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Tilden Tough Ten

East Bay Triple Crown Trail Championship Status-Race #3 - Woodminster
The final race in the Triple Crown Challenge was held on Father's Day, June 21 and Ivan Medina was a runaway overall winner of the series and Kelly Tarkowski was the top overall female. Below are the top 5 runners, male and female in the "Open Category" and "50+ Category." Many thanks to all the runners who participated in the race series.
Men's Open
1. Ivan Medina 3:19:42
2. Sylvester Coon 3:31:37
3. Jeff Teeters 3:43:56
4. Andris Dimits 3:58:35
5. John Pettinichio 4:04:08

Women's Open
1. Kelly Tarkowski 4:31:16
2. Maria Briones 4:36:22
3. Deanna Stemm 4:48:17
4. Stephanie Kuehn 4:51:35
5. Jeanine Holmlund 4:57:03

Joe King Cup-Men 50+
1. John Pettinichio 4:04:08
2. Joe Schieffer 4:08:43
3. Arnold Ramos 4:35:35
4. Mike Bandrowski 4:35:43
5. Ken Ross 4:58:07

Ruth Anderson Cup-Women 50+
1. Maria Briones 4:36:22
2. Deanna Stemm 4:48:17
3. Laura Holl 5:32:08
4. Ellen Troth 5:43:47
5. Kim Bean 6:18:08

East Bay Triple Crown Trail Championship Status-Race #2 - Lake Chabot
Unlike Tilden, and the runners were thankful for it, the Lake Chabot Half was run under cool, overcast conditions. This year the Castro Valley Track Club took over the running of the race after the Golden Bay Runners had race directed it for many years. The 2nd leg of the Triple Crown saw changes in the standings and competition heating up. See below. The 3rd leg of the series will be held on June 21 with the 44th annual running of the "Woodminster Cross Country Race."
For more information about this race, go to:
http://home.alamedanet.net/~mhovermale/Woodminster/

Men's Open
1. Ivan Medina 2:20:59
2. Sylvester Coon 2:31:37
3. Jeff Teeters 2:37:58
4. Andris Dimits 2:48:15
5. Kerry Easthope 2:51:29

Women's Open
1. Kelly Tarkowski 3:13:29
2. Stephenie Kuehn 3:26:14
3. Jeanine Holmlund 3:34:36
4. Franziska Pieren 3:35:00
5. Lauren Vigliotti 3:41:29

Joe King Cup-Men 50+
1. John Pettinichio 2:52:55
2. Joe Schieffer 2:57:00
3. Lloyd George 3:04:54
4. Mike Bandrowski 3:18:43
5. Colin Dixon 3:28:35

Ruth Anderson Cup-Women 50+
1. Maria Briones 3:15:31
2. Deanna Stemm 3:26:14
3. Kimberley Bean 4:32:37
4. Kathy Woolcock 4:42:32
5. Patricia Etridge 4:42:58

East Bay Triple Crown Trail Championship Status-Race #1 - Tilden
After a brutally hot day at the 22nd annual Tilden Tough Ten, the competitiors in the East Bay Triple Crown Trail Championships have a 3 week break until the 2nd race in the series, the Lake Chabot Half Marathon on June 7. The Lake Chabot race will test runner's stamina and strength over one of the most scenic courses in the Bay Area. Entry forms for the race can be found at:
www.cvtrackclub.com
The third and final leg in the series will be held at the 44th annual Wodminster Cross Country race on Sunday, June 21 at Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland. The 9 mile loop course has a handicapped start base on age and gender. For more information about this race, go to:
http://home.alamedanet.net/~mhovermale/Woodminster/
The current leaders of the East Bay Triple Crown Trail Championships are:

Men's Open
1. Ivan Medina 59:29
2. Andrew Boudreau 60:37
3. Ben Rich 64:28
4. Martin Miller 64:59
5. Sylvester Coons 65:38

Women's Open
1. Jenny Wong 72:22
2. Jenny Wilson 72:43
3. Kristi Rossi 76:19
4. Suzy Kisylia 77:03
5. Susan Connelly 78:58

Joe King Cup-Men 50+
1. Roy Rivers 66:52
2. Scott Strait 68:28
3. Keith Duncan 69:38
4. Joe Schieffer 72:51
5. David Ripp 73:45

Ruth Anderson Cup-Women 50+
1. Jamie Berns 78:52
2. Maria Briones 81:33
3. Deanna Stemm 87:36
4. Carol Baker 89:08
5. Mimi Willard 90:36

Click here for a flyer with detailed information and an entry form.
A Google map is here.
A Google satellite image of the start/finish area is here.
Click here for a Google Earth course map (outbound).
Click here for an RRCA course map with topography available.
Click here for "Triple Crown Trail Championship" series information.
Please support the race sponsors:


The Tilden Tough Ten mile race is a scenic run along the crest of the Berkeley Hills. The start/finish is at the Inspiration Point parking lot. The out-and-back race course follows Nimitz Way, a wide paved path, for four miles, then continues for a mile on the Mezue Trail to the turnaround. There are aid stations at 2 miles, 3.5 miles, 5 miles, 6.5 miles and 8 miles.

  Nimitz Way.
(Click picture to enlarge)

The first two miles of Nimitz Way wind through a wooded area. After that, you are on the ridge, in grasslands, and the view opens up on all sides. EBMUD watershed falls off immediately to the east; you look down on San Pablo and Briones reservoirs; Mount Diablo dominates the skyline. To the north, Carquinez Straits and Mount Saint Helena are visible. The Golden Gate and Mount Tamalpais complete the panorama. You forget you are minutes from civilization.

  Hill towards end
of Nimitz Way.

This is a challenging run. The last half-mile of Nimitz Way is a long slow hill. There is a shorter, but extremely steep hill on the Mezue trail.

The peak that the last part of Nimitz Way winds around recalls some history, and the reason that this paved trail exists. Atop it are concrete foundations - the sole remnants of a Nike missile site that was intended to protect the Bay Area from Russian bombers flying in over the Golden Gate. Sites SF-08 and SF-09 along the ridge are gone, but the road remains - swords beaten into asphalt.

  Start of dirt trail,
near Nike Missile Site.

Across the Bay, on race morning, tens of thousands of people will be jostling one another at the mega event. Here, instead, you may find yourself running next to cows, grazing next to the trail. Unlike the masses in San Francisco, they are no hindrance at all, and introduce a unique note to the race.

Join Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders and a lot of other enthusiastic runners (but not too many) at 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 20, 2007 for the twentieth running of the Tilden Tough Ten miler.

And, just think how cool you would be wearing a sub-80 (or 70, or 60) Tilden Tough Ten T-shirt.

Directions to start: Take Orinda exit from highway 24. Proceed north for about two miles on Camino Pablo. Left at traffic light for Wildcat Canyon Road. Continue about two miles to Inspiration Point parking lot on the right side of the road.

  Map to race start
(click to enlarge).