Men's lead pack splashes through 5/3 River Bank Run: bib no. 48 - Chris Graff; no. 108 - Wesley Ochoro; Brian Sell - right of Ochoro; no. 102 - Simon Wangai; no. 106 - Julius Kibet
GRAND RAPIDS (6/14/05) -- There is little evidence John Lennon had the River Bank Run in mind when composing "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

It should be "Picture yourself in a run on a river," not a boat. The initials L.S.D. more than likely did not stand for Long Slow Distance.

So what? For a record 10,826 participants in the 28th annual Fifth Third River Bank Run's 25K and 5K runs, 5K walk and junior races, the event was a "high" culled from their own energy. A "rush" based on their endorphins.

Share those with others amid the vibrance of downtown Grand Rapids, a tour through the spring-green surrounding country, a test of will -- Can I do this? Yes! -- and it makes a "trip" you will not forget.

Towering Over Your Head

In a race called River Bank Run, you expect to contend with water. In a state like Michigan, where it snows three straight days in May, you can count on an otherwise Sahara-like spring to precipitate monsoons when you don't want them: the week of USA Track & Field's 25K championship, Michigan Runner's title event at that distance, and West Michigan's biggest road race.

Looming thunder-boomers did little to scare off a record 1,628 children 13 and under taking part in Wednesday's Fifth Third Junior Runs at Wyoming Rogers High School. The girl with kaleidoscope eyes was my daughter Flannery, 5, at last old enough to enter.

What impressed her most as she sat in the stands, waiting for her turn, amid milling munchkins and parents? The 20-foot high promotional water bottle.

"Let's drink it, Dad!"

"Maybe after we're done," I said.

We started in last place and fell off quickly. Flannery beamed the entire two laps, basking in cheers that she was certain were all for her, finally running into her mother's arms. Gummy worms and ice cream diverted her thoughts from the water bottle, and showers held off.

A Bridge by the Fountain

Everywhere I went between Wednesday and Saturday, I saw trucks hauling porta-potties. Some were bound for Tulip Time in Holland, others for the River Bank Run. Where people are, the poop is. I thought about life as a traveling lavatory man.

The "newspaper taxis" at the River Bank Run are press trucks, from which media watch the leaders. I eyed them enviously as rain, which let up late Friday, resumed by race time. I should be committed, I thought, for committing myself to running the 25K instead of being hauled, under an umbrella, around by truck.

Still fell the rain, now harder. The girl with the sun in her eyes was gone.

Off we splashed, 4,721 of us. Rain does not dilute people this crazy. By the time I hit five miles, I could hear cheers from across the Grand River, near the eight-mile mark, where the three or four runners who had actual chances of winning were flying past.

Rain relented and crowds picked up as I neared the Wilson Street bridge, before turning back toward town near the seven-mile mark, at Johnson Park. Soon would come the hills ...

Rocking Horse People

The few, the fleet were magnificent this wet day. Defending-champ Simon Wangai, 26, of Kenya, pulled away late from countryman Julius Kibet to win in an RBR-record 1:13:27, good for open-division $4,000 money. Kibet's 1:13:50 also eclipsed the old standard, Joseph Kariuki's 1:13:55 set in 1998.

Krige Schabort (no. 218) won the men's wheelchair race in 52:52-- 2 seconds shy of the course record.
Brian Sell, 27 -- a member of the Rochester Hills-based Hansons Brooks Distance Project -- finished fourth overall, 13 seconds behind third-place Kenyan Wesley Ochoro, in 1:15:27. As USATF champion, Sell collected $4,000 to add to his $1,000 for open-division fourth.

The next Michigan finishers were Sell's Hansons teammate Clint Verran, 29, seventh overall in 1:18:11, and master blaster Paul Aufdemberge, 40, of Redford, 10th in 1:18:52.

Colleen DeReuck, 41, a South African-turned-U.S. citizen, hit a trifecta with her 1:25:15. The four-time Olympian earned $4,000 for first woman overall, another $4,000 for top U.S. runner, and $1,500 as masters champ.

Russian Albina Ivanova ran 35 seconds faster than her winning time here in 2003, but settled for second in 1:26:53.

Top Michiganians were Team Hansons' Leigh Daniel, 26, eighth overall in 1:32:31; Amy Wing, 35, of East Grand Rapids, 23rd in 1:39:46; and Julie Smith, 35, of Pentwater, 25th in 1:41:15.

Lori Stich Zimmerman, 35, 11th in 1:33:27, may count as a country in her own right. Though she listed the town where she grew up, Stanwood, on her race form, she could have as easily said Grand Rapids, where she worked for years as a lawyer and developed a friend and fan base, Oregon, Texas or (lately) Belgium.

Krige Schabort of Germany came within two seconds of the men's wheelchair record, crossing first in 52:52. Shirley Reilly of Tucson (1:12:05) edged Miriam Nibley, of Savoy, Ill. (1:12:22) for the women's crown.

The 5K, with a record 3,662 entries, was speedy despite the slick streets as well. Former Michigan State University All-American and assistant track coach Kyle Baker, 29, now of Grand Rapids, hydroplaned home first in 14:38. Next came Team Hansons' Lucas Humphrey, 24 (14:50) and the redoubtable Ryan Shay, 26, of East Jordan (14:55).

Denisa Costescu, 29, a Romanian who settled two years ago in Wixom, was the women's winner in 16:38. She was followed by ex-Michiganian Bethany Brewster, 25, now of Madison, Wisc. (16:50) and Betsy Frens, 30, of Kalamazoo (16:55).

Top masters were Ron Zywicki, 41, of Traverse City (16:33) and Terry Mahr, 56 -- yes, 56 -- of Oregon, Ohio (19:43).

There at the Turnstile

I put off writing about the hills for as long as possible. Up I trudged, with the grace and pungency of a traveling lavatory. Down I plunged. Where was that 20-foot water bottle when I needed it?

Three inches of runoff covered all Butterworth Drive at one point. Some, risking swamped shoes, splashed straight through it; I joined others taking a detour through mud and grass which proved even soggier. Nothing like squishing the final four miles with anchors around your feet.

The course flattened out around John Ball Zoo. All around me runners were going crazy. One woman, wearing bunny ears, raced a friend dressed up as a tortoise. A guy, running in a tie, proposed to his girlfriend, whose consequences may lead to ...

"Dad, you should not run that race again," scolded Flannery, cross because I was in no shape to play with her later that day when the rain blew away and sunshine sparkled.

"Remember what fun you had?" I reminded her.

There's a depth of feeling, a zest in doing, she experienced at the Junior Run. There are worse things than being immersed, even if all wet.

Complete results available at www.53riverbankrun.com. MR