Dylan Smiley sets personal best in Firecracker 5K
For only the third time in the last five years, the Seashore Striders went over the 500-person mark, as the 34th annual Firecracker 5K attracted 510 participants to jam-packed Grove Park. The race started on time, and awards were being presented 80 minutes after the start, marking one of the smoothest events logistically the Striders have hosted.
Proceeds benefit the Cape Community Fund.
Dylan Smiley of Rehoboth Beach went hard from the gun with a 4:39 mile opener, and the race was his from the start. Smiley hit the humid finish line in a personal-best time of 14:50.7 for the win with a mile average of 4:47. Only a handful of male elites have broken the 15-minute barrier in a Seashore Striders event over my 34 years as director. To name a few: Randy Haas, Doug Mock, Mark Amway and state record holder Nelson Kiplagat in 13:52. A host of Kenyan and Ethiopian elites also broke that barrier when they used to come to town for the Run for JJ 5K.
Lucas LeCoq of Rehoboth Beach was a distant second in 16:32, while male masters champion Michael Wardian of Rehoboth Beach was third in 16:39.
Diane Neubauer of Ambler, Pa., won the female title in a great time of 17:15, while Eve Hoffman of Washington, D.C., was second in 19:18. Lexie Planinsek of Pennsylvania grabbed the third position in 20:50. Cindy Conant ran 20:33 to win the female masters title.
Don Zelenski of Magnolia walked 36:53 to win the male 5K walk title, while Marian Dowling celebrated her birthday by winning the female walk title in 43:24.
