Sunday’s Terrific Turtle Trudge, Dragon Dash, and Golden Fox 1-Mile Gallop races truly epitomized what Peaman events are all about – family, friendships, and the meaning of aloha. ADVERTISING Sunday’s Terrific Turtle Trudge, Dragon Dash, and Golden Fox 1-Mile Gallop
Sunday’s Terrific Turtle Trudge, Dragon Dash, and Golden Fox 1-Mile Gallop races truly epitomized what Peaman events are all about – family, friendships, and the meaning of aloha.
Half an hour before the designated start time, Frozen Peas Production event organizer, Peaman, was on the phone calling for help as a key volunteer who sets up the event site didn’t show.
Within minutes, a truck arrived and out came Christine DeCarli with her family carrying boxes filled with children’s toys and other miscellaneous Peaman items.
Other Pea-regulars such as Lynnette Randerson, Linda Hallinger, Bryan and Kristina Sawaya, Dan Gampon, Rick Rubio and Shirley Van Dyke quickly jumped in to help unload tables, chairs, and race signage. While Tim Wiley donated bottled water, muffins and cookies to the post race refreshment area.
At a time when it mattered the most, the community and their family members rallied to help Peaman get his 356th event off and running without a hitch.
“Today is a beautiful morning and I’m loving this offshore breeze that’s keeping things cool just for the runners,” Peaman said. “I also feel blessed to live in a community that stepped up when I needed help. Today’s event wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for the Decarlis, the Randersons, and everyone else who helped to make it possible.”
With that in mind, Peaman decided to present the prestigious Perpetual Pea award just prior to the race start — an honor bestowed on individuals or families that represents love, family, friendships and the spirit of aloha for the Big Island community.
It would be the 221st time in over two decades for someone to receive the Perpetual Pea.
“Watching everyone help out this morning really helped to make my decision for the Perpetual Pea as it’s always a spontaneous decision,” Peaman said. “I looked at the list of those who I have passed it to and it said 221. So I thought about the people who have been present in my life and who have helped me to make positive changes. I decided upon Dan Gampon who turns 21 on March 3 and the Decarlis who have been just awesome. Dan will get it today and the Decarlis will receive it at the next Peaman event in March.”
Within minutes, all eyes focused on the energy circulating at the start line as the front-runners, keiki, and those pushing baby strollers all lined up, ready to charge down Alii Drive.
After the countdown, Konawaena High School track and field standouts, Cody Ranfranz and Lawrence Barrett, immediately bolted to the front, leaving Laupahoehoe’s Alan Ryan, Kona’s Adam Ankrum and Michael DeCarli on a hard chase.
In a race that offers three different distances that all start at the same time and honors legendary community members – Gene “Turtle” Power, Gary “The Dragon” Grubb, and Lenny “Golden Fox” Katz, one can never be sure if a competitor’s hard and fast pace is for the Terrific Turtle Trudge (332,640 inches) 5.25-mile, Dragon Dash (126,720 inches) 2-mile, or Golden Fox 1-Mile Gallop (63,360 inches).
Only when Ranfranz and Barrett hit the Kona Reef condominiums on Alii Drive and made a hard right turn, did it become clear they were racing in the 2-mile Dragon Dash. This left the chase pack of Ryan, Ankrum and DeCarli in a battle for the Terrific Turtle Trudge crown.
Back on the homestretch it didn’t surprise anyone to find the Konawaena teammates in an all out sprint. Ranfranz surged ahead to win in a time of 11 minutes and 26 seconds with Barrett one second back in 11:27, and Kailua-Kona’s Tim Robinson following in third at 13:12.
On the women’s side, Van Dyke claimed top honors with her time of 15:44, with Xitlalitl Reyes in second at 16:00, and Francoise Haudry taking third in 16:38.
Eleven year old Aiden Ankrum made winning the Golden Fox 1-Mile Gallop look easy with his fast time of 6:32, leaving his younger brother, Archer, to claim second in 7:02, and Gus Sellers rounding out the men’s top three in 7:38.
The amazing Jaiden Basden added another win to her resume as the nine-year old outran the women’s field with her time of 8:28. Tehani Grace followed in second at 8:54, with Olivia Van Dorn a few strides back in third at 8:57.
Meanwhile, as the temperatures began to rise on Alii Drive, Ryan who led the longer Terrific Turtle Trudge 5.25-mile race decided to bypass the designated aid station marked as the turnaround.
“I looked down at my watch and thought, no this can’t be it, it’s a little short,” Ryan said. “I actually went longer than I should have which really bummed me out as I came out today so that I could actually run with people. I ended up running by myself and had to catch people on the way back.”
With Ryan passing the turnaround point, the new leader heading back to the Kailua Pier became Ankrum with DeCarli right on his heels.
As the duo hit the famous seawall along Kaiakeakua Beach, it was deja vu all over again as Ankrum and DeCarli matched one another stride for stride in a hard sprint to the finish.
The last time it happened was during November’s 100 percent Pure Kona Coffee Half Marathon when both finished with identical times — DeCarli edging out Ankrum by just a hair.
Once again, DeCarli won by a fraction of a second to claim victory with his time of 32:33 – with Ankrum in second place and given the same time of 32:33.
My son Cole and I baby jogged our way into a third place finish overall and first for the women with our time of 33:52. In fourth place and third for the men was Ryan in 33:56.
Anita Leao took second for the women with her time of 36:29, with Katie Rice rounding out the women’s top three in 43:53.
After all of the races were done and over with, Christine DeCarli, who was still hard at work and routinely volunteers her time at nearly every multisport event in town, said coming to Peaman events over the last five years has been a way for her family to be active and a part of a close-knit community.
“For me and my family, volunteering is participating,” DeCarli said. “It’s not every morning that we want to get up and run or swim, so it’s a way for us to participate in our own way and be together with friends.”
As for saving the morning by helping Peaman from set-up, to marking the course with chalk and road signage, and then cleaning up, DeCarli added;
“I don’t feel that we did anything that anyone else wouldn’t do in a situation like that. We just did what anyone would’ve done. This community is so helpful and we just love being a part of it.”
