Miles for Smiles 5K

Cape Girardeau, MO -- November 13, 2010
(Results @ Cape Road Runners: http://www.caperoadrunners.org/results.htm )
(Race photos available from Goddard Photography: http://www.goddardphotographyonline.com/f430416726 )

About 50 runners take off from SFMC.

Overall winners Ashley Schmittzehe and Kevin Hammes.

Run for One More 10K

Cape Girardeau, MO -- November 6, 2010
(Results @ Cape Road Runners: http://www.caperoadrunners.org/results.htm )

First year for this event, and Race Director Shelly Gerard has a fantastic 10K course to challenge the folks who are looking to break away from the 5K rut.  Lots of hills first couple of miles, then leveling off for a trip downtown and back on Broadway.  Re-tweeked my gimpy hamstring during warm ups and it started to cramp up on me climbing first hill on Cape Rock Drive.  The rest of the race is spent trying to run at a pace where the pain is manageable.  Land on about 6:30 minute miles.  Know now that I will not be racing for a while, so just letting the chips fall.  Probably would have slowed down more, but could hear Kevin Dorris breathing down my neck.  He was a big help in pushing me on.  Remember seeing overall winner Chad Sierman going through the first mile split coasting up the hill on Dunklin.  Don't see him again until the awards ceremony.  Chellie Jannin wins the 10K female overall.  5K overall winners were D.J. Priggel and Jacqueline Heath.  Great job by Shelly and her people on the course were real pros.

-KBramlett

Female Overall Winner Chell Jannin breaks away from pacer
Joe Windeknecht with a strong finishing kick.

Shannon "Rising Force" Aldridge.

Kevin Bramlett: 2nd Overall in 10K.

L to R - Chellie Jannin, Shannon Aldridge, Shannon Daniels, Emily Goode and Kevin Bramlett.

Harvest Festival 5K

Corning, AR -- October 23, 2010
(Results @ Ridge Rider Athletic Club: http://www.stearnsracetiming.com/Results/2010/10-23%20Harvest%20Festival/2010%20Overall%20Results.txt )

I had heard about this race for a couple of years. Bramlett verified it as a well organized race and an accurate, flat course. Brandon had a down week of XC so I decided to venture south to run against some ARK boys. Weather 65 degrees, sunny with a S wind of 12-15mph. We run the course before hand. It is definitely flat and appears accurate. My garmin shows 3.13 miles at the end of the race.

About a 100 people line up to run and I take off with the lead pack of 5 HS kids. The leader and eventual winner is easy to spot. He is about 6' tall, has a mohawk, and the words "Pack Leader" on the back of his lime-green shirt. I end up running my fastest 5K of the year with a 17:31, good for 2nd OA. Bramlett also runs a fast race and ends up 5th OA with a 18:30 finish. Two old men were pretty happy with their performances. Topped the day off with an awesome meal at Bram's grandmother's house prior to heading back north. It is a good out-of-state run to consider.

-KHammes



Meeting up "south of the border" this weekend with Kevin Hammes to face off against some Arkansas competition.  This race starts and finishes in front of my old elementary school classroom, and course runs in front of my 96 year old grandmother's house.  It is the only time she gets to watch me race, and seeing me race is the only way I can convince her that I'm this skinny on purpose.  Course is flat and fast, the hardware is awesome, and race usually draws large group of high school runners along with some of the top masters runners from Jonesboro and Paragould.  Today is perfect for racing.  I'd not rested properly after the half marathon, and tweeked a hamstring during my hill repeat workout on 10/15.  Hoping to get through this morning without problems.  Luckily, all the parts worked and things went well start to finish.  We both ran two of our best 5K times in months.

-KBramlett

About 100 runners start from Corning Central Elementary.

Kevin Hammes: 2nd Overall

Kevin Bramlett: 5th Overall

Truman State Homecoming 5K

Kirksville, MO -- October 16, 2010

Travel to my alma mater for the first time on Homecoming Weekend since 1988.  Plan on hitting  Paglias while in town for some delicious ronzas and running their Homecoming 5K prior to catching the football game.  Run the course pre-race and note the second half of the course has some difficult hills.  Talk to Andyman prior to the start of the race.  He is one of the Columbia, MO areas ultrarunners and also a NMSU grad.    Race Summary:  Take off behind the lead group of about 10 college guys;  the pack begins to thin out around 1.25 miles into the race.  Slowly working my way toward the front 5 runners.  Not exactly sure who all was racing as several of the front guys ended up being bandits and peeled off during the last 1/2 mile of the course.  Finish in 3rd place overall with an 18:03 and then enjoy the rest of the day watching the parade, talking with some old friends and enjoying the gorgeous fall weather.

-KHammes

City of Roses Half Marathon & 5K

Cape Girardeau, MO -- September 19, 2010

(Results @ SplitMaster Timing and Cape Road Runners: http://www.splitmastertiming.com/assets/2010-results/Splits_Corrected2.pdf and http://www.splitmastertiming.com/assets/2010-results/Results_5k2.pdf )
(Race photos available from Goddard Photography: http://www.goddardphotographyonline.com/f430416726 )

Nice turnout for 30th anniversary.  Chad Sierman and Shawn Brumfield run off from the field with Chad winning the overall in 1:18:30.  Aspiring pro ultimate frisbee athlete Mark Hahn takes the male masters division with a solid and well-executed effort.  Annie Bellantone from South Bend, IN wins the female overall in 1:29:59.  58 year old Kim Cheonae first in female masters.  High school runners did a first-class job working the course.  Their coaches should be proud.  My first half marathon.  Hope to take lessons learned and do it better next time out.

-KBramlett

The 215 runners take off at the 30th Annual City of Roses Half Marathon.

Half Marathon Overall Winner Chad Sierman.

L to R - Rob Dodson, Don Brown, Kevin Bramlett, Bruce Nie,
and Anthony Borth.

Joe Windeknecht

2010 City of Rose 5K. 

5K Overall Winner Billy Leighton and Kevin Hammes break
out of the pack.

5th Annual Forest Park 4K XC Run

St. Louis, MO -- September, 11, 2010
(Results @ http://www.bigriverrunning.com/FPF_OPENwsplits.htm )

Rookie run for me on a XC course.  Rained heavily for two days prior to meet and the course a rainy, and soon to be muddy, mess.  Open division run first on a slate of 7 races that Saturday and the mud and water is flying everywhere on the first 250m of the course.  Run a solid race and finish 18th OA and second master's finisher behind 50 y/o phenom Dan Rooney.  Had a great time running on the grass and mud course.  XC racing is definitely challenging but alot of fun. 

Brandon runs later in the day and begins to establish his place as one of the top runners in MO high school ranks with a 7th place OA finish in the large school division.

-KHammes

28th Annual Jour de Fete

Ste. Genevieve, MO -- August 14, 2010

83 degrees, 96% humidity, and 71° dew point...a perfect morning to run up Maxwell Hill.  Event draws about 150 this year.  Kevin Hammes 3rd overall, myself 5th, and Steve Schmittzehe 6th as gang from down south sweeps the Male 45-49 Division (still one of my favorite post-race photographs).  Shannon Aldridge drops 5:00 minutes off his 2009 time.  FORCE!!  Myself and Kevin Hammes had been subjecting our wives to a heavy dose of racing over the past few weeks, so we took them downtown for a nice lunch and some girl-time at the festival.  Gave us a few extra hours to chat...about running.  Was a great day.

-KBramlett

Kevin Hammes, Kevin Bramlett, and Steve Schmittzehe

Male 45-49 Age Group Winners.