Connilee Walter flew off the starting line at the Tortoise and Hare 5K on Saturday in Monument Valley Park.
She was untouchable.
Of course, she had a head start.
(Results based on overall time > http://bit.ly/fallresults)
The Tortoise and Hare offers runners the opportunity to test their conditioning against faster runners by producing a handicap time based on their age, height, weight and gender. Walter, who is 40 (and one of the top women runners in the area) was allowed to start about 6 minutes and 44 seconds ahead of the quickest mens runners in the race, Simon Gutierrez and Neil McDonagh.
The men couldn't catch her. Walter, who runs for the Colorado Running Company, finished the 5K in 19:42.
"And that was all I had," she said.
Jayne Sims was second in 23:38 - with a handicap of 9:44.
"The way the race is formatted is kind of neat," said race director Tim Steffens. "I think everybody enjoys it."
The annual race is free for members of the Pikes Peak Road Runners. Others can enter for just $3.
Woody Noleen was one of the race founders. The idea originated with Bill Rogers, Boston Marathon winner, who said that said that his effort to run a 2:10 was not nearly as difficult as the effort of those who were “out there for 4 1/2 hours!”
With the Tortoise and Hare equation, slower runners can truly test themselves against elite-level competition.
Gutierrez, 47, finished third overall with a total time of 16:27, but he had a 1:30 head start on McDonagh, who posted a 16:24, the best time of the day.
More photos here > http://bit.ly/Zt2ovw.