The latest all-comers meet at Terra Linda High School in the Northern California town of San Rafael Track was special. On Tuesday, it was the scene of a great M50 mile. The listed WR is the fabled 4:25.04 by Nolan Shaheed in 2001. Franklin “Frank” Ruona picks up the story: “A few days prior to Tamalpa’s September Track Meet, I received an email from Carl Rose, coach of the Strawberry Canyon TC, asking if the track meet was going to take place on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, as he had a 51-year-old male runner who wanted to try to run a 4:30 mile in the meet. I told Carl that, yes, … and the mile would be the first race of the meet at 6:30 p.m. When Carl told me that Tom LeGan was going to try to run a 4:30 mile, I told him ‘Great,’ but I frankly had my doubts that any local 51-year-old male was going run a 4:30 mile. I was WRONG! Carl brought two fast young Strawberry Canyon TC open runners to pace Tom and, to my surprise, Tom was on pace to break 4:30 when he hit the three-quarter-mile mark in 3:20.46.”

Frank continued:

Unfortunately, Tom faded a bit on his final lap, running 1:12.34, and finished in 4:32.80. He had run 67.06, 2:13.11 and 3:20.46 for his three-quarter mile splits, averaging just under 67 per lap. Carl tells me that Tom has been fighting some injury problems and was not in top shape for this race. He hopes to give it a try again in 2018 and see if he can get the age group record of 4:25. Seeing Tom’s performance this past Tuesday, I think he has a realistic chance!”

The first finisher in the mile was 19-year-old Ben Harper in 4:31.91, with 22-year-old Ryan Smith right on his tail at 4:32.15.

Tom LeGan was right behind in 4:32.80. His 94.06% age grade for the race was world class and was the higgest age grade of the meet.

Anabela Diaz was the first woman finisher in 7:12.79.

The 400M was the next event in the meet and Dierk Herbermann won easily in 1:07.21. V. Tyler was the first woman finisher in 1:15.49 and had the highest age grade in the race at 77.04%.
Ben Harper was the first-place finisher in the 800M with a time of 2:10.72 and had the highest age grade in the race a 78.64%. Anabela Diaz was the first woman finisher in 3:26.79.

Fausto Vargas was the winner in the 200M with a time of 0:29.46 and Anabela Diaz was again the first woman finisher in 0:42.05. 71-year-old Marshall Johnson had the highest age grade in the race with 76.77 percent.

Bojan Prokic was the fastest 100M runner with a 12.52 finish. Anabela Diaz was again the first woman finisher in 20.24. Paul Herrerias, at age 61, had the highest age grade in the race at 83.12 percent for his 14.16 finish.

The final races of the meet were the 2 Mile and the 5000, which were run concurrently. Matt Kennedy won the 2 Mile in 11:50.06 and had the highest age grade of 77.04 percent. 19-year-old Ben Harper won the 5000M for his 3rd victory of the meet with a fine time of 16:19.05 which also gave him the highest age grade in the race at 79.57 percent. Anabela Diaz was the first woman finisher in 22:26.32.

Anabela Diaz and Chris Jones were the Iron Woman and Iron Man of the meet, as the both participated in the maximum 6 races. Anabela was the female winner in 5 of her 6 races.

Thanks go to Kevin Rumon, Lon Freeman and Justine Owen who have been our crack finish line crew for the Tamalpa Track Meets for many years now.

They have been very reliable and very good and we appreciate their great volunteer work. Thanks also to Max Kam who helped with registration as well as being the starter for the sprints and the 5000 race.

We hope to be back at San Rafael High School for the 2018 track season and hope that we see you all again when we start our track meets in May 2018!

Complete results:

Tamalpa Track Meet
Terra Linda High School
12-Sep-17

Place 1 MILE Age Sex Time Age Grade % AG Place
1 Ben Harper 19 M 4:31.91 83.63% 2
2 Ryan Smith 22 M 4:32.15 81.83% 3
3 Tom LeGan 51 M 4:32.80 94.06% 1
4 Jonathan Bretan 35 M 5:17.92 71.53% 7
5 Victor Skorapa 22 M 5:33.81 66.71% 12
6 Andrew Krone 39 M 5:40.33 68.70% 9
7 Fausto Vargas 49 M 6:15.07 67.32% 11
8 Mike Lotter 64 M 6:17.11 76.05% 4
9 Chris Jones 45 M 6:22.26 63.99% 13
10 Marvin Rodas 41 M 6:43.57 58.80% 17
11 Jim Myers 68 M 6:48.68 72.82% 6
12 Connaitre Chateaubriant 67 M 7:03.59 69.60% 8
13 Gary Semling 55 M 7:10.07 61.66% 15
14 Anabela Diaz 39 F 7:12.79 60.84% 16
15 Herminio Mazariegos 48 M 7:22.02 56.67% 18
16 Kent Carlomagno 60 M 7:22.28 62.58% 14
17 Juan Escobar 51 M 7:47.49 54.89% 20
18 Michael McKenna 64 M 8:34.96 55.69% 19
19 Janet Portman 68 F 8:36.73 75.03% 5
20 Maggie Fillmore 67 F 9:16.23 68.57% 10

400 METERS
1 Dierk Herbermann 47 M 1:07.21 72.18% 2
2 Victor Skorapa 22 M 1:10.05 61.64% 5
3 Fausto Vargas 49 M 1:14.50 66.03% 3
4 V. Tyler 50 F 1:15.49 77.04% 1
5 Chris Jones 45 M 1:17.09 62.08% 4
6 Anabela Diaz 39 F 1:27.03 59.66% 6
7 Herminio Mazariegos 48 M 1:30.57 53.94% 8
8 Juan Escobar 51 M 1:34.56 52.73% 9
9 Michael McKenna 64 M 1:50.23 49.18% 10
10 Maggie Fillmore 67 F 1:58.18 58.13% 7

800 METERS
1 Ben Harper 19 M 2:10.72 78.64% 1
2 Ryan Smith 22 M 2:18.82 72.83% 3
3 Victor Skorapa 22 M 2:39.04 63.57% 10
4 Christian Oakes 59 M 2:41.20 77.67% 2
5 Chris Jones 45 M 2:54.68 63.72% 9
6 Paul Herrerias 61 M 3:01.31 70.16% 4
7 Dierk Herbermann 47 M 3:10.16 59.58% 11
8 Marvin Rodas 41 M 3:12.83 55.64% 14
9 Jim Myers 68 M 3:14.10 69.81% 5
10 Gary Semling 55 M 3:24.77 59.24% 12
11 Anabela Diaz 39 F 3:26.79 55.81% 13
12 Herminio Mazariegos 48 M 3:26.79 55.27% 15
13 Connaitre Chateaubriant 67 M 3:28.67 64.22% 8
14 Michael McKenna 64 M 4:01.31 53.96% 16
15 Janet Portman 68 F 4:08.12 68.92% 6
16 Maggie Fillmore 67 F 4:20.59 64.32% 7

200 METERS
1 Fausto Vargas 49 M 0:29.46 75.53% 2
2 Reese Laughlin 55 M 0:31.22 74.34% 3
3 Chris Jones 45 M 0:31.69 68.22% 6
4 Dierk Herbermann 47 M 0:33.02 66.41% 7
5 Victor Skorapa 22 M 0:33.35 57.93% 11
6 Herminio Mazariegos 48 M 0:34.11 64.76% 8
7 Marshall Johnson 71 M 0:34.13 76.77% 1
8 Paul Herrerias 61 M 0:34.74 69.52% 4
9 Juan Escobar 51 M 0:36.73 61.45% 10
10 Anabela Diaz 39 F 0:42.05 53.08% 13
11 Michael McKenna 64 M 0:43.95 56.04% 12
12 Janet Portman 68 F 0:44.28 69.02% 5
13 Maggie Fillmore 67 F 0:48.16 62.85% 9

100 METERS
1 Bojan Prokic 38 M 0:12.52 80.75% 3
1 Chris Jones 45 M 0:13.10 81.07% 2
3 Fausto Vargas 49 M 0:13.99 77.91% 4
4 Paul Herrerias 61 M 0:14.16 83.12% 1
5 Herminio Mazariegos 48 M 0:15.40 70.32% 6
6 Marshall Johnson 71 M 0:16.81 74.78% 5
7 Anabela Diaz 39 F 0:20.24 53.66% 8
8 Dierk Herbermann 47 M 0:21.93 49.07% 9
9 Maggie Fillmore 67 F 0:22.35 64.61% 7

2 MILE
1 Matt Kennedy 51 M 11:50.06 77.04% 1
2 Paul Herrerias 61 M 14:24.80 68.84% 3
3 Jim Myers 68 M 14:56.73 70.81% 2
4 Kent Carlomagno 60 M 16:04.95 61.15% 4
5 Michael McKenna 64 M 19:39.52 51.89% 5

5000 Meters
1 Ben Harper 19 M 16:19.05 79.57% 1
2 Ryan Smith 22 M 16:31.69 78.55% 2
3 Jonathan Bretan 35 M 18:07.42 73.20% 4
4 Victor Skorapa 22 M 18:36.78 69.75% 6
5 Reese Laughlin 55 M 20:40.92 74.14% 3
6 Marvin Rodas 41 M 20:42.97 66.72% 9
7 Chris Jones 45 M 20:49.89 68.25% 7
8 Greg Bolen 52 M 20:58.44 71.44% 5
9 Anabela Diaz 39 F 22:26.32 67.22% 8