by Bill Shaw

The open and masters men and women's records stand in the Brazosport Run for the Arts 10-miler, but a Galveston runner broke the masters record mark in the 5K. Kenyan Amos Gitagama posted the 10-mile record last year, a 47:35, and Houstonian Sean Wade fell 3:58 short of that mark in this year's contest. Carmen Troncoso set the 56:25 record in the women's open competition in 1995. This year Katie Hutchinson Courtwright of Dallas finished in 57:49, 1:24 over the record.

Jeff Wells posted the 51:51 male masters record 10-mile mark in the inaugural Run for the Arts in 1995. Top male masters Joe Flores finished this year's race in 53:15. Carol McLatchie posted the female masters 1:00:39 record in 1995 also. Top female masters finisher Allison W. Willbern finished this year in 1:06:17.

All but five records in the 10-miler remained unbroken. Loyd V. Carey broke the male 55-59 record by 1:08 in 1:03:50, Kenneth Ruane broke the male 60-64 record by 1:45 in 1:07:04, Orville Kremmer broke the male 65-69 record by 6:36 in 1:15:01, and Joe Ellis broke the male 70-74 by 24:34 in 1:13:04. La Verne Lippman finished in 1:48:03 and posted a record time in the female 65-69 age group.

The open male and female records in the 5K posted by Brazosport locals Bryan Kerr and Melissa Hurta, respective marks of 16:17 and 17:56, stand, as does the female masters mark of 20:10 posted by another local Kathy King. However, Gavestonian Kevin Tipton broke the previous male master's mark by 37 seconds in 17:32.

In the 10-mile contest, Derrick McDaniel (55:37) and Natasya Ikbal (1:18:51) hold the 19 and under age group records, Eric Polanski (47:54) and Tabatha Dominguez (1:01:42) hold the 20-24 records, and Justin Chaston (50:25) and Karen Killeen (1:00:01) hold the 25-29 records marks.

Jon Warren (49:46) and Melissa Hurta (1:02:26) have the fastest 30-34 age group marks, and Eddy Helleybuyck (52:34) and Carmen Troncoso (56:25) have the fastest 35-39 marks. In the 40-44 bracket, Yuri Mikhailov (52:26) and Patt Valadka (57:29) have posted the fastest contest times. Doug Parker (58:04) and Carol McLatchie (1:08:56) are record holders in the 45-49 bracket.

The records of Bob Wolfe (59:26) and Marilyn Koons (1:31:38) remain unbroken in the 50-54 age group; Carey broke the previous record set by Bill Harding in the 55-59 bracket, Ruane broke the previous record set by Ino Cantu in the 60-64 bracket, Kremmer broke the previous 65-69 record set by Dan Allensworth, and Ellis broke the previous 70-74 record set by Joe Talbot.

The female records posted by Ann Ferguson (1:18:32) in the 55-59 group, Jane Hamlyn (1:53:03) in the 60-64 group, and Lillie Doss (2:07:46) in the 70-74 group stand, as does the men's 75-79 record posted by Louis Ciaccio (2:06:07).