Seashore 5-Miler draws 182 runners to Rehoboth
The second of the two qualifying five-mile events in the Seashore Striders Summer Racing Series was held July 13 from Grove Park in Rehoboth Beach. A nice field of 182 runners and walkers turned out for the 43rd annual Seashore 5-Miler. It was an increase from last year’s total of 160 participants. Dylan Smiley, 27, of Rehoboth Beach cruised through the course to Gordons Pond and back in a time of 26:54.0 to capture the overall title, while Jake Bamforth, 27, of Fort Collins, Colo., finished second in 28:54.2. Bamforth’s roommate, Christian Kadletz, 26, was third in 29:39.2.
Kadletz, a Colorado State graduate student studying finance and a member of the CSU triathlon team, made his first trip to the First State and participated in the Seashore Striders race while visiting.
“I felt good today even in the high humidity of the East Coast,” said Kadletz, who trains in Colorado at 5,000 feet.
Local Andy Gorlich took fourth and captured the male masters in 31:30, while 17-year-old Kaleb Williams of Middletown rounded out the top five male finishers in 32:36.9.
Chloe McCarthy, 20, of Davidsonville, Md., won the female title in 31:51.2, finishing fifth overall, while 39-year-old Melissa Wiley of Ocean City, Md., was second in 36:28.3. Laurie Dymond, 59, of Chambersburg, Pa., ran 38:44.6 to win the female masters division.
Dam Mill 5K
The 42nd Dam Mill 5K is set for Sunday, July 27, in Millsboro. The race is nicknamed “The Best Little Race in Delaware.” In 2003, the Seashore Striders celebrated the 20-year anniversary of the race by introducing the Dam Mill Hall of Fame.
The first class was the induction of the original three founders: Gary Brittingham, Graham Living and Donna Rogers. The 2009 selection went to the level-headed brains of the 19-year operation, Dr. Lee Masser. The year 2013 saw running icons Richard Tikiob and Dave "Fredman" Frederick voted into the Hall of Fame. Both were Dam Mill runners and now capture photo memories, with Fredman covering the start and finish, and Tikiob all over the course with action shots. Thousands of runners each summer enjoy these professional photos. In 2016, one of the best age-group runners this race has ever seen was honored. Breck Vanderwende won age-group championships in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015. That is 10 of 16 years. In 2022, 83-year-old Jack Noel joined the Hall of Fame and has provided 40 years of magic to the race. Tim Bamforth, 33-year race director, was inducted by a secret ballot in 2023.
Wait and see who will join the hall of fame this year.
