Spider Alumni Sweep Patrick Henry 1/2 Marathon (13.1 Miles) Race

Jon Molz (UR '08) set the course record of 1:08:35 breaking the old record by nearly 5 1/2 minutes...

Emily Ward (UR '04) broke the women's course record with a time of 1:23:45...

Molz will look for USA Olympic Trials Mark (sub 2:19:00) at the Chicago Marathon on October 10th, while Ward wants to run sub 2:50:00)...

The 4th annual Patrick Henry Half Marathon (13.1 miles) road race took place Saturday morning in Ashland, Virginia under steamy conditions that included 90% humidity and temperatures that climbed into the 80’s by the end. That didn’t stop two former University of Richmond track & field/cross country athletes from attacking the course and setting new course records under the sunny skies and in the rural hills of Hanover County.

Jon Molz (UR ’08) and Emily Ward (UR ’04) swept the overall titles while setting course records in the process.

The race is named for Hanover County’s famous Colonial-era patriot, Patrick Henry, who proclaimed the Revolutionary War’s rallying cry, “give me liberty or give me death". The 13.1-mile race started and finished in Poor Farm Park in Hanover County, traversing both rolling countryside and the city of Ashland’s scenic railroad district.

Jon Molz,

assistant men's cross country and track & field coach

for the Richmond Spiders,

warming up before his course record run

in the Patrick Henry 1/2 Marathon in Ashland, VA.

The Race Director gives final instructions to the runners

before the 2010 Patrick Henry 1/2 Marathon.

The starters of the race...No problem hearing the start.

Jon Molz, who is sponsored by New Balance-Richmond,

took the lead at the start and never looked back...
setting a course record be nearly 5 1/2 minutes...

and winning the race by over 6 minutes!

Molz approaching the 1 mile mark...

Molz, who is training for the 2010 Chicago Marathon where he wants to achieve the USA Olympic Trails Standard, used a fast start to set the tone for the men’s race. Running completely alone from the start, he ran the opening mile in 4:53 and continued to assert himself throughout crossing the 4 mile mark in 20:04 before settling into a manageable pace through the rolling hills of Hanover County. In the end he continued to pull away from the 1,500 other runners entered in the race crushing the course record by 5 ½ minutes with a time of 1:08:35 and winning the race by over 6 minutes.

"I felt good today", said Molz. "I started off a little fast but I wanted a good effort to test my marathon training going into the Chicago Marathon on October 10th...It was a lonely race, but the volunteers were loud and they did a great job at the aid stations...I'm pleased with the course record, it was more hilly than I thought."

Mile 2 was a 5:01 and Mile 3 was a 5:06...

The Mile 4 aid station...Molz ran the first 4 miles in 20:04...

The fifth mile was uphill (25:25) and he crossed

10K in 31:50 through the rolling hills.

Coach Lawson, Spider Track & Field Throws coach,

was on hand to cheer on Steph Gustwiller and the Spider alumni.

Downtown Ashland...the Amtrak came through on cue.

The 9 mile aid station...

Molz approaches the 10 Mile aid station all alone...

Grabbing water at 5 minute pace isn't easy...

Emily Ward ran alone in the women's race...

Emily Ward, who graduated from the University of Richmond in 2004, took command of the women's race at the start and also used the event as a tune-up for the 2010 Chicago Marathon where she wants to run sub 2:50:00.

"I did exactly what I wanted to today", said Ward. "My training is going really well going into Chicago (marathon)...I wanted to start out conservative and build into the race and was able to do that. I didn't find the course that hilly but the humidity was really noticeable."

Emily Ward nears the finish as the crowd is informed she will
also set a new course record.

Molz getting interviewed following the race...

Emily Ward getting interviewed...

Here she talks to Jon Molz and I

about the one thing to do

following the Chicago Marathon.

Molz getting a message following the race...

Patrick Henry 1/2 Marathon (Ashland, VA) Website

RACE RESULTS LINK

Molz splits: Mile 1=4:53 /Mile 2= 5:01 / Mile 3=5:06 / Mile 4=5:04 for 20:04 /Mile 5=5:21 /Mile 6= 5:14 / 31:50 at 10k /Mile 7=5:14 / Mile 8=5:16 /Mile 9=5:22 /Mile 10=5:18 /Mile 11=5:30 /Mile 12=5:18 /Mile 13=5:17 for 1:08:35 ½ marathon (13.1 miles) course record

Top 5 Men Overall
1st---Jon Molz 1:08:34

(Course Record...Old record 1:13:54 in '09 by Rich Saunders)
2nd--Andrew Catanese 1:14:54
3rd--Daniel List 1:16:45
4th--Kevin Timp 1:17:21
5th--Alex Addison 1:18:32

Emily Ward's 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles) Splits: Mile 1-6:46/ Mile 2-6:14 /Mile 3-6:29 /Mile 4-6:16 /Mile 5-6:34 /Mile 6-6:19 /Mile 7-6:21 /Mile 8-6:23 /Mile 9-6:27 /Mile 10-6:22 /Mile 11-6:27 /Mile 12-6:16 / Mile 13...last 1.1 miles-6:46 = 1:23:45 Course Record.

Top 5 Women Overall
1st---Emily Ward 1:23:45

(Course Record...Old record 1:24.38 in '09 by Mary Beth Muething)
2nd--Rachel Northup 1:29:53
3rd--Holly Sheffield 1:31:03
4th--Candice Collins 1:32:21
5th--Ruthie Burke 1:33:38