Maybe they should rename it the Philadelphia-Yardley Marathon.
At least that’s what they could consider after a strong showing by the town in Bucks County at Sunday’s officially named, ahem, Philadelphia Marathon.
There were at least 27 runners from Yardley in the event and about eight of them really stood out in the annual 26.2-mile jaunt through the streets in and around Philadelphia.
Perhaps the best age-graded performance was turned in by Lisa Kuliczkowski, 60, who won the women’s 60-64 bracket in the stunning time of 3:33.05.
According to Runner’s World Magazine’s age-graded calculator, that’s a score of 82.57 percent, with 80 percent being national class. Her 3:33.05 is the age-graded equivalent time of 2:43.59.
The first Yardley runner across the finish line was James McConnell, 25, who clocked in at 2:48.46. He was trailed by Aaron Skolnik, 43, who took ninth in the 40-44 bracket with a 2:49.12; James Ennis, 40, in 3:03.31; and Benjamin Smith, 31, in 3:14.21.
That quartet was followed by three other Yardley runners of note:
Morgan Leh, 32, completed the course in 3:20, which was good for 51st place in a very challenging 30-34 division.
Dave Buchanan, 56, came home in 3:32. That earned him 37th in the 55-59 set.
John Wheeler, 60, finished 20th in the 60-64 competition with a 3:44.
Kuliczkowski, Leh, Buchanan and Wheeler are active members of the Bucks County Roadrunners Club.
Philadelphia is promoted as a fast course but it does have its challenges. A long stretch of the course goes upriver, and uphill, alongside the Schuylkill. But weather-wise it was a good day for racing, with temperatures in the mid-40s to low-50s. There wasn’t much wind and the humidity was OK.
>Goodman excels in Philly Half
In Saturday’s Philadelphia Half Marathon there were a number of outstanding performances by runners with ties to Bucks County as well.
BCRR veteran Hilary Goodman, who operates the “Born to Run” athletics store in Spring House, finished third in her 60-64 age group with a time of 1:45.22.
Goodman, 62, continues to thrive in local races, including the BCRR Winter Series. This despite a gruesome bicycle accident during a triathlon some 17 years ago which ended her career in multi-sport racing.
However, the veteran runner with a marathon best time of 3:05 continues to excel in running. She’s competed in Boston a half-dozen times and recently ran a 3:25 at the Steamtown Marathon.
The secret to her long-term long-distance success is rather simple.
“You have to put up with the pain,” she said. “A lot of people don’t like running because they say it hurts. But anything you’re really good at, you have to put forth the effort. It’s not like you’re getting a massage. I’m pretty good at putting up with pain.”
Other top efforts by runners associated with Bucks County included those of Lisa Kall, Karen Wheeler and Anthony Rewinski.
Kall, a 54-year-old resident of Morrisville, finished 18th in the 50-54 division with a time of 1:52.55.
Wheeler, 59, who hails from Yardley, placed 42nd in the 55-59 set by crossing the finish line in 2:10.35. Wheeler, who competed as Karen Delaney on a high level for Bristol High School in the early 1980s, is married to John Wheeler.
Rewinski, 56, registered a 1:58.10 to finish 62nd in the 55-59 bracket.
Congratulations to all these runners for their fine efforts in the two races.
>Race calendar
Thursday
BCRR Thanksgiving Day 5-Miler, 5K, 1-miler, 9 a.m., Summit Square Shopping Center, Langhorne. Contact www.runsignup.com
Newtown Turkey Trot 5K in Honor of Officer Brian Gregg, 9 a.m., Newtown. Contact www.runsignup.com
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