The fall seasons causes the leaves to change to brown, red, yellow and orange. The Fall Marathon Long Training Runs are changing toenails to red and black . . .

(October 14th) This writer was enjoying a nice bike ride doing loops around Central Park. While doing so, I noticed many Flyers running their MTP training loops and seeing the many pink crowds Making Srides against Breast Cancer
Meanwhile on Staten Island, over 90 Flyers were running the annual Half Marathon. Pamela Hunt was the fastest Flyer among the men and women scoring a 2nd Place age group win and a 2nd place win for female Veterans finishing in 1:26:08 (6:34 pace). Such an awesome job, Pamela! Ironlady Friederike Edelman was not far behind finishing in 1:34:23 (7:12 pace) and scoring a 7th place age group run.
For the Flyer men, James Dunham finished in 1:28:50 (6:46 pace) followed by President Chris Brennan in 1:28:58 (6:47) and right behind him was Tomohiro Inoue in 1:32:39 (7:04) and right behind him was Andreas Werder in 1:35:49 (7:18 pace) winning a 6th place age group win and a 5th place win for the Senior Veteran Men.

In Saturday's (October 6th) NYRR Grete's Great Gallup 10K the Flyer women took 4th place with Marcy Withington, Heather Tolford, Mary Beth Ezra, Jeanhie Hahn, and Ilse Abusamra scoring for the team and the men took 10th place with Deniz Saat, David Ezra, Gregory Hawryluk, Vincenzo Pascale and Mike Folger scoring for the team. Notable age group awards were Marcy Withington 1st 45-49, Heather Tolford 1st 60-65, Bradford Goz 4th 60-65, Mary Beth Ezra 5th 45-49, Jeanhie Hahn 10th 50-55, Delton Mace 5th 70-75 , and Barbara Trazino 3rd 70-75.

Heather Tolford's 44:06 (7:06 pace, 88.19% performance) was not only 1st in the 60-65 age group in Saturday's NYRR Grete's Great Gallup 10K, but also continued her streak, setting a new Flyer's Hall of Fame record for the women's 60+ age group, breaking her own record of 45:22 which she set in this year's NYRR Mini 10K. You are unstoppable Heather!

On Sunday (October 7th), the Flyers organized their incredibly popular 3 Bridges Long Training Run #2. Over 400 runners put their feet to the Brooklyn, Pulaski, and 59th Street Bridges in a now famous and beautiful 20 mile training run around New York City. Thanks to all the hard working volunteers keeping people hydrated at aid stations (yes, it was very humid) and all our fabulous pacers who not only kept an accurate pace for many tens of runners but for also keeping us from getting lost and providing encouragement and keeping people moving. There are just a few training weeks before the big New York City Marathon and I know over 400 people who will be better prepared.

Late Breaking News: In Sunday's Clarence DeMar Marathon, Stephanie Tang's 3:32:06 was a 9:35 PR, but what is more, it looks like a 2020 BQ under the new Boston qualifying standards for 2020 of 3:35 for a 35 - 39 y.o. female. Way to go Supermom Steph!

On one of the nicest fall days yet, on Sunday (9/30) 118 NY Flyers ran in the New Balance Bronx 10 Miler. For the overall team Pamela Hunt's 1:04:58 (6:30 pace, 86.41% performance) was first — not just first female, but first Flyer male or female. (That result is also a triple — 30+, 40+ and 50+ — Flyers Hall of Fame record). She was followed by Chris Brennan (1:07:24) and Tomohiro Inoue (1:07:37). The top age group finishers were Pamela Hunt (2nd 50-54), Denise Iannizzotto (4th 55-59), Yumi Morishige (9th 50-54), Andrea Kent (5th 60-64), Andreas Werder (60-64) and Frances Breslauer (1st 75-79).

The women's Open team (Pamela Hunt, Betty Yung, Denise Iannizzotto, Sheila Barrett, and Amanda Schachter) came in 16th place; the women's Masters 40 team (Pamela Hunnt, Denise Iannizzotto, and Sheila Barrett>) came in 5th place; the women's Masters 50 team (Pamela Hunt, Denise Iannizzotto, and Yumi Morishige) were 2nd; and lastly the women's Masters 60 team (Andrea Kent, Frances Breslauer, and Barbara Paer) were 4th. You will notice Pamela and Denise both triple scored, and Sheila double scored.

The men's Open Team (Chris brennan, Tomohiri Inoue, Vincent Foley, Michael Alexander, and Jeffrey Tente) were in 26th place; the men's Masters 40 team (Chris brennan, Tomohiri Inoue, and Vincent Foley) were in 19th place; the men's Masters 50 team (Andreas Werder, Jon Rieke, and Vincenzo Pascale) were 11th; and the men's Masters 60 team (Andreas Werder, Bradford Goz, and Peter Lewy) were 5th. Chris and Andreas were double scorers. All in all a great day, and yes, we get better with age!

And as mentioned above, the following Flyers Hall of Fame records were set. The Hall of Fame citation reads:
In the beautiful fall morning of September 30th at the New Balance Bronx 10 Miler, Pamela Hunt, who was first overall (men and women) for the Flyers Team, ran a 1:04:58 (pace: 6:30, performance: 86.41%) which broke the Hall of Fame records for the women's 30+, 40+ and 50+ age groups. The former record for the 30+ age group was Deanna Culbreath's 1:05:41 set in the 2011 PPTC Cherry Tree 10 Miler, and for the 40+ age group was Christine Morgenroth's 1:08:43 set in the 2010 PPTC Cherry Tree 10 Miler, and for the 50+ age group was Julie Cook's 1:15:20 set in the 2006 Hot Chocolate 10 miler.
Congratulation to Pamela!

In the Saturday (9/29) NYCRUNS Governor's Island 5K & 10K, Jim Crawford represented the Flyers in the 5K with a 23:27 (7:34 pace) good for 5th in the 50-59 age group. While in the 10K, Johnna Watkins-Green representted the Flyers women with a 54:03 (8:43 pace) while Peter Connors represented the men with a 1:14:24 (12:00 pace) good for 10th in the 60-69 age group.

Would you like some hills with your hills?
Today was an overcast, cool, and overall fantastic day for the annual Palisades Run. This ongoing Flyer favorite took runners from the Manhattan side of the George Washington bridge into Fort Lee, and then up and down some hills, and up and down some more. A special round of thanks to event captain Bill Schleining and hydration volunteers extraordinaire Vice President Elaine Rosen, Fern Romero, Lora Danley, Melissa Labozzetta, and Jo Rees for sacrificing beauty sleep to get out and help their teammates succeed.

Forest Flyers
Congratulations to our three Flyers who took place in last week's Kurt Steiner 5K up in the woods of Van Cortlandt Park. Tim Decker placed fifth in the 50-54 age group in 26:08 (8:25 pace), followed by Sonali Rajan, who placed fifth in the women's 35-39 age group in 31:42 (10:13 pace), and Hindy Schachter, who came in fourth in the 70-74 age group in 52:48 (17:00 pace).

Sunday runday
By the time I rolled out of bed this morning, Francesco Presutti was already across the finish line in Berlin, logging his forty-first marathon in a spectacular 3:10:54, on a day in which the men's world record fell by over a minute. Other Flyers celebrating victory in Berlin today included Andrew Quan, Alex Hu, Betty Yung, David Ezra, Mary Beth Ezra, Hiromi Nobata, Jon Riecke, and Baron Kho. Meanwhile, Pei Muantawan Arsrairas completed the Sydney Marathon, her seventh continent and seventh marathon this year. Congratulations to the first wave of our superb fall marathoners!

Meanwhile, closer to home
You know it's marathon season when the New York City Marathon Training Series 18-Miler rolls around. Dan Lam showed his style with a first place finish for the Flyer men and twelfth in the 40-44 age group in 2:08:30 (7:09 pace). Gregory Hawryluk placed second for the team and nineteenth in the 30-34 age group in 2:09:41 (7:13 pace), followed by Eugene Matejek in 2:16:33 (7:36 pace). Robert McDermott captured fourth for the team and ninth in the 55-59 age group in 2:21:28 (7:52 pace), and Michel Werthenschlag placed fifth for the Flyers in 2:24:29 (8:02 pace).

In the women's race, Amy Knepper crossed the finish line in first place for the team and ninth in the 40-44 age group in 2:26:52 (8:10 pace), followed by Elena Riecke in 2:32:17 (8:28 pace and sixteenth in the 20-24 age group). Jamie Kelleher placed third for the Flyers and twenty-third in the 40-44 age group in 2:33:14 (8:31 pace). Melinda Feinberg gave it her all for a fourth place team finish and twenty-sixth in the 40-44 age group in 2:33:50 (8:33 pace), and Denise Iannizzotto finished fifth for the team and earned a second place medal in 2:33:57 (8:34 pace). Other age group honors went to Howard Tanz (fifth in the men's 65-69 age group); Lee Ruelle (seventh in the men's 65-69 age group); and Deborah McDuffie-Saat (ninth in the women's 60-64 age group);

I like donuts
Papa Bear himself scored a first place finish in the men's 70+ age group in the Saturday NYCRUNS Go Nuts for Donuts 5K, crossing the finish line in 30:12 (9:45 pace). We hope the prize was as many donuts as he could eat, and then that many more.

Wonder women
Papa Bear also presents to us the latest entry in the Flyer Hall of Fame. The entry reads as follows: In the rainy September 9th New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile, Pamela Hunt, who was first for the Flyers' women and third in the 50-54 age group, broke the 50+ New York Flyers Hall of Fame record with a stunning 5:25 (92.18% performance) which broke Nina Parks-Taylor's record of 5:49 set in the 2011 Fifth Avenue Mile.

In the same race, Heather Tolford, who was fifth for the Flyers' women and first in the 60-64 age group, broke the 60+ New York Flyers Hall of Fame record with an equally stunning 6:16 (91.19% performance) which broke Judith Tripp's record of 6:57, set in the 2007 Fifth Avenue Mile.

Bye bye summer
Grateful thanks and appreciation to Papa Bear for keeping the updates rolling over Labor Day weekend, while I was making an all too brief and sadly alligator-free visit to Florida. It looks to have been a quiet weekend here overall, but with the advent of the cooler weather, races and marathon events are starting to heat right up.

Mile madness
Sunday was a damp and pleasantly temperate morning for the Fifth Avenue Mile, and the Flyer Open Women captured 18th place in their division. Pamela Hunt continued her explosive winning streak with a first place team finish and triple score, capturing first for the Flyer Open Women, the fourth place Flyer 40+ Women, and the third place Flyer 50+ Women in an astonishing 5:25, which also gave her third place in the 50-54 age group. Elena Ricke placed second for the Flyer Open Women in 6:00, and Marcy Withington double scored with a third place finish for the Flyer Open Women and a second place finish for the Flyer 40+ Women in 6:07 (twelfth in the 45-49 age group). Denise Iannizzotto triple scored, capturing fourth for the Flyer Open Women, third for the Flyer 40+ Women, and second for the Flyer 50+ Women in 6:11 (third in the 55-59 age group). Heather Tolford added another triple score to her crown of glory, placing fifth for the Flyer Open Women, third for the Flyer 50+ Women, first for the third place Flyer 60+ Women, and first in the 60-64 age group. Elaine Rosen, a fast rising Senior Veteran star in the making, placed second for the Flyer 60+ Women in 7:01, which gave her tenth in the 60-64 age group. I believe this is the first time I've seen Elaine hit over 80% on an age-graded percentage basis, which indicates that her time is competitive not by local or regional standards, but by national standards. Barbara Trazino locked down the remainder of the points for the 60+ Flyer women, finishing in third place for the team in 9:37 and capturing ninth in the 70-74 age group.

In the men's race, Edvard Major achieved a major first place finish (see what I did there?) for the Flyer Open Men, also scoring twentieth in the 35-39 age group, in 4:53. Tim Decker triple scored, placing second for the Flyer Open Men, first for the fourteenth place Flyer 40+ Men, first for the seventh place Flyer 50+ Men, and seventeenth in the 50-54 age group in 5:21. Mr. President himself double scored, capturing third for the Flyer Open Men and second for the Flyer 40+ Men in 5:24. Michael Yakubov placed fourth for the Flyer Open Men and third for the Flyer 40+ Men in 5:35. Michael Werthenschlag finished up the remainder of the points for the Flyer Open Men, placing fifth in 5:40. Vincenzo Pascale finished second for the Flyer 50+ Men in 5:39, and William Herbert placed third in 6:14. David Gaines captured first for the seventh place Flyer 60+ Men in 6:40, followed by David Dempsey in 6:55 and Francisco Rodriguez in 6:57 (thirteenth and fourteenth in the 65-69 age group).

Arches and bridges and runners, oh my!
Grateful thanks to Brad Goz for leading the annual Arches and Bridges Run on Saturday. This run, a perennial Flyer favorite started by Papa Bear nearly two decades ago, was split into three distances this year: 5.5 miles and 26 bridges, 9.5 miles and 29 bridges, and the whole enchilada, 10 miles and 30 bridges. Thanks to everyone who came out for an uncommon and uncommonly interesting view into the hidden places in our favorite stomping grounds.

A Midweek Blitz
Thursday night's Shoe4Africa 5K did not seem promising. A rainy evening on an unfamilar course may have encouraged some to stay home. But the Charity race put on to benefit the one time Flyers Head Coach Toby Tanser's project to support the medical needs of children in East Africa, drew a team of 10 Flyers, which, out of just 115 finishers, was amazing. And the Flyers went home with the Team prize for the top 3 runners (Tim Decker, Dave Kleckner and Nancy Rodriguez), a 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th place overall (Nancy Rodriguez, Tim Decker, Manasi Agrawal, and Luiza Silva) and 7 age group podium awards (Tim, Richard Garland, Elain Rosen, Manasi Agrawal, Luiza, Dave, and Melissa Labozzetta. Truly a night to remember. And due to the great photography of Larry Sillen of Prospect Park Track Club, we've put together an album of over 200 images from his vast trove of 1000+ photos of this event. See the Flyers Shoe4Africa 5K Album.
And here's another news item about this race: it's the first race that Tim Decker has run as a 50 year old. Happy birthday Tim!

A Quiet Labor Day Weekend
Well, it looks like everyone has left town or stopped running. No NYRR or NYCRUNS races and no popular out of town races. Even Facebook is bereft of the usual Saturday morning group picture (I guess it didn't happen), and Prospect Park's Sunday morning group seems also to have stayed home. The only action on Facebook is Betty Yung our Executive Board Member-at-Large, selling hats. There's the standard issue black hat, $20 cash only; see this Flyers Black Hats, and Betty is already anticipating cold weather with a $20 "Pom Pom" hat; see Flyers "Pom Pom" Hats. And in case you forgot, way back at the Womens' Mini 10K, she was selling Flyers white visors, only $15, a bargain! (if there's any left); see Flyers White Visors. Let's hope tomorrow's Monday Holiday will see a little more action out on the roads and bridal paths. And if you go out, wear your Flyers Hat or Visor or Pom Pom.

Harlem Shake
Saturday brought August's NYRR points race, the Percy Sutton 5K, with its usual flurry of double, triple, and even quadruple scores from our club speedsters. Marcy Withington led the Flyer Open Women to an eighteenth place finish and also brought the Flyer 40+ Women in for sixth place in their division in 21:10 (6:49 pace), which also gave her second place in the 45-49 age group. Heather Tolford quadruple scored, taking second place for the Flyer Open and 40+ Women and first for the fifth place Flyer 50+ Women, first for the second place Flyer 60+ Women, and first in the 60-64 age group in 21:37 (6:58 pace). Nina Parks-Taylor triple scored, placing third for the Flyer Open Women, third for the Flyer 40+ Women, second for the Flyer 50+ Women, and ninth in the 55-59 age group in 24:25 (7:52 pace). Noreen Okarter placed fourth for the Flyer Open Women and Kettia Ming placed fifth, crossing the finish line in 26:27 (8:31 pace) and 26:45 (8:37 pace). Anky Lam double scored with a third place finish for the Flyer 50+ Women and second for the Flyer 60+ Women and second in the 65-69 age group in 27:14 (8:46 pace), and Fran Breslauer placed third for the Flyer 60+ Women and first in the 75-79 age group in 29:32 (9:31 pace).

Meanwhile, Tim Decker started off the men's race with a double score, capturing first for the thirty-first place Flyer Open Men and first for the sixteenth place Flyer 40+ Men as well as nineteenth in the 45-49 age group in 19:26 (6:16 pace). Tomohiro Inoue double scored with second place finishes in the same two age groups in 21:09 (6:49 pace). Andreas Werder quadruple scored, capturing third for the Flyer Open Men, third for the Flyer 40+ Men, first for the eleventh place Flyer 50+ Men, first for the fifth place Flyer 60+ Men, and twelfth in the 60-64 age group in 21:43 (7:00 pace). John Whitfield, taking fourth for the Flyer Open Men and second for the Flyer 50+ Men and twenty-fourth in the 55-59 age group in 23:22 (7:32 pace). David Gaines triple scored, placing fifth for the Flyer Open Men, second for the Flyer 50+ Men, and second for the Flyer 60+ Men in 24:42 (7:57 pace). Ricky Lam finished up the team points with a double score, finishing third for the Flyer 50+ Men, third for the Flyer 60+ Men, and tenth in the 65-69 age group in 24:46 (7:59 pace). Other age group honors went to Delton Mace and Barbara Trazino, ninth and sixth in the men's and women's 70-74 age groups.

All I can say is that I think I'll have what they're all having.

Another record-smashing achievement
The Flyer Hall of Fame records continue to fall, thanks to our unstoppable Veteran and Senior Veteran women. Archivist Papa Bear writes:

On August 25, Heather Tolford broke the Flyer Hall of Fame record for 60+ women with a time of 21:37 (85.76 percent performance) in today's Percy Sutton Harlem 5K. She was first in her age group and second Flyer woman. The previous mark was the 25 year old record of 25:04 set by Muriel Merl at the Advil 5K Tune-up on May 9, 1993.

When I see a 25 Year old record set by Muriel Merl (nothing less than a legend), and a record broken by 3:27, I know this was something very special.

Brought to you by my good friend caffeine
Ten weeks in, my broken foot is still broken, so I got up at the really unsightly and disgraceful hour of 4:30 a.m. to volunteer for the Three Bridges #1 Long Training Run. On Saturday, Betty Yung and Ed Altman bought a ton of aid station and post-race refreshment supplies at Costco, and then Betty, Maribel Pena, Swetal Patel, and I helped sign people in. We had a total of 206 runners hit the streets, not including a big group of very hard-working and dedicated pacers, and a plethora of aid station volunteers all along the twenty-mile course. Several participants told me that they had never run twenty miles before and didn't really think they could do it, but with Flyer support and encouragement, they surprised themselves. Thank you to everyone who helped make today's long run a tremendous success.

You can call him Al
Jeanhie Hahn continued her power streak at last week's PPTC Al Goldstein Summer Series 5K finishing in third place for the 45-49 women in 23:47 (7:40 pace).

Vive la France
The Flyer women slammed into third place in Sunday's mercifully temperate France Run 8K. Pamela Hunt placed first for the team, second Flyer overall, eighth woman overall, and first in the 50-54 age group in 31:29 (a blistering 6:20 pace!). Heather Tolford came in second for the team and first in the 60-64 age group in 35:38 (7:11 pace). Maria Robles placed third for the Flyers and fourth in the 45-49 age group in 37:53 (7:38 pace), and Jeanhie Hahn and Hiromi Nobata captured fourth and fifth in 29:27 (7:57 pace and eighth in the 45-49 age group) and 41:37 (8:23 pace and eighteenth in the 50-54 age group).

In the men's race, Tim Decker placed first for the team and seventh in the 45-49 age group in 31:12 (6:17 pace). Deniz Saat came in second for the team and seventeenth in the 25-29 age group in 32:37 (6:34 pace), followed by Eugene Matejek, who placed third for the Flyers and fourteenth in the 40-44 age group in 33:22 (6:43 pace). Dave Kleckner picked up a fourth place team finish and third in the 55-59 age group in 34:03 (6:52 pace), and Tomohiro Inoue placed fifth for the team in 34:58 (7:02 pace). Deborah McDuffie-Saat also earned an eighth place finish in the women's 60-64 age group, and Delton Mace finished tenth in the men's 70-74 age group.