Butler, Greenidge top Fantasy of Lights

COCONUT CREEK · Trish Butler was too busy trying to win to notice the holiday sights and sounds of the Fantasy of Lights.

In one of the most competitive women's finishes, Butler held off Ingrid Lewis of Miami Lakes by two seconds to win in 18 minutes and 4 seconds.

Marlene Persson of Deerfield Beach was third in 18:54 in her third race of the day. Persson won the 5K (19:03) and 10K (39:43) titles Saturday morning in the Key Biscayne Lighthouse Run at Bill Baggs State Park.

Mary Nicholls of Pembroke Pines won the masters women's title in 20:15.

Andrew Greenidge won the men's race in 15:29. Elliott Mason of Miami was second.

Greenidge and Butler led from start to finish.

It was Butler's first victory at the popular night race at Tradewinds Park that attracted more than 2,500 participants, including 1,700 runners. The course is illuminated by thousands of lights and seasonal displays while holiday music plays throughout the park.

Butler, 42, is slowly returning to competitive road racing after "backing off" for a while and is just strength training. Her last win was the Race For the Cure 5K in Miami. She was coming off a half-marathon, her longest race, two weeks ago in Coral Springs.

"Age is taking its toll," Butler said. "I was on and off my feet last year. My knees were bothering me. I had torn cartilage last summer and had plantar fasciitis for a year. I'm not a kid anymore. It hurts, and the recovery is different now. You can't train like you did when you're 30. I can't train like I did when I was 40.

"I'm coming back slowly. I wasn't surprised I won. I thought I would be a little faster, but I'll take it."

In the racewalk, Tim Nicholls of Pembroke Pines missed the course record by 1 second. He won in 22:00. He holds the record of 21:59. Kerri Giachos won the women's walk in 35:37.

Results

MEN OPEN: 1. Andrew Greenidge 15:49, 2. Elliott Mason 16:15, 3. Anton Van Zyl 16:25, 4. David O'Meara 16:37, 5. David Stillmon 16:58.

MEN MASTERS: 1. Gary Bloome 17:45, 2. Dan Kuehn 17:57, 3. Juan Gallo 18:03, 4. Walthon Maxwell 18:03, 5. Joe Monks 18:22.

MEN AGE GROUP: 12-and-under: 1. Jordan Steiner 20:45, 2. Kent Lindbergh 21:24, 3. Alan Percal 23:56; 13-14: 1. Stefon Napier 18:47, 2. Michael Navarro 19:54, 3. Daniel Nieves 20:56; 15-19: 1. Jared Fry 17:56, 2. Kyle Botti 17:57, 3. Vincent Hahr 18:14; 20-24: 1. Giancario Bianchi 20:51, 2. Duke Marren 22:28, 3. Eric Braunschweiler 22:54; 25-29: 1. Bryan Spellberg 19:04, 2. Reinaldo Oliveira 19:58, 3. Brian Huweart 21:12; 30-34: 1. Don Wennerstrom 16:59, 2. Andy Beile 18:00, 3. David Lewis 18:02; 35-39: 1. Almir Junior 18:00, 2. Jon Williams 18:04, 3. Jasper Bell 18:40; 40-44: 1. Miguel Dias 18:34, 2. Robert Grant 20:30, 3. Lance Napier Sr. 21:18; 45-49: 1. Craig Cotnoir 18:25, 2. Paul Corban 18:33; 3. Joe Ochipinti 18:45; 50-54: 1. Amilcar Noguera 20:20, 2. Walt Patten 20:45, 3. Carlos Vela 20:58; 55-59: 1. Chuck Bayles 20:45, 2. Jim Schwartz 22:06, 3. Bill Heilman 24:28; 60-64: 1. Herman Delgado 23:90, 2. Roger Lacasse 25:44, 3. Bob Schultz 27:35; 65-69: 1. Bruce Kadota 22:11, 2. Louis Best 23:23, 3. Herb Berman 25:28; 70-74: 1. Harold Clare 32:07; 75-and-over: 1. Leroy Buckner 31:19, 2. Herbert Muirhead 47:43.

WOMEN OPEN: 1. Trish Butler 18:04, 2. Ingrid Lewis 18:06, 3. Marlene Persson 18:54, 4. Tracey Bunce 18:56, 5. Kimberly Delaney 19:06.

WOMEN MASTERS: 1. Mary Nicholls 20:15, 2. Ellen Bloome 21:27, 3. Patricia Braun-schweiler 21:46, 4. Donna Logan 22:29, 5. Tracy Koch 22:32.

WOMEN AGE GROUP: 12-and-under: 1. Natalie Sesto 23:20, 2. Allison Richmond 23;37, 3. Melanie Lyon 25:41; 13-14: 1. Caroline Young 23:18, 2. Zoe Graman 23:37, 3. Melanie Lyon 25:41; 15-19: 1. Heather Sternau 20:45, 2. Jessica Butler 21:15, 3. Alice Henlry 22:26; 20-24: 1. Kara Baca 21:18, 2. Colleen Newton 21:58, 3. Karen Sancken 23:52; 25-29: 1. Karin Svensson 21:53, 2. Anne Helfant 21:56, 3. Jessica Adams 22:59; 30-34: 1. Francie Ceravolo 20:42, 2. Ngozi Uwah 20:43, 3. Beth Feinberg 23:03; 35-39: 1. Lucy Cotnoir 22:04, 2. Ruth Agustus 22:24, 3. Claudine Broyles 23:07; 40-44: 1. Kathy Roberts 23:21; 2. Shelley Wolfson 23:42, 3. Karen Boudreau 24:42; 45-49: 1. Susi Crrington 24:22, 2. Ann Stemer 24:36, 3. Lynn Buhler 26:19; 50-54: 1. Carol Virga 23:36, 2. Robin McCauley 24:21, 3. Susan Comoglio 24:46; 55-59: 1. Linda Stein 25:43, 2. Ann Bacon 28:00, 3. Mary Ann Healy 29:54; 60-64: 1. Janet Ross 27:01, 2. Jerri Bushey 29:36, 3. Sherry Svoboda 33:07; 65-69: 1. Geri Barry 28:49, 2. Ruth Gure 32:57; 70-74: 1. Chickie O'Toole 35:08; 75-and-over: 1. Miriam Gordon 39:24.

5K RACEWALK

MEN OPEN: 1. Tim Nicholls 22:00, 2. Dave Giachos 35:49, 3. Roy Bodo 36:05.

MEN MASTERS: 1. Danny Demauro 37:11. MEN AGE GROUP: 99-and-under: 1. Robert Meehan 38:58, 2. Bobby Meehan 39:05, 3. Dana Sanders 40:54.

WOMEN OPEN: 1. Kerri Giachos 35:37, 2. Kathy Antieau 36:09, 3. Noreen Odwyer-Roach 36:09. WOMEN MASTERS: 1. Mary Ann Lambiro 38:05. WOMEN AGE GROUP: 99-and-under: 1. Andrea Diskin 40:02, 2. Kara Nowosielski 42:03, 3. Marilyn Schappert 42:11.

Elsewhere

Fort Lauderdale's Robert Leaf won the men's 10K title at the Key Biscayne Lighthouse Run at Bill Baggs State Park. Armando Cruz of Miami won the men's 5K in 16:13.

Taylor Reeves of Hobe Sound led from start to finish to win the Golden Games 5K Run at Bessey Creek Elementary School. Reeves won in 17:43. Sandra Shoemaker of Port St. Lucie won the women's race in 22:54. Loxahatchee's Toni Medvetz was second in 24:32.