Photos taken by David Wagoner, MacKenzie Spradlin and Kevin Spradlin
YELLOW SPRING, W.Va., Oct. 1, 2011 – Johnathan Bellingham had no intention on Saturday of racing 5,000 meters.
However, 3.1 miles was the measured distance for the 8th annual River Run at Capon Valley Ruritan Club in Yellow Spring. So the 49-year-old Capon Springs resident toed the start line with the idea of completing the entire race - but racing only the last mile.
That’s because Bellingham, who soon turns 50, is in training to qualify for the Senior Olympics in the 1,500-meter run. On Saturday, he spilt the out-and-back course along Capon River Road into two parts: one part 2.1 miles, one part 1 mile. With the first section, Bellingham indicated he planned to run conservatively - run, but for training purposes. Get in the miles.
The last mile? He wanted to fly. Bellingham set a goal of six minutes. Qualifying time needed for next year’s Senior Olympics is 5:10. A good last mile on Saturday would show Bellingham, who until recently focused on longer distances, is on the right track.
He is. Bellingham started off with Kevin Spradlin, 32, of Mount Savage, Md., and David Thompson, 57, of Yellow Spring after the command “go” from race director Rowanne Shockey. Thompson fell off pace of the lead pack after the first half-mile. But Bellingham and Spradlin ran conversationally and hit the first mile in 7:15 - faster than either of them had intended to go.
The two hit the turnaround point together. With Bellingham’s known intention of pushing a hard third mile, Spradlin - who has been training for only a few weeks - knew his only chance for a win was to pull ahead before the start of that last mile.
Spradlin gained a lead of about 50 meters but, shortly after reaching the 2-mile point, Bellingham was on Spradlin’s right shoulder. Then he zoomed past and was out of sight on the curvy country road.
Bellingham finished in 22:24 - 23 seconds faster than his winning time last year. Spradlin finished in 23:02, 47 seconds faster than his time in the Founders Day 5K in Capon Bridge one week earlier. Thompson took third - and the men’s masters title - in 26:17.
In the women’s race, Capon Springs resident Wendy Fournier cruised to the individual title in 30:55. Rosie Rollings, 69, won the women’s masters crown with a time of 49:15.
