Strong turnout for two inaugural races

The inaugural Nicola Pizza 5K Run/Walk was held Nov. 11 from Nicola Pizza in Lewes to benefit Home of the Brave. The race featured a 5,000-meter course looping the Villages of Five Points. A high-energy field of 193 finishers raced off the starting line as owner Nick Caggiano Jr. got them going for the 3.1-mile loop. The 5K started after a group of young kids took part in the Nic-o-boli Dash. The course crossed Savannah Road with professional help from the Delaware Department of Transportation and finished on the multiuse path on the north side of Savannah Road.

Racing first back to the finish was 38-year-old Milton runner Andy Gorlich in a time of 18:59.5. Michael Sewell, 54, of Lewes won the male masters championship in 20:56.6, while 53-year-old Tanya Karaman of Smyrna won the female overall championship in 22:40.0. Jennifer Smith, 49, of Georgetown won the female masters championship in 24:11. One of the highlights of the morning was the presentation of the custom pizza awards made locally by Louis “Half Pint” Stockley. It was one of the most energetic award ceremonies I have been involved with in my 33 years. The crowd of Nicola Pizza supporters was alive and well. A great inaugural event at an iconic business at the beach.

Horseshoe Hustle 5K

Oliver Malkin, 15, of Bethany Beach won the inaugural Horseshoe Hustle 5K held Nov. 12 at Bethany Brewing Co. in Ocean View. A field of 335 runners and walkers turned out for the event, which benefitted the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays. Mark Carter, who jump-started the original Dogfish Dash, served as race organizer. Malkin was first across the line in 19:18, while Mark Lundine of Lewes was second in 20:02 to capture the 20-29 age-group title. Beacon Middle standout Nick Petito, 13, of Rehoboth Beach rounded out the top three finishers in 20:04. John Costello, 62, of Milton won the male masters race in 20:09. Sarah Richards, 39, of Rehoboth Beach won the female championship in 20:19. Pamela Jock, 53, of Dayton, Md., captured the female masters title in 24:30.

“The Horseshoe Crab Hustle really brought together the community to support our Inland Bays, and we are so appreciative of the runners and walkers who joined us for this inaugural event,” said Carter. “A big thank you to the Bethany Brewing Company for hosting and pulling out the stops to put on such a fun event.”

Striders head to Nationals

A group of 10 Seashore Striders members will head west to Louisville, Ky., for this Saturday’s Cross Country Coaches National Youth Championships. It is the 33rd straight year the Striders will be represented at the meet and the fifth trip to Louisville. Runners heading to the starting line include: Bennett Curry, Nora and Nolan Furlong, Leo and Esther Furlong, Whit and Ruby Leps, Seth Moore, Kai Mundok and Jude Peacock. Good luck to the purple and yellow as they toe the line with nearly 3,000 runners from across the United States.