The York River State Park race was formerly named the Harvest Day 5K (for 2004 and '05, when the race was held in October as part of that fall festival), then the Estuary Day 5K (in 2006, when it took over the last weekend in August time frame, and was affiliated with another festival). There were no scheduled festivals this year, so the race name became the York River State Park 5K, to honor the award-winning York River State Park, the host site.

Despite an early morning 8:30 a.m. starting time, the heat and humidity was already out in force at the fourth annual York River State Park 5K Run last Saturday at the park in Croaker. Combined with the three hills on the course (the first: a long, gradual one on the park entrance road; the next two on the dirt- trail loop around the Woodstock Pond and surrounding woods), participants always run 20-30 seconds slower for the YRSP race, compared to a flat-and-fast course like the Vineyards 5K, another Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix event held two weeks earlier.

Overcoming those conditions was race winner Mark Tompkins (31) of Williamsburg, the head Walsingham Academy cross country and track coach, who pulled away for a 24-second win over Steve Chantry (52) of Williamsburg (17:20). Adam Canning (21) of Williamsburg, a fifth-year student and runner on the Virginia Commonwealth University cross country and track teams ran (17:26). Chantry was also second last year, but improved from 17:41 to 17:20.

Those three, along with Steve Menzies (43) of Hampton (4th overall in 18:28) and Jack Lovett of Newport News (at the race, but who got injured, and could not race) are the leaders in the 2007 CRR Grand Prix series after nine of the 12 races. Canning's third place increased his Grand Prix point total to 52 points, followed by Menzies (44), Lovett (44), Chantry (38) and Tompkins (35). Menzies also leads the Masters (40 & over) category with 29 points, followed by Chantry (23).

For the women, the top three were Laura Shannon (45) of Williamsburg in 20:54 ahead of Debbie McLaughlin (41) of Vienna in 22:03. McLaughlin just moved there from Williamsburg in July, but who was back down on the Peninsula while taking her daughter to Christopher Newport University. Karen Killeen (39) of Richmond was third in 22:18. Killeen and her husband Sean are part of a group of runners from Richmond who have been attending the York River State Park race for many years, going back to when it was the Massey Cancer Center Race for the Cure, a Peninsula Track Club race. Last year Sean Killeen was third overall in 18:06, while this year he was sixth overall in 19:03. Connie Glueck (43) of Williamsburg was fourth overall in 22:50.

Three of those top four women at the YRSP 5K are also the top three in the CRR Grand Prix, with Glueck now leading with 64 points, followed by Shannon (55) and McLaughlin (40). There is a close race for fourth among Christina Race of Newport News (30), Carol Bartram of Yorktown (29), Heidi Peterson of Williamsburg (28), and Nicole Carson of Williamsburg (27). The masters leaders are Glueck (33), Shannon (29), and McLaughlin (18).

William and Mary women's cross country and track coach Kathy Newberry had won the 2006 race in a record 17:11. She was the second runner across the finish line that year (ahead of Chantry). The men's course record is 15:50 set in 2004 by, then 36, Michael Mann of Hampton.

The race was organized by and benefited the Williamsburg AIDS Network under the leadership of race director David Lamson. It also benefited the CRR Scholarship Fund. The mission of the Williamsburg AIDS Network is to prevent through education the further spread of HIV/AIDS, and to alleviate through client services the material, spiritual, and physical suffering of all those affected by HIV/AIDS.

The entry numbers continue to increase for the well-organized event that has great door prizes, including two round trip airline tickets by AirTran Airways that were raffled off .This year's winner was Melissa Orendorff. There were 142 finishers in the 5K run/walk, compared to 126 finishers in the 5K in 2006. The most popular age group was the 19-and-under men's category, where a good part of that turnout of 22 finishers was due to the attendance of the Lafayette High School cross country team, under the leadership of head coach Craig Wortman, along with assistant coaches John Piggott (last year's race winner in 17:04) and Ellen Womeldorf.

There were five age-group records set in the fourth-year race: Macklin Webb (15) of Williamsburg, part of the Lafayette squad (15-19, 19:11), Mark Tompkins (30-34, 16:56), Steve Chantry (50- 54, 17:20), Karen Killeen (35-39, 22:18) and Pat Eden (76) of Williamsburg (75 & over, 52:15). Kurtis Steck (12) of Williamsburg with 20:14 missed a 14 & under record by just one second. The race record set in 2004 is held by Victor Russell of Hampton.

Tim Campbell (46) of Virginia Beach won the men's 45-49 division in 20:32 and extended his all-time CRR Grand Prix consecutive race streak to 77 races. Robert Wilson celebrated his 60th birthday just three days earlier. Then he won the 60- 64 age group in 22:54, his new race category. The race walking division winners were Steven Shapiro (53) of Hampton (28:32) and Cindy Steger (47) of Williamsburg (37:48).

Full Race Results