Running: Rideout, Wilson first Islanders to cross finish line

Three locals stood out in Saturday’s 33rd Annual Shelter Island 10K with Tara Wilson placing first among local women with a time of 42:52; Ken Rideout taking first place among Island men with a time of 36:26; and William Lehr taking third place in the wheelchair division.

You can view complete race results here.

The Island’s own Olympian, Amanda Clark, came in at just over 55 minutes. She told the crowd of several hundred before the race that she was only running for a “workout,” part of her cross-training before she competes next month in the Women’s 470 sailing race in Weymouth, England, the site of her races in the 2012 London Olympics.

“I’m so excited to be a part of this,” Ms. Clark said.

This year’s race theme was Celebrate London 2012, in honor of Ms. Clark. But the last mile of the 10K was officially dubbed “Joey’s Mile,” in honor of 1st Lt. Joseph Theinert, a former Shelter Islander who died in Afghanistan in June 2010.  His mother, Chris Kestler, told the crowd she was “deeply humbled that the last mile is dedicated to Joe.”

It was a day for Shelter Islanders to welcome five former Olympians as Joan Benoit Samuelson, Frank Shorter, Ludmilla Petrova, Bill Rodgers and Keith Brantly all turned out to run the course. Ms. Petrova placed first and Ms. Benoit-Samuelson second in the Master’s Division, while the other former Olympians ran purposely paced slower courses.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was in Maine,” Ms. Benoit-Samuelson said of her home state  and the welcoming she received here.

Mr. Shorter told the crowd that he comes from Middletown in upstate New York, and that he knows how special it is for a small town to have an Olympian once, much less twice. He was referring to Ms. Clark making her second Olympic bid after placing 12th in the 2008 Olympics in the Beijing games.

Prior to the main race and 5k Fun Walk, organizers made way on the track for a Kids Fun Run with parents encouraging their children with shouts of a job well done.

“You did it,” one proud mother said, embracing her young son as he crossed the finish line.

For complete coverage on the Shelter Island 10K, see Thursday’s issue of the Reporter.