirt, and if you run a lot, you could make a rockin' T-shirt quilt.

6. You give back when you a run a 5K: When you go to an NFL game, you're feeding the fat cat's wallet who really doesn't need more cash. When you run a local race, you're often contributing to a great cause, such as a scholarship or a charity. Running is for the givers, not so much the takers.

7. Workout clothes (this could be a pro or a con; bear with me). Enough said.

Though I've only won two awards running (one being for my costume and another because there were only two people in my age group), I still love to be around the community. They are a kind, encouraging, giving bunch of people, who will respect you no matter your PR, and I'm lucky enough to have been a part of a Seashore Striders event.

Upcoming races

Saturday July 11 - 6th Kelly J. Fritchman Memorial 5K & Kiddie K; Irish Eyes, Lewes; 8 a.m.; races2run.com.

Sunday, July 12 - 9th Dewey Beach Liquors at the Cork 5K; Dewey Beach; 8 a.m.; races2run.com.

Saturday, July 18 - 8th Race for the Ribbon 5K, Green Turtle, Rehoboth Beach; 7:30 a.m.; seashorestriders.com.

Sunday, July 19 - 33rd Seashore 5-Miler, Deauville Beach, Rehoboth Beach; 7:30 a.m.; seashorestriders.com.