Jeremy Dovin, 14, of Narvon, finished first in the Garden Spot Village Half Marathon on Saturday, April 14, with a time of 1:20:18. This was Jeremy’s second win at Garden Spot Village. He won 3rd place in 2017 with a time of 1:23:11. He returned this year, determined to beat his previous time and take first place. He won hands-down, finishing nearly a full three minutes before the second place runner.
The event attracted some 900 marathoners and half marathoners from 25 states and as far as California.
“I love our marathon. Runners are great people,” says race director Scott Miller, a marathoner and chief marketing officer of Garden Spot Communities. “When you have more than 800 people getting together to do something that’s meaningful, to them it’s always a great day. Beyond that it’s an annual, purpose-driven event that hundreds of people from Garden Spot Village rally around for months. Residents and family members not only volunteer but more and more register for the event. It says something about the environment of our community when someone who’s retired catches the marathon bug and sets out to do a marathon in their 60s, 70s and even 80s!”
The Garden Spot Village Marathon is believed to be the first marathon hosted by a retirement community. Beginning and ending on the community’s 104-acre campus, the USA Track & Field (USATF)-certified course runs along rural roads through scenic Lancaster County. The Garden Spot Village Marathon is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.
To encourage a broad range of participation, the event recognizes individual achievement in five-year age categories to ages 80-plus, and the course remains open for eight hours. On the eve of the race, Garden Spot Village hosted the fifth annual Lancaster YMCA Kids Marathon, which drew nearly 50 participants ages 6 to 13.
Results for the full marathon were:
Men’s Overall: First place Gale Hess, 40, East Petersburg, Pa., 3:15:12; Second place Steven Stoltzfus, 35; 3:16:54; Third Place: Jason McCloskey, 40, State College, Pa.; 3:21:54
Women’s Overall: First place Katherine Marden, 37, Arlington, Va.; 3:37:44; Second place Mandy McCarthy, 22, Macungie, Pa.; 3:41:16; Third place Jennifer McEntee, 37, Philadelphia, Pa., 3:44:40.
Men’s Grand Masters (age 50 or above): First place Frank Troilo, 53, Media, Pa.; 3:41:11; Second place David Dolsey, 57, Cherry Hill, N.J.; 3:52:28; Third place Daryl Blanchard, 56, Perkasie, Pa.; 3:52:53.
Women’s Grand Masters (age 50 or above): First place Patty Swanger, 52, Morgantown, Pa.; 4:04:50; Second place Kathy Weaver, 53, Annville, Pa.; 4:23:05; Third place Linda Dunbar, 57, Elizabethtown, Pa.; 4:38:52.
Results for the half marathon were:
Men’s Overall: First place Jeremy Dovin, 14, Narvon, Pa.; 1:20:18; Second place Ashley Sollenberger, 36, Landisville, Pa.; 1:23:14; Third place Caleb McGaughran, 25, Mechanicsburg, Pa.; 1:23:54.
Women’s Overall: First place Lauren Leonard, 33, Huntingdon, Pa.; 1:37:11; Second place Katelyn Clark, 27, Ronks, Pa.; 1:41:07; Third place Dawn Hissner, 49, Lebanon, Pa.; 1:42:02.
Men’s Grand Masters (age 50 or above): First place Anthony Pitarresi, 50, Staten Island, N.Y.; 1:35:10; Second place Mark Southam, 55, Lititz, Pa.; 1:39:58; Third place Mike Smith, 60, Lebanon, Pa.; 1:40:15.
Women’s Grand Masters (age 50 or above): First place Anabelle Broadbent, 51, Perkasie, Pa.; 1:46:40; Second place Denise Smith, 54, Hanover, Pa.; 1:54:19; Third place Karen Rodriguez, 62, Lancaster, Pa.; 2:08:05.
Complete results are posted at PretzelCitySports.com under Road Races.
Proceeds from the marathon benefit the Garden Spot Village Benevolent Fund, which helps support residents who need financial assistance.
Savencia Fromage & Dairy, Sodexo, Sensenig’s Feed Mill, Benchmark Construction, CCS Building Group, Shady Maple Smorgasbord, Warfel Construction Company, Pioneer/DuPont, Shumaker, Triangle Communications, Bird-in-Hand Family Inn, Girls on the Run and WellSpan Health sponsored the day.
For more information, visit www.gardenspotvillagemarathon.org.
