MIAMI BEACH · Raising money for the homeless was more
important than winning for Chester Bryant III and Lilian Kroner at
Saturday's inaugural Great Florida Bank Tropical 5K
Run.
Despite windy race conditions along the 3.1-mile
point-to-point course from Watson Island to South Pointe Park, a
field of 1,469 runners competed in the first of three races during
Toyota Prius Miami Tropical Marathon Weekend.
With
nearly 1,500 runners, race organizers are hoping to hit the 9,000
mark this morning after the half marathon and marathon races, nearly
doubling last year's total.
The 5K benefited Community
Partnership for Homelessness and its two Homeless Assistance Centers
in downtown Miami. All sponsorship and a portion of the race entry
fees went toward helping provide temporary housing and support for
homeless men, women and children in Miami-Dade County.
The
cause not only brought out the average runner, but also celebrities.
Emilio Estefan, 51, who ran with his 9-year-old daughter, Emely, and
finished in 40 minutes and 3 seconds, and singer Jon Secada, 40, who
finished in 30:19 to place 31st in his age group.
Miami Mayor
Manny Diaz walked the race after making race organizers delay the
start for 20 minutes until all runners made their way through
traffic.
"This was a first-year race for charity," said
course designer Frankie Ruiz, one of the people who helped resurrect
the marathon in Miami after a 15-year drought. "They ran for
themselves, and they ran for charity."
Bryant, 26, of
Aventura, who finished second in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale Race For
The Cure last fall, took turns with the lead pack of David Levy,
Alcides DeQuesada and Cardinal Gibbons sophomore Billy Zenga Jr.
blocking the 20 mph winds.
Bryant edged Levy by 1 second to
win in 17:18. Bryant's career best is 15:05. DeQuesada was third in
17:21 and Zenga, 16, was fourth and won his age group in
17:22.
"I'm a runner, and I thought running for the homeless
was a good cause so I decided to get up and run," said Bryant, a
former University of Georgia runner [2001] who resumed running two
years ago.
Kroner, 39, a mother of three from upstate New
York, won the women's race in 19 minutes and 27 seconds. She ran a
6:16 minute-mile pace. She said it served as a tuneup for this
morning's half marathon. Kroner, who lived in Hollywood in the
1980s, said she plans to run the New York City Marathon for her 40th
birthday.
"I wanted to support the cause, and what a surprise
I won it," said Kroner, who took the lead at the half-mile mark. Her
last win was a 7-miler last weekend in 9-degree weather. "I was at
the start standing next to Jon Secada and Emilio Estefan; that was
exciting and then I had to concentrate on the run, and I just took
off."
RESULTS
GREAT FLORIDA BANK TROPICAL 5K
RUN
MEN OPEN: 1. Chester Bryant III, Miami 17:18, 2. David
Levy 17:19; 3. Alcides De-Quesada 17:21; 4. Billy Zenga
17:22.
MEN AGE GROUP: 12-and-under: 1. John Paul Will 22:27,
2. Jeffrey Tait 22:37, 3. Wesley Dixon 23:58; 13-15: 1. Daniel Manco
18:15, 2. Stefon Napier 19:24, 3. John-Michael Fernandez 20:21;
16-19: 1. Billy Zenga 17:22, 2. Allan Guevara 19:20, 3. Ro-land
Quiones 19:44; 20-24: 1. Randy Villalta 18:41, 2. Amed Garriga
18:59, 3. Julio Torres 19:56; 25-29: 1. Andres Gaitman 20:20, 2.
Kimtake Sato 21:21, 3. Luis Miguel Hincapie 21:50; 30-34: 1. Lars
Mogelberg 19:22, 2. Noel-Alexandre Bertout 19:31, 3. Alberto Gaitman
19:41; 35-39: 1. Jon Williams 18:18, 2. Hubert Brooks 19:49, 3.
Jasper Bell Jr. 19:58; 40-44: 1. Walthon Maxwell 19:19, 2. William
Murtada 19:23, 3. Hum-berto Vidal 19:51; 45-49: 1. Carlos Garcia
18:41, 2. Manuel Pietra 19:04, 3. Dave Ragsdale 19:47; 50-54: 1.
Jimmy Boesch 18:55, 2. Victor Selenow 20:35, 3. Vincent Fisk 23;26;
55-59: 1. Larry Starr 21:31, 2. Albert Bezilla 22:48, 3. Rolando
Lahera 23:01; 60-64: 1. Bill O'Brien 22:37, 2. Wolfgang Kinder
24:28, 3. Courtney Barron 27:47; 65-69: 1. Michael Goldman 23:21, 2.
Francisco Hernandez 28:23, 3. Carl Childress 30:48; 70-74: 1. Martin
Quinn 28:06, 2. Fred Squires 32:29, 3. Adalberto Puello 34:36;
75-and-over: 1. Alberto Cortes 28:48, 2. Humberto Garza 41:21, 3.
Bob O'Brien 43:26.
WOMEN OPEN: 1. Lilian Kroner, New York
City 19:27, 2. Brooke Garden 20:44, 3. Vicki Lang
20:52.
WOMEN AGE GROUP: 12-and-under: 1. Nicole Carter 24:15,
2. Michele Carter 24:16, 3. Melody Hernandez 24:32; 13-15: 1. Soraya
Bascoy 22:57, 2. Vanessa Pedrayes 25:37, 3. Lauren Aguilar 28:21;
16-19: 1. Eva Vertes 22:42, 2. Maya Yamato 22:46, 3. Vanessa Viadero
24:28; 20-24: 1. Marie Dohin 22:49, 2. Maria Miyar 23:47, 3. Melyssa
Briceno 24:04; 25-29: 1. Elizabeth Lopacki 21:53, 2. Frances
Sinkowitsch 23:34, 3. Marianne Russo 23:40; 30-34: 1. Stephanie
Godsea 22:41, 2. Caroline Laraman 25:07, 3. Elizabeth Jolin 25:23;
35-39: 1.Diane Calloway 21:46, 2. Melly Sanchez 23:30, 3. Sonia Roa
25:16; 40-44: 1. Lisa Dorfman 22:21, 2. Diana Hill 25:06, 3. Sandra
Shelton 25:24; 45-49: 1. Diane Krose 23:48, 2. Ann Stemer 24:46, 3.
Adrienne Rabinowitz 25:05; 50-54: 1. Cynthia Raes-Barnard 22:50, 2.
Jane Harlan 23:04; 3. Ellen Richards 23:27; 55-59: 1. Marilyn
Whipple 25:13, 2. Mary Ann Healy 30:15, 3. Laura Grigull 30:55;
60-64: 1. Diane Patriacca 27:48, 2. Erica Gassen 29:47, 3. Marilyn
Gladish 35:02; 65-69: 1. None; 70-74: 1. Sylvia Weiner 31:21, 2.
June-Marie Provost 35:20; 75-and-over: None.
Sharon Robb can be reached at
srobb@sun-sentinel.com.
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