Manhattan Beach runners battle for Dick Fitzgerald title
More than 100 runners competed in the annual Dick Fitzgerald 2-Mile Run at the International Surf Festival. Photo
During the summer of 1988, Jeff Atkinson was representing the United States as a runner in the 1,500-meter race at the Olympics held in Seoul, Korea. Twenty-four years later, the Manhattan Beach native was still competing with the Olympics on his mind, although this time, he was running for Mira Costa, his high school alma mater.
In a battle between Manhattan Beach running icons Saturday morning, Atkinson used a late sprint on the hard-packed sand of Hermosa Beach to defeat Patrick Sweeney and win the Dick Fitzgerald Two-Mile Run with a time of 12 minutes, 38.16 seconds.
Former Olympian Jeff Atkinson took home the first-place medal at the Dick Fitzgerald competition. Photo
Atkinson, 49, used the Olympics as inspiration for the victory and although the medal he won didn’t compare to the one he sought in Seoul, the smile on his face was just as exuberant.
“It was a nice day to run and Patrick’s been running well lately so to beat him was fun,” Atkinson said. “I haven’t been in shape for a couple of years so this is nice. I’ve been watching the Olympics every day, all day long. It brings back a lot of memories. It’s a very emotional time for me.”
Sweeney, 33, crossed the finish line at the Hermosa Beach Pier with a time of 12:48.93, outpacing Daniel Rieger, 18, who posted a time of 13:35.95.
“We were around 22nd Street and I was talking to Jeff, I said, ‘Good job,’ and asked him when he was going to put in his final kick,” Sweeney said after the race. “By the time we got to 16th Street, he answered my question, going ahead and I didn’t have much left.”
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Mira Costa girls cross country team, which is coached by Race Director Renee Williams-Smith.
“This race is always a lot of fun,” Williams-Smith said. “We had about 120 people and probably half of those come back every year so there’s a nice hometown vibe to the event. It was fun to see Jeff and Patrick battle it out and there were some fast times this year.”
Williams-Smith said the Mira Costa cross country is now self-funded and the money raised will help offset travel expenses which run between $1,000 and $1,200.
On Friday, Atkinson, who coaches cross country and distance runners on the track team at Palos Verdes High School, and Williams-Smith will take runners from their programs for a week-long training session at Mammoth Mountain. Atkinson said they will have 94 high school athletes attend the annual event this year and their experiences will be chronicled with photos and a blog at pvcrosscountry.com.
Redondo Beach running icon Nathalie Higley successfully defended her women’s title. Photo
To no one’s surprise, Nathalie Higley successfully defended the women’s title of the Dick Fitzgerald Two-Mile Run, bettering her 2011 time of 14:44 with a mark of 14:14.13.
The win was the seventh for the 42-year-old runner from Redondo Beach who outdistanced Alison Atkinson (42, 14:37.99) and Isabella Siering (13, 15:15.79).
“It’s nice to see these old people winning,” Higley said jokingly after congratulating Jeff Atkinson on his win.
Male runners finishing first in their age group included: Lance Meliota (11-14, 16:15.29), Rieger (15-19), Jason Byers (20-29, 24:21.90), Sweeney (30-39), Atkinson (40-49), Rich Gust (50-59, 14:43.42), Stan Page (60-69, 17:42.58) and Frank Greene (70+, 22:06.92).
Females winning their age division included: Kendal Steller (10 & under, 24:26.37), Siering (11-14), Liza Currin (15-19, 15:49.19), Lauren Kruger (20-29, 18:52.29), Ida Gardner (30-39, 26:53.80), Higley (40-49) and Jan Karl (50-59, 20:49.28).
The Dick Fitzgerald Two-Mile Run starts and finishes at the Hermosa Beach Pier with the first mile run in the soft sand and the return trip on the hard-packed sand at the water’s edge. The race is named after former Director of the Department of Beaches Dick Fitzgerald who helped start the International Surf Festival.