Logger Burger With Fries shows good taste, while those Prom Queens positively glow

Published 5:00 pm Sunday, August 28, 2005

SEASIDE – The trouble with running, as the old saying goes, “is that by the time you realize you’re not in shape for it, it’s too far to walk back.”

Nearly 16,000 runners and walkers probably felt a little like that this weekend, as they hit the pavement and made their way from Mount Hood to Seaside in the annual Fred Meyer Hood to Coast marathon.

The beaches of Seaside served as the finish line all day Saturday for the 24th edition of the World’s Largest Marathon (196 miles), as well as the Portland-to-Coast Relay walk and the Portland-to-Coast High School Challenge.

Teams from Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts, and from cities such as Carrboro, N.C., Roswell, Ga., and Litchfield, N.H. took part.

One of the top local finishers were the “Prom Queens,” in the Women’s Supermasters division.

The longtime competitors in the Portland to Coast relay finished fifth in their division 127th overall.

This year’s Prom Queen team included Judy Bigby, Sue Browning, Christie Carpenter, Jane Franck, Susan Franck, Patty Klaas, Marilynn Knowlson and Ginny Utti.

“Clatsop Slug Bait,” a regular participant in the Hood to Coast, finished a little off their pace, but team members still enjoyed the race.

John Goodenberger, running his eighth HTC, said the first leg of the race down Mt. Hood was run in temperatures in the mid-80s.

“We were taken aback by that a little, but the weather was actually real nice going up the coast range,” he said. “It was cool enough with clear skies.”

By the time Goodenberger ran his leg of the race, from Lewis & Clark School to the log-sorting area around 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon, the temperatures had warmed up again.

Other Clatsop Sluggers included Charlotte Beaudry, Del and Karen Borders, Laurie Choate, Cruz Flores, Wendy Howie, Sheryl Manley, Kate Merrill, Steve Siler, Robert Tilander and Kevin Turnblom.

The Seaside School District had its entrant, “School Runnings,” running their seventh Hood to Coast.

Team member Don Wickersham, principal at Seaside High School, said, “it’s not so much a race for competitive runners – it’s for all ages, and once you’re out there the teams are all very supportive of each other.”

Also running for School Runnings were Doug, Katie and Laura Dougherty, Natalie Dyroff, Dan Gaffney, Jennifer Gooch (the team’s Rookie of the Year), Doug Pease, Steve Putnam, Tim Putnam, Carolyn Ramey and Sheila Roley.

“This was the best-organized Hood to Coast since I’ve been running it,” Goodenberger said. “Trafficwise, there was some waiting in a few spots, but you got there. And some of the problems they’ve had in the past were all cleaned up, and it was really well-organized.”

Wickersham agreed.

“You always hear about the negative things, but they’re doing what they can to make it better every year. There are portions of the race where it clogs up, but we moved through pretty easily.”

The Portland to Coast High School Challenge, sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, also had local entrants, as Knappa’s “Logger Burger with Fries,” took part, and finished in the top 10 (15 hours, 51 minutes).

The team included Steve Allen, Nate Boardman, Josh Frye, Lars Gjovik, Luke Newberry and Steve Tadei in Van 1, with Darin Clayton, Paul Isom, Ryan Isom, Kevin Martens, Curtis Olds and Brentin Salisbury in the second van.

Astoria was represented in the High School Challenge by “Danish Made Dozen,” which included students Shaun Barrick, Skyler Butenshon, Abbie Chesimet, Jonnie Dunne, Drew Gustafson, Ben Lilley, Ian and Ross MacDougall, Eva Miehe, Bridget Nurding and Johnny Wilson.

The group finished fourth in it division, 11th overall.