Posted on: Monday, October 7, 2002
Dickie, Skeete first to finish 5K run through Waikiki
By Katherine Nichols
Special to The Advertiser
After watching Bob Dickie's performance in yesterday's Niketown 5K, some of his challengers may be wondering if marathon training — long considered the death of quick legs — is a new secret substitute for speed work.
Dickie, 28, led from start to finish, blazing through the first mile in 4 minutes, 29 seconds and completing the 3.1-mile course in 14:56, despite heavy mileage he's logging in preparation for the Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 27.
"I thought I didn't have enough speed," said Dickie, an Air Force logistics officer based at Hickam. But last week his coach urged him to run a hard mile on the track. When Dickie clocked 4:17, his coach erased the excuses and declared Dickie 5K-fit.
Still, Dickie doubted his ability to control the highly competitive race. "I wanted to take it out from the gun," he said.
The real race took place behind him, as Honolulu runner Christian Friis, 29, placed second in 15:27, followed closely by veteran Jonathan Lyau in 15:31. Friis said he was able to stay with Dickie only for about 800 meters before dropping back.
The hotly contested women's race unfolded in similar fashion, with Dolly Skeete taking control after the first half-mile.
"I was afraid of getting caught," said Skeete, a 28-year-old Air Force flight surgeon. She finished in 18:17, followed closely by Mina Casey-Pang in 18:24 and Carrie Wojcik in 18:27.
"Dolly was in first the whole way," said Casey-Pang. "It could've been anybody's race after that. I just dug down deep and tried my hardest."
A total of 4,000 runners and walkers participated in the third annual 5K through Waikiki and 1-mile keiki run around Fort DeRussy Park. With Kalakaua Ave. closed and other streets partially coned off, thousands of cars competing for limited parking clogged traffic before and during the race.
Consequently, nobody rushed home. Most people decided to make a morning of the event, sprawling on the grass at Fort DeRussy Park after the races, eating ice cream, watching a juggler perform, listening to prize drawings, doing arts and crafts and picking through the ample goodie bags given at the end of the keiki run.
Underwritten entirely by Niketown Honolulu — with a $5,000 donation this year from King Kalakaua Plaza — 100 percent of all entry fees go to O'ahu schools for playground and physical education equipment. This year the event raised $55,000, up from $45,000 last year.
Once again, Ma'ema'e Elementary School topped the list of participating groups. A total of 419 students, teachers and parents raised $6,000 to add to the play structures they purchased from their participation the previous two years.
The Iolani cross country teams' goals were a little more modest. "We're trying to raise some money so we could fund our trip" to a race in San Francisco, said senior Patrick Morrissey. Together, the boys and girls' teams ran the 5K and helped raise about $600.
