Saturday, April 22, 2000 -- Fayetteville, WV
Fayetteville Easter Lily 5K
Story and photos by George Gannon

[Details] [Coverage] [Overall Results] [Results by Class] [Pic Set 1]

And they're off

I asked the Fayetteville Easter Lilly 5K race organizer Larry Taylor, one of the best runners in the state, why he was not competing in his own race. I made the apocryphal claim that he would be so far ahead of everyone else, he could still perform any organizational duties that might need his expertise. He simply told me. "I wouldn't win this one. You'll see what I mean"

He was right. I was wrong. Steve Crowder, whose strategy was "get out first and build on the lead," might have bested Taylor at his own race. As Crowder crested the final hill before the finish line, it would be almost three minutes before another racer would hit the same spot, the only thing behind him was the wind and rain of downtown Fayetteville.

Lori Hager headed for home

Although it was rainy and chilly, the racers, for the most part,seemed happy about the "nice and cool" weather. The course, which ran through the streets of historic downtown Fayetteville, was a rolling, fast track. And, unlike so many road races, the many threats posed by on-coming traffic were dealt with very effectively.

Evading the cars and finding the finish line first was Crowder. Bill Chandler, posting strong numbers as well (18:05), pulled in second. Aaron Kaylor (18:15) rounded out the top three. For the women, Kelly Mcgraw, according to another competitor, ran "like a cloud," and floated to the finish line first (19:55). Maura Kistler took the number two spot (21:32). Lori Hager, who finished her race and jumped in to help with results, dropped in at the number three spot (23:03)

A warm wave on a chilly day

The awards ceremony was held in the warm confines of the Fayette County Memorial Building. There were plenty of bananas and oranges for everyone. The trophies, hand crafted by Taylor himself, were some of the finest I have seen. For anyone who placed in their class, it made the rain and wind nothing more than a wet memory. A West Virginia Outside shout-out goes to Larry for his handling of the race results. Be sure to check out this race next year, the trophy alone will make it worth your while.