Leprechaun leftovers; high school track season gets underway
Some stats that I thought were interesting coming away from the 12th Lucky Leprechaun 5K held March 9 in Milton: The race was the largest Irish Eyes road race event ever in Milton, as well as the largest Lucky Leprechaun 5K event ever, with 661 total registered participants and 620 finishers. The race was also the largest Seashore Striders 5K event ever.
The largest male age group was the 40-49 group with 41 participants, while the largest female age group was also the 40-49 group with 67 participants.
There were nine states represented, led by Delaware with 546 participants, followed by Maryland with 29, Pennsylvania with 13, Virginia with 11, New Jersey with eight, New York with three, Connecticut with three, West Virginia with one and California with one.
The male participants represented 43% of the event with 284, while the female participants represented 57% of the event with 377. Get ready for 1,000 participants. Mark my words, it’s coming.
Track talk
The 2025 spring track season is upon us, as teams head into the third week of practice prepping for duals and invites just around the corner.
Jen Cawthern is the head coach of the Cape girls’ team, and according to websites4sports, she will be assisted by Amanda Evans, Jamie Loucks, Rob Perciful and Martin Rodriguez.
Ellis Gaulden is the head coach of the Cape boys’ team, and will be assisted by Matt Lindell, Jay Maull and George Pepper. Peter Klotz is listed as the boys’ volunteer assistant coach.
The Vikings will spring into action Friday, March 28, at the Cambridge Classic at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School.
The Golden Knights of Sussex Central will be led by head coach Derek Shockro. He’ll be assisted by Leroy Mann III, Wes Townsend and Maddie Brandt. The Golden Knights will scrimmage Sussex Academy and Sussex Tech Monday, March 17, at Sussex Central in Georgetown. The Golden Knights will travel to the Diamond State Invitational Saturday, March 29, at A.I. du Pont High School.
The Ravens of Sussex Tech will be coached by Bri Hall, assisted by Shaila Collins. They are the only two coaches at this point, with hopes of two more joining the staff. The Ravens will head to Sussex Central in Georgetown Wednesday, April 2, for their first dual meet of the season.
The Seahawks of Sussex Academy will be led by head coach Jay Diaz. He’ll be assisted by Charlie Pollard and Paige Haley. The Seahawks will travel to the Diamond State Invitational March 29 at A.I. du Pont.
Most of the teams in the state will have a short dual, tri and a few quad meets, but the focus will be on the weekend invitationals. Most are in-state or within a two-hour radius of Delaware.
Maddie Mac in a 5K
Madison MacElrevey, a Cape graduate and former collegian distance runner, is in the Peace Corps and recently competed in a 5K just outside Asunción. Asunción is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River. The race was a trail 5K. It was her first 5K in a few years. She had no training other than chasing her four-legged friend that adopted her. Temps were in the 90s, and about 100 runners took part. She admitted she struggled a bit, but she received a nice finisher medal.
Lewes Laces
Another new running group in Lewes called the Lewes Laces was formed in late July 2024. I met a few members at last week’s Health Expo at Cape, where they stopped by to talk running and racing and pick up a free T-shirt at the Seashore Striders booth. According to the Facebook description: “We are a joyful running group of people who enjoy exploring the amazing natural beauty and charm of the Lewes area. It's all about community and support for each other; whether you have run 50 marathons or never run a 5K, you are welcome!” The group is 74 members and growing, and they meet randomly to run together during the week.
