Saturday, August 28, 1999 -- Morgantown
United Way Corporate Cup Challenge
Story & photos by Julie Bertsch

[Coverage] [Results]
[Pic Set 1] [Pic Set 2] [Pic Set 3] [Pic Set 4] [Pic Set 5]

Eric Wilson leads a pack to the finish line

As the fog rolled into Morgantown early Saturday morning, so did over 80 runners to race in the 1st Annual United Way Corporate Cup Challenge. Benefitting the United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties, this 5K run was open to individuals and sponsored corporate teams. Other events followed the race, including competitions in golf, volleyball, and softball! The course was run in downtown Morgantown, starting on the downtown WVU campus by the Mountainlair Student Union building. A few rolling hills were included, with a sweet downhill finish on High Street, right in front of the Court House Square.

E.J. Linger stays ahead of his competition on the bridge

As the runners ran down University Avenue, and then up South High Street to the Pleasant Street Bridge, there was only one person in sight. E.J. Linger rounded the corner first just after mile 2, keeping a steady pace. He kept his lead until the very end, finishing with an excellent time of 16:50 to take the 1st Place Overall Cup. Nearly 2 minutes behind Linger was Scott Gemberling (18:25) who ran his own race to finish 2nd Overall, and Bob Baker (18:57) took the 3rd Place Cup.

The majority of the people running sprinted to the finish with strong strides, using the downhill to their full advantage. Fans cheered them on, and as the clock approached 20 minutes, the first woman runner appeared over the hill out of the haze.

Giti Farudi passes Brian Bailie on the downhill stretch

The 1st place Woman Finisher of the Hughes 5K River Race, Giti Farudi (20:00), had another amazing 1st Place finish. As Brian Bailie sprinted for the finish, Farudi kicked it into high gear to pass Bailie and take 9th Place Overall. More than 1 minute behind Farudi, Maria Stover crossed the line to finish as the 2nd Place Female with a time of 21:39. The Women's 3rd Place Finisher was Jenny Mayfield (22:36).

Music was pumping in the square, and drinks and fat-free snacks were provided. Special thanks to Race Director Bob Hiser for making this exciting event happen, and to John D. May of the Morgantown Road Runners/W.V.T.C. for the excellent job on the results. If you missed this race, be sure to check it out next year for the 2nd Annual Corporate Cup Challenge!