Striders attend Green Mountain Running Camp

The 44th annual Green Mountain Running Camp was held this past week on the gorgeous 1,300-acre campus of Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, N.H., located 13 miles south of Dartmouth College. The bucolic campus offers miles of beautiful, wide running trails, right from campus for the hundreds of campers to take advantage of.

The Nike Green Mountain Running Camp offers the perfect mix of learning, training and recreation for high school and middle school cross country runners.

Some of the highlights of the camp were:

Top-notch college and high school coaching, advanced placement cross country class for those elite runners who desire college-level instruction about the art and science of running, videotaping with personal form analysis, pacing workouts each day on the track to reinforce the educational component of effort-based training philosophy, and chances for campers to test out the latest in Nike shoes.

Seashore Striders coach Derek Shockro is one of the coaches at the camp. He delivered a top-notch speech to the runners on overcoming adversity and the importance of a dynamic warmup routine.

Seashore Striders runners attending the camp were Austen Cave, Lainey Shockro, Devin Hundley and Jakob Hayes.

Dam Mill 5K

The Dam Mill 5K Run is held every year in Millsboro. Many runners have named it the best little race in Delaware, as it will only attract 200 participants. It is run on a fast, flat course through the streets of Millsboro. Over the past 34 years, the race has produced many outstanding performances, and many outstanding individuals have offered their services to the event. 

In 2003, I celebrated the 20th annual event by developing a Dam Mill Hall of Fame, into which 26 individuals have been inducted at the post-race awards ceremony.  

Here is a look at the Hall of Fame by class:

2003 - The Seashore Striders celebrated the 20-year anniversary with the original three founders, Gary Brittingham, Graham Living and Donna Rogers, inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

2004 - Longtime runners Marion Lisehora and Tom Sombar won the honor for their yearly dedication to the event.

2005 - The event’s first winner back in 1984, Eric Beam of Ocean View, was inducted along with longtime race director in the 1980s Dr. Paul Collins.

2006 - The Hall of Fame presentation was held just before the award ceremony as hall of famer Marion Lisehora presented former chamber President Joan Boyce with the honor as well as safety coordinator John Hall for his efforts in making the event one of the safest in the state.

2007 - The highlight of the day, outside of the best running weather of the whole summer, was the induction of Roger Marino into the Dam Mill Hall of Fame. Marino and his crew from Mountaire work countless hours on the event and team up with the police and fire police of Millsboro to make sure it goes off perfectly.  Every group needs a leader, and Marino has been a positive addition to the event for many years at the Dam Mill 5K.

2008 - Longtime race director Bruce Springer was inducted. Springer directed the event in the late ‘80s and into the ‘90s and was the owner in the ‘80s and ‘90s of the longtime running shop in Rehoboth Beach called Timeout Sports.

2009 - The level-headed brains of this operation and if any of our previous 11 Hall of Fame selections feel a bit ill, we now have a doctor in the Dam Mill Hall of Fame - The Doctor of Racing - Lee Masser!

2010 -  A successful event has many behind-the-scenes individuals who work hard to make the event as safe as possible. This group does just that, and the Millsboro Police Department was inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

2011 - Two individuals who helped the event grow to what it is today were inducted. The first and one of the best, if not the best, age-group runner who dominated three different age groups for nearly 15 years – Herb Hall. Also honored was a great 10-year supporter of the event, Terry Ayers. Terry handled much of the post-race celebration providing the participants with great refreshments and door prizes.

2012 - Longtime runners Peter Tracey, 52, of Washington D.C., and David Landis, 52, of Selbyville entered the Hall of Fame. Competing in 20 Dam Mill races, the honor was well deserved.

2013 - Running icons Richard Tikiob and Dave “Fredman” Frederick were 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 their professional shots.

2014 - Seashore Striders volunteers Joey Kwit and Roxy Castillo travel weekly from New York City to Rehoboth Beach to be a part of the SS family and help put on quality events at the beach. Two volunteers who are simply valuable, positive assets to the Seashore Striders. 

2015 - Entering the hall of fame were two outstanding age-group runners dating back to the late ‘80s – Alan Quillen and the late Larry Windsor. Both training partners were respected by the running community for nearly three decades.

2016 - One of the best age-group runners this race has ever seen, with age-group wins in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015. That’s 10 of 16 years. It was my great pleasure to induct Breck Vanderwende into the Dam Mill Hall of Fame.

2017 - Dianna Golden, a female masters runner, has dominated three age groups and has won several titles in Millsboro. On the male side, Leslie Wright has won several overall titles over the years, and in his prime he was always a force when he toed the line. 

2018 … 

Series wrapping up

The 28th annual Seashore Striders Championship Series is wrapping up, with two races still remaining to qualify. The 35th Dam Mill 5K starts at 7:30 a.m., Saturday, July 28, in Millsboro, and the final race will be the 10th Run for the Paws at 8 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 4, in Dewey Beach. Runners must complete five 5K races and and one five-mile race to qualify for the series. Points are awarded based on finish order (placement) in each race, with the lowest points winning the age group.