by Doug Kopp

This feature is a continuation of the coverage of the Tulsa Run in the December 2002 issue of Runner Triathlete News. To get the full scoop on the 25th anniversary of the Tulsa Run, pick up a copy of the December issue of Runner Triathlete News. Subscribe to RTN today!

25 and still going strong
Tulsa Run race results showed that 34 of the 41 runners who had finished the previous 24 Tulsa Run 15K races unofficially crossed the finish line at the 25th Tulsa Run 15K -- at least their chip times/clock times were available and recorded.

Clock times of veteran finishers with times available
Steve Berlin, 58, Tulsa, 1:25:23
Steff Birch, 53, Plano, 1:56:21
Art Browning, 71, Tulsa, 1:58:52
Gene Covington, 70, McAlester, 1:57:33
Ernie Darnell, 65, Tulsa, 1:31:23
Cindy Davis, 51, Cleveland, 1:17:03
John DeCamp, 49, Tulsa, 1:17:18
Kent Dunbar, 55, Tulsa, 1:17:18
Robert Durbin, 58, Tulsa, 1:39:16
Condia Ellison, 68, Tulsa, 1:35:11
Ron Fegaly, 54, Tulsa, 1:43:54 (racewalker)
Frederick Ferguson, 68, Broken Arrow, 2:31:11
Suzanne Ferguson, 56, Broken Arrow, 2:02:51
Charles Green, 60, Tulsa, 2:14:36
Doug Hill, 51, Tulsa, 1:35:42
David Holloday, 54, Broken Arrow, 1:40:36
George Hubbard, 58, Cleveland, 1:19:35
Barbara Jani, 58, Tulsa, 1:33:47
Duke Kern, 51, Norman, 1:07:13
Robert Maddy, 56, Sperry, 1:03:09
Joe McDaniel, 65, Tulsa, 1:49:32
Robert Morgan, 53, Tulsa, 1:31:35
Jim Morrison, 56, Tulsa, 1:11:45
Hewlett Nash, 62, Beggs, 1:19:44
Michael O'Rourke, 53, Tulsa, 1:11:19
David Page, 49, Tulsa, 1:25:48
Jim Pogue, 64, Sand Springs, 1:18:22
Steve Sampson, 53, Tulsa, 2:21:20
Wiliam Scheer, 62, Tulsa, 1:56:17
Jo Schooley, 63, Jenks, 2:04:47
Norman Sloan, 65, Tulsa, 1:59:50
J.D. Stigall, 53, Broken Arrow, 1:25:06
Jim Williams, 71, Tulsa, 1:52:17
Lana Wilson, 57, Tulsa, 1:32:43

The remainder of the 41 runners includes:
Keith Bailey
Richard Gardner
Terry Hipsher
David Hyden
Billy Bob Jaynes
Duaran Lugar
Thomas Wilson
No times were found for those runners.

Running in the race . . . and for office
Several politicians took the time for run the race and mingle with runner voters. Most notable was Steve Largent (Rep.), a candidate for governor of Oklahoma. Largent's 1:15:48 placed him in the top one-fourth of all 15K finishers.

U.S. Senator Don Nickles (R-Okla.) was not up for reelection this year. Nickles finishers in 1:18:28 which placed him in the top one-third of all 15K finishers.

"It's easy to get volunteers in an election year," noted Tulsa Run race director Jack Wing. "All the candidates want to be there -- especially along Peoria Avenue."

Water stops were sponsored by both major candidates for the 1st Congressional District (Tulsa area) -- John Sullivan for the Republicans, Doug Dodd for the Democrats. Largent also had a campaign sponsored water stop, along with Judge Deirdre Dexter.

Remarkable recovery
Donna Krutka (Tulsa) had plenty of reasons to be elated at this year's Tulsa Run 15K. Krutka finished the run in 1:15:21, good for second place in the female 55-59 age group. What was remarkable was that Krutka had hip replacement surgery four years ago.

Her husband, veteran triathlete Larry Krutka, finished 12th in the male 50-54 age group (1:02:31) and also placed second overall in the male 170-184 lbs. clydesdale weight group.