Boyne 2 Boyne Features Hills Galore

By Katie Kelly-Noble

HARBOR SPRINGS-BOYNE FALLS (9/27/09) — Nary a snowflake was in sight, but ski-happy Boyne Mountain still saw a lot of action hosting the third annual Boyne 2 Boyne marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K races.

The marathon and half marathon began at 8 a.m., the 10K and 5K an hour later. All ended near the Boyne Mountain Resort clock tower.

These were no flat, fast courses. Boyne 2 Boyne featured many challenging uphills and wild descents.

Matt Figures, 24, of Sault Saint Marie, Ont., won the men’s half marathon in 1:32:03. Figures said running the hills of northern Ontario prepared him for the course.

“The downhills helped split up (the climbs), which allowed me to catch my wind and get my heart rate down,” Figures noted. “I split off (from the lead group) around 200 meters in and was on my own.”

Women’s winner Elizabeth Gervais, 26, of Grand Haven finished in 1:35:03.

“I had a guy in front of me who I wanted to catch. I didn’t, but it was a good race,” said Gervais, who ran here last year and had her sights set on “doing well.”

Rick Hawley, 35, of East Jordan won the 5K in 19:37. A bandit runner cut the course and finished just ahead of him, which threw Hawley off a bit, but he finished strong. Kaylee Wilson, 13, of Boyne Falls paced the women in 20:54.

The first marathoner to come into sight was Jason Jaloszynski, 31, of Clio. He broke tape in 2:46:41. By mid-morning the sun had heated up the pavement; Jaloszynski, an Ironman competitor, said the last part of his race was taxing.

“Coming out of Petoskey, it is really hilly,” he said. “The downhills were more painful than the uphills sometimes, because I was going so fast while still trying to stay in control.

“My favorite part of the race was finishing. Recovering will be good too,” Jaloszynski said.

Rich Power, 45, of Rochester placed second in 2:56:09; David Plambeck, 42, of Rockford third in 3:05:36.

Nikki Taylor, 28, of Mt. Pleasant led the women in 3:34:28. She looked daunted when crossing the finish line, but said that her race went “awesome,” except for the last two miles.

“I liked the middle (of the race),” said Taylor. “I ran with a guy who came up on me. We went pretty hard for about eight miles and it just felt good.”

Taylor hopes to dip below 3:20 at the Boston Marathon next spring.

Families greeted loved ones as runners trickled across the finish line. It seemed like every competitor wore a smile when finishing the scenic, demanding course. MR