RRR CONTESTS THE MASTERS CHALLENGE
The sun was already heating the morning air as a small but determined contingent of 12
Rockland Road Runners made the trek to Northern Westchester to take part in the annual
Masters Challenge 5K. Unlike last year’s cool and sunny event at Rockland Lake on Halloween
morning, this was a hot and humid sunny morning in FDR State Park. Nevertheless 44 runners
representing five clubs from the Lower Hudson Valley, New Jersey and the Bronx braved the
conditions to run the 3.1 mile out and back course along mostly shaded park roads and trail.
Given the thin numbers in most of the age categories, only the overall men’s and women’s
divisions were scored. The standings were the same in both: the hosts, Taconic Road Runners,
came out on top, with Westchester Track Club in second place. Rockland Road Runners filled
out the podium in third.
The overall winner was Jordan Wolff from the Bronx’s Dashing Whippets in a time of 20:08. But
Jordan was the sole representative of his club, so the Whippets played no further part in the
proceedings. First female, and not far behind in 20:39, was Suzanne La Burt of Taconic.
First across the line for RRR was Jesse Honigberg in a time of 22:10. Olena Polakoff was
Rockland’s first woman, finishing in 23:19.
The clubs mingled after the race until the rising sun chased away the last of the shade. The
recovering runners enjoyed bagels and donuts, and a return appearance of Debi Braithwaite’s
homemade coconut bread. Debi is now competing for the Essex Running Club. The coffee, on
this occasion, was iced.
Westchester is scheduled to host next year’s race at Rockefeller Preserve in Pleasantville.
Masters Challenge 5K
@FDR State Park
Jul. 24, 2022
Key – Taconic Road Runners (TRR), Westchester Track Club (WTC), Rockland Road Runners
(RRR), Essex Running Club (ESX), Dashing Whippets Running Team (DWRT)
Team Results
Men: 1. TRR; 2. WTC; 3. RRR
Women: 1. TRR; 2. WTC; 3. RRR
Individual Results
Place Bib Name Div Team time
1 453 Jordan Wolff M DWRT 20:08
2 422 Suzanne La Burt F TRR 20:39
3 424 Martin Fitzgerald M TRR 21:03
4 461 Jared Johnson M TRR 21:17
5 448 Jesse Honigberg M RRR 22:10
6 417 Greg Diamond M TRR 22:15
7 450 Paul Mackey M TRR 22:17
8 430 Dan Fanelli M WTC 22:19
9 440 Mary Natall F TRR 22:31
10 454 Efrain Ortiz M RRR 22:36
11 425 Scott Friendland M TRR 22:37
12 438 Jay Duggan M WTC 22:39
13 433 Unidentified Runner M TRR 22:53
14 455 Ben Drew M TRR 23:03
15 439 Evan Bender M WTC 23:13
16 443 Bred Foote M WTC 23:15
17 427 Olena Polakoff F RRR 23:19
18 442 Ed Stickles M TRR 23:32
19 447 Leon Frankel M RRR 23:38
20 437 Robert Albanese M WTC 23:48
21 431 Christine Dunnery F WTC 23:49
22 436 Matt Citardi M RRR 23:55
23 457 Sharon Ryo? F WTC 24:42
24 418 Debi Braithwaite F ESSX 24:58
25 421 Joe Porcaro M TRR 25:32
26 426 Ted Pernicano M TRR 25:34
27 428 Judy Rubin F WTC 25:45
28 449 Stephen Beckerle M RRR 25:52
29 429 Heidi Fuhrman F TRR 26:05
30 432 Karen Davies F TRR 26:55
31 458 Mark Carson F WTC 27:43
32 445 Mike Nusblat M RRR 28:28
33 444 Gokhan Ozuner M RRR 28:36
34 434 Michael Rubinfeld M WTC 29:09
35 441 William Carpenter M RRR 29:32
36 456 Clarke Howard-Coster F TRR 29:41
37 435 Wayne Rubin M WTC 30:19
38 459 Julie Nealon-Newby F RRR 31:49
39 451 Mike Rauh M WTC 32:09
40 446 Bob Hermesch M TRR 32:27
41 452 Angela Hanson F RRR 34:49
42 460 Victoria Bowman F RRR 36:32
43 420 Lynn Dragovich F ESSX 36:33
44 419 Norm Chester M