Reno's Chris Badolato continued his dominance in local races this year by running away from a field of 88 finishers at the Salmon Run in Nevada City last Saturday, May 10, winning by more than five and a half minutes with a course record time of 43 minutes, 41 seconds.

In addition to winning his third Grand Prix (GP) race this year, out of three, Chris won the 30-39 age group (AG), leads that GP with a perfect 30 points, and broke the course record by more than three minutes on a very hilly, rocky, tough course (which has also reliably been measured at closer to 11K).

Worth noting is that the men's GP leaders or co-leaders in the 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60-69 age groups, who normally run the 5K distance, didn't show for this race and all dropped out of first place.

Also running a very strong race and finishing second was Pete Lubbers, who took second in the 30-39 AG in 49:16, almost a minute and a half faster than he's ever run on this course, an impressive improvement.

Austin Violette continues to show his phenomenal improvement by running almost four and a half minutes faster than last year on this course, finishing third overall and winning the 15-18 AG in 50:00. Austin also leads his AG in the GP competition with a perfect 30 points, undefeated in three races.

Dixon's Greg Ngo, running over three minutes faster than last year, took fourth overall and third in the 30-39 AG in 50:43, keeping him in third place in that AG in the GP with 19 points.

V. Neelakantan pulled away from Robert Warner in the last mile to finish fifth and win the 40-49 AG in 52:15 to Robert's sixth place time of 52:51 (second 40-49). They hold first and second in the GP with 27 and 21 points, respectively. Robert knocked a whopping three and a half minutes off his time from last year, showing once again how dramatically he's improved.

Meadow Vista's Zach Stoll showed his strength on this course by winning the 11-14 AG in 54:12 (seventh overall), moving into a tie for first with 27 points in the GP with Kael Newton, who was second in that AG in one hour, four minutes, 11 seconds.

Jeffrey Gail finished eighth overall and third in the 40-49 AG in 54:39, moving him within five points of third place in the GP.

Yuba City's Mike Buzbee, ninth overall, won the 50-59 AG in 55:18, moving him into first in that GP with 27 points. Bob Meier took third in that AG in one hour, 8:02, to move into a three-way tie for second in the GP.

Chrys Dudek finished 10th overall and fourth in the 30-39 AG in 57:21.

Hope Roperto won the women's race in one hour, 1:30, good for first in the 30-39 AG and 15th overall, which, combined with her overall women's victory in the Daffodil Run 10K last month, moved her into second in that GP with 20 points.

Nadja Young-Warner, second in that AG in one hour, 8:06, held onto first in the GP with 22 points. Debi Fairchild, third in that AG in one hour, 10:01, moved within two points of third place in the GP with 10 points.

Jennifer Gartin, who ran with her daughter, Amelie, holds third in the 30-39 GP with 12 points. Amelie, who won the 10 and under AG in one hour, 55:43, now leads that AG in the GP with 18 points.

Nadja and Robert's son, Callan, finished second in the 10 and under AG in one hour 14:52, which was good enough to keep him in first in that GP with 24 points. Debi's son, Joshua, was third in that AG in one hour, 23:54, which moved him up into third in that GP with 12 points.

Alex Abreu won the 10 and under AG in an impressive one hour, 7:29. That victory, combined with his AG win at the Daffodil Run 5K, moved him into second in the GP with 20 points.

Sue Piscatella was the second woman finisher in one hour, 4:24, good for first in the 40-49 AG.

Therese Iknoian, who won the women's 10K at the Spring Run in April, was third woman and winner of the 50-59 AG in one hour, 5:08, which kept her in first in the GP with a perfect 30 points.

Yuba City's Toni Watson was fourth woman and second in the 40-49 AG in one hour, 5:29.

Mallory Meier won the 15-18 AG and was fifth female in one hour, 7:53. Mallory, who had a birthday this week, competes in the 19-29 AG in the GP, and leads that with 20 points.

Yuba City's Ken Gaal, 12th overall, won the 60-69 AG in one hour, 38 seconds and moved into first in that GP with 20 points. Frank Ribeiro, second in that AG in one hour, 8:31, moved into a tie for second in that GP with 17 points.

Boulder, Colo.'s Paul Arnold won the 19-29 AG in one hour, 4:38. Conor Medley, second in that AG in one hour, 6:33, moved into a tie for first in that GP with 20 points.

Ron Gross won the 70 and over AG in one hour, 8:30, taking sole possession of first in that GP with a perfect 30 points. Darryl Beardall, second in that AG in one hour 16:21, holds second in that GP with 27 points.

Eugene, Oregon's Jessa Williams won the 19-29 AG in one hour, 11:25.

Heather Bullis, third in the 40-49 AG, holds onto first place in that GP with 20 points.

Anne King, third in the 50-59 AG in one hour, 12:01, stays in second in that AG with 22 points. Pam Coon, who won the 50-59 GP two years ago, was fourth in that AG in one hour, 18:52, and is now in third in that GP with 15 points.

Lynne Hurrell won the 70 and over AG in one hour, 17:40 and leads that GP with 20 points.

Brooke Robinson won the 11-14 AG in one hour, 25:17. Since her birthday is in early June, she competes in the 15-18 AG in the GP and leads that with 23 points.

Marion Linden won the 60-69 AG in one hour, 31:54, moving her into second in that GP with 17 points, only three out of first.

Kaia Smith, with her second place finish in the 10 and under AG in one hour, 56:15, moved into third in that GP with 12 points.

Run for the Animals is the next race in the Grand Prix series, this Saturday, May 17, starting near the top of Broad Street in Nevada City.

See you there!



Steve Bond is a competitive runner who lives in Nevada City and regularly writes columns and feature stories about running for The Union. He may be reached via e-mail at stillrunning55@sbcglobal.net.