Compliments of www.jhsxc.com
Close Window
1984 Apple Harvest 10k & 5k Runs
Wiard's Orchard, Ypsilanti, Michigan
October 6, 1983
10K Results
MALE:
1. Tom Hollander 30:30
2. Maurice Weaver 30:36
3. David Guimond 35:14
FEMALE:
1. Christy Platts
5K Results
MALE:
1. David Swarts 15:19
2. Mike Glass 16:14
FEMALE:
1. Kim Arrick 21:40
Michigan Runner Magazine
The Search Proves Fruitless at the Apple Harvest
by Michael K. Glass
YPSILANTI - On Saturday morning, October 6, a small but enthusiastic crowd gathered at Wiard's Orchard for the Third Annual Apple Harvest run. The previous two years this race had been held in downtown Ypsilanti.
The idea of holding the Apple Harvest 5 and 10K races at the apple orchard is a good one. Who could argue the idea of an Apple Harvest run finishing in an apple orchard during the peak of the season? However, the pre-race planning and the coordination of race volunteers both on the course and in the finishing chute left something to be desired. Many details had been left unattended as race time approached.
The start of both the 5 and 10K races were delayed for nearly twenty minutes. This is not a long wait, but for a small race that should be relatively easy to manage, it was a bit excessive. The fact that some of the timers were not in position at the scheduled race start was the reason given for the delayed start.
Course marshalls who were to line the course were either out of position or not there at all. This unfortunate error caused many wrong turns. There was more confusion in the finishing chute as runners came in from the 5K run: no place sticks were available for recording times and order to finish.
Despite the poor planning, the Apple Harvest race drew three quality runners from the area in the men's division plus two more in the women's.
Maurice Weaver and Tom Hollander raced stride for stride in perfect harmony for three miles in the 10K event. Both of these outstanding runners ran track and cross country at Eastern Michigan University in the 1970's. Hollander and Weaver rushed past the mile mark in 4:43 and stayed side by side in an exciting duel. Still together at three miles, the split time was an outstanding 14:49. Nobody else was near these two former track stars. Between the three-and-four-mile marks, Hollander opened up a small lead of about 15 yards. The lead held up as Hollander edged Weaver by six seconds at race's end. Hollander posted a 30:30 clocking to Weaver's 30:36. Both outstanding times in anyone's logbook. David Guimond was a distant third at 35:14. Guimond planned on sprinting near the finish, but he didn't know where the finish line was.
Christy Platts was the women's winner in the 10K. Platts led the entire race, but as so many other runners did, she took the wrong turn and was beaten to the finish line by Arlene Metzler who immediately declared that Platts had been out in front of her and should be the winner. After a few minutes of confusion, Platts was given the first place trophy.
Although Dave Swarts had raced the day before for Eastern Michigan's cross country team, it didn't show as Swarts raced alone, unchallenged, to the 5K finish line. It's hard for anyone to argue with a 4:54 first mile and a 9:40 split for two miles. In fact, Swarts had jogged 6 miles to the race site and used the 5K as a training run. Swarts' time for his "training run" was 15:19. Mike Glass was well back of Swarts' winning time at 16:14.
Kim Arrick, coming back from a fractured hip last year, was extremely pleased with her 5K victory. Arrick stopped the clock in 21:40. It was her first race of the 1984 campaign, and it just felt good to be back on the roads again after the injury. Arrick ran track for Ypsilanti High School and currently attends Eastern Michigan University part-time. She had helped direct the Bechtel Fund Run.
It is hoped next year there, will be more course marshalls on the course so that the search for the Apple Harvest finish line will not prove fruitless.
Return to the TOP of the page.