Snowball 5K a cold race kicked by hot cider

A race doesn’t need to be a happening to happen. In fact, smaller races harken back to simpler and slower times when more athletes crowded the donut counter on Sunday morning than some cold oceanside, windblown course for a December Snowball 5K with no snow.

Seventy-seven runners showed up at 10 a.m., Dec. 11, for the 11th running of the race by the fishing pier at Cape Henlopen State Park, where running is no longer permitted, although sitting on an overturned five-gallon bucket next to a Rubbermaid fish cooler packed with ice is deemed structurally safe.

Colin Craig, 15, from Rehoboth was the overall winner in 19:58, followed by John Blackford in 21:31, Lisa Sherman in 21:43, Robert Fitzgerald in 21:47 and Tim Young in 21:49.

Jon Blackford, 40, was male masters winner, while Jackie Quigley, 49, won the women’s masters in 24:18.

The female 10-13 was won by Katie Kuhlman, 11, in 22:21, with Faith Mitchell, 10, close behind in 24:24.

Clydesdale runner John Yanacek, turned 50, looking leaner, almost incognito or in witness protection, was second behind Tim Young, running a fast 22:42.  

Nina Smeltzer, 57, the Danish barrister from Rehoboth Beach, won the 50-59 age group in 26:24.  

Speaking of law enforcement, my man Neil Trugman, 66, from Lewes, who works in Washington and investigates train crashes, was happy to run 43:32 while chasing his wife Kristan, 49, who ran 33:04. She doubled back to escort Neil to the finish line.

There were cups of hot chocolate and hot apple cider at the finish line with bagels and fruit, but no donuts.

The final Seashore Striders race of the calendar year is the Saturday, Dec. 31 Race into the New Year at noon in Rehoboth.