Running: Preparation for the zombie apocalypse. . .

Yup, site was busted
If you got the "insecure site" error, you're not alone. Our web service provider promised us a seamless transition to a new server (their initiative, not ours), and it looks like our security certificate got boffed up in the process. Words were said. If you're seeing this message, though, we're back in business.

The winter that wasn't
We were supposed to get a really rude awakening of winter on Sunday, but it didn't really happen. It was wet and wild with rain instead of snow, though, and that made for a soggy Fred Lebow Manhattan Half Marathon. Edvard Major crossed the finish line in first place for the team in 1:28:43 (6:46 pace). Jeffrey Tente placed second for the Flyer men, followed by Deniz Saat, in 1:34:10 (7:11 pace) and 1:39:56 (7:38 pace). Gary Kane captured fourth place for the Flyers in 1:40:17 (7:39 pace), and Howard Choi picked up the rest of the team points in 1:41:28 (7:45 pace).

In the women's race, Elena Riecke placed first for the Flyers, third Flyer overall, and fifth in the 20-24 age group in 1:37:03 (7:25 pace). Super Ironwoman Friederike Edelmann came in second for the team and fourth in the 45-49 age group in 1:41:45 (7:46 pace). Betty Yung and Denise Iannizzotto placed third and fourth for the team and fifteenth in the 35-39 age group and third in the 55-59 age group in 1:44:10 (7:58 pace) and 1:45:39 (8:04 pace). Stephanie Tang came across the line in fifth place for the team in 1:48:11 (8:16 pace). Other age group honors went to David Gaines (seventh in the men's 65-69 age group); Howard Tanz (eighth in the men's 65-69 age group); Deborah McDuffie-Saat (fourth in the women's 60-64 age group); Elaine Rosen (fifth in the women's 60-64 age group); Vincent Doogan (ninth in the men's 70-74 age group); and Karen Kenney (sixth in the woemn's 65-69 age group).

Cocoa loco
The results were busted for the January 06 NYCRUNS Cocoa Classic 5-Miler and 10-Miler last week, but all is copacetic now. Four Flyers came out: Papa Bear captured second place in the men's 70+ age group in the 5-Miler, logging 50:38 (10:08 pace). In the 10-Miler, William Nealon placed first for the team and second in the men's 60-69 age group in 1:29:40 (8:58 pace). Barbara and Andrew Paer finished the race in 1:59:13 (11:55 pace) and 2:09:18 (12:56 pace), also picking up first in the women's 60-69 age group and eight in the men's 60-69 age group.

Starting the year in style
The Flyer women started 2019 off with a bang by capturing second place in the Joe Kleinerman 10K on Saturday. Elena Riecke placed first for the Flyer women and third in the 20-24 age group in 43:30 (7:00 pace). Senior veteran phenomenon Heather Tolford placed second for the team and first in the 60-64 age group in 46:16 (7:27 pace). Member at Large Betty Yung placed third for the Flyer women and sixteenth in the women's 35-39 age group in 46:37 (7:30 pace), followed by Melissa Feinberg in 48:29 (7:49 and seventeenth in the 40-44 age group) and Amy Knepper in 48:29 (7:49 pace and eighteenth in the 40-44 age group).

In the men's race, Jeffrey Tente captured first place for the Flyer men in 42:19 (6:49 pace), followed by Tomohiro Inouse in 43:21 (6:59 pace). John LeBreton placed third for the team in 44:40 (7:12 pace), and Jon Riecke placed fourth for the team and twentieth in the men's 50-54 age group in 44:56 (7:14 pace). Howard Choi placed fifth for the Flyer men in 46:17 (7:27 pace).

Ending the year with the joy of giving
There were no NYRR or NYCRUNS races this weekend, but the Flyers still had it goin' on. On Saturday, Heather Marcellis and Dave Kleckner hosted another successful day of giving back, the winter Central Park Volunteer Day Cleanup. A temperate day facilitated plenty of raking and cleanup of autumnal debris, helping us do our part in getting the park in good shape for the spring and summer to come. We hear that Dave's cookies were beyond delicious, too!

Today also marks the close of the 2018 Flyer Food Drive Fundraiser. This year, we raised $3483 in direct donations, plus at least another $100 from corporate matching gifts. We beat our goal by 19%, and that's something to feel really good about. Thank you to everyone who participated, and a special thank you to the Executive Board for supporting this effort.

Another champion in the record books
In last week's Ted Corbitt 15K, we had another spectacular entry in the Flyer Hall of Fame. Recordkeeper Papa Bear shares the details below:

In Saturday's Ted Corbitt 15K, Heather Tolford, with a time of 1:09:38 (performance of 85.18%), was not only first in the 60-64 NYRR age group, but set a new Flyers Hall of Fame record in the 60+ group, besting the record of 1:15:09 set by Judith Tripp in the 2007 Colon Cancer Challenge. Heather has now set Hall of Fame records 12 times in 2018 (a record) and "owns" the 60+ group, holding all the records for races from 1 mile up to to 15K. Congratulations Heather, you've had a great year.

I'm tapped out today
I'm heading off for the holidays on Tuesday, leaving this space in the capable hands of the Flyer web dudes until then. Here's wishing everyone a healthy, happy, and eminently runderful year in 2019. See you on the flip side.

Flyer women are on fire
The Flyer women were lighting up the park all over the place during the NYRR Ted Corbitt 15K, the last points race of the season, on Saturday morning. The Flyer Open Women placed sixth in their division, led by Pamela Hunt, who was the first Flyer overall, eighteenth woman overall, second in the 50-54 age group, and triple scored with first place finishes in the Open, 40+, and 50+ age groups in 59:03 (6:21 pace). Elena Riecke placed second for the team and ninth in the 20-24 age group in 1:06:33 (7:09 pace). Marcy Withington double scored by capturing third for the Flyer Open Women and second for the second place Flyer 40+ Women. Denise Iannizzotto placed fourth in the 55-59 age group and triple scored with a fourth place finish for the Flyer Open Women, third for the Flyer 40+ Women, and second for the second place Flyer 50+ Women in 1:08:07 (7:19 pace). Heather Tolford won the 60-64 age group and knocked out a triple score, placing fifth for the Flyer Open Women, third for the Flyer 50+ Women, and first for the first place Flyer 60+ Women in 1:09:8 (7:29 pace). Andrea Kent placed sixth in the 60-64 age group and second for the 60+ Flyers, and Vice President Elaine Rosen placed third for the 60+ Flyers and ninth in the 60-64 age group.

The Flyer Open Men captured twenty-fourth in their division, led by Mr. President, who double scored with first place finishes for the Flyer Open and 40+ Men and eighteenth in the 40-44 age group in 59:35 (6:24 pace). Deniz Saat placed second for the Flyer Open Men in 1:05:11 (7:00 pace), followed by Gregory Hawryluk in 1:05:33 (7:02 pace). Secretary David Ezra double scored with a fourth place finish for the Flyer Open Men and second for the twentieth place 40+ Flyer Men in 1:06:46 (7:10 pace). Andreas Werder quadruple scored, capturing fifth place for the 60-64 age group and fifth for the Flyer Open Men, third for the Flyer 40+ Men, first for the tenth place 50+ Flyer Men, and first for the fourth place Flyer 60+ Men. John McCreesh placed second for the Flyer 50+ Men in 1:11:12 (7:39 pace), followed by Michael Knopf in 1:12:39 (7:48 pace). Bradford Goz placed second for the Flyer 60+ Men in 1:14:20 (7:59 pace), also coming in sixteenth in the 60-64 age group. Ricky Lam placed third for the Flyer 60+ Men and thirteenth in the 65-69 age group. Other age group honors went to Yumi Morishige (ninth in the women's 50-54 age group); Amy Thakkar (tenth in the women's 50-54 age group); and Anky Lam (third in the women's 65-69 age group).