The last time Scott Birk won a race was…well, it was never. Not in high school, not as an age grouper, had Birk ever even won some rinky dink fun-run before Sunday.
Sure Birk, 44, has won more than his fair share of age-group divisions and is consistently one of the top three or four masters runners in local races. But he had never actually won any sort of road race outright before Sunday when he placed first—overall—to lead 857 runners to the finish of the sixth annual BagelFest 5-K on a clear, crisp, calm morning at the Dell Community Jewish Center in northwest Austin.
"Coming off the last hill and just being in the lead all by myself," said Birk, after winning in 17:18, "was such a great feeling. Having a lead like that, was something I’ve never experienced before."
Karen Harvey had experienced winning a race before, but it has been a couple of years. Still, the 29-year-old cruised over the hills to win the women’s division in 20:21 to eke out a nine-second win over Glenda Adams.
Harvey, though, didn’t win her family division. Her stepfather, Lou Kohagen, 52, exercised parental control to place second in his age division with a 19:39.
But the morning belonged to Birk who is just coming off a 2:49 at the AT&T Austin Marathon. Birk thought he had a shot at winning a 5-K on Saturday, but faded in the last mile to finish third.
Undaunted, Birk once again thought he could win on Sunday morning at the BagelFest but then he spotted a typically late Keith Dowland rushing to the starting line a minute before the gun went off which put some doubt in his mind. "Keith’s tough," said Birk. "I’ve beaten him a few times, but anytime he’s in the race you just know he’ll push the pace."
But the 51-year-old Dowland enjoys cold, early-morning races in the middle of tax season about as much he likes a warm beer (i.e., not at all). After Chris Chancey led the first mostly uphill mile in a sluggish 5:40 (most thought the mile marker was long), Birk took command a half mile later. He passed Dowland, Chancey and Mike Shafto just before the two-mile mark (and a 5:17 mile) and coasted to a 17-second victory over Shafto in second (17:35) and Dowland in third (17:55). Chancey was fourth.
"I was just able to really enjoy this," said Birk who’s wife Carla ran 27:36. "To actually be able to win a race, is very special for me."
Among the age-groupers who had that same special feeling of winning, were Jesse Devlyn who won the men’s 40-44 in 18:06 (although Birk had a faster time) and Kenny Hausmann, 49, who ran a fine 18:50 to win the 45-49. Greg Baxter won the 50-54 in 19:28 and smooth-striding John La Claire (prepping for the Boston Marathon) chipped in with a 19:55 to win the 55-59. Dick Wilkowski, the 63-year-old Man in Black, was grand master funk of the morning with a terrific 21:34 clocking in his first race since busting his elbow at the Motive Bison Half in November.
The first woman masters runner was Diana Damer, 42, with a nice 21:32, followed closely by Lynn Doelger, 44, in 21:35. The mature gals were led by Charlene Janiak, 54, in 23:11 with 56-year-old Reenie Smith winning the 55-59s as usual in 24:25 with Susan Kohagen second in 25:17. The women’s grand master was 62-year-old Sandra Baran in 29:10.
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Photos taken by Dave McLaughlin
