Do things like this happen in Europe? 20 minutes before the 4 pm start of the Capitol Mile, high winds and torrential rains--Madison's first rain in 24 days--fell upon Capitol Hill in Madison, WI as if to sweep it clean. Caught by the thunderstorm during their warm up, some athletes took refuge in the Capitol building, some in bus stops, some under the awnings of shop windows. When the storm had abated 30 minutes later, the course was wet and strewn with leaves, but after a quick discussion it was determined that The Race Must Go On.
Former UW ace Henry Dennis led the men's race from the gun, passing the 400 in :58 and finishing, easing up, in 4:09. Nate Uselding came in 2nd two seconds later and there in 3rd was none other than Jared Cordes, running what was perhaps only his second-fastest mile of the day after going out hard with Meb Keflezighi in the Bix 7 8 hours earlier. In the women's race Madison native Jenelle Deatherage missed the course record by only 1 second, in 4:39, pushed hard most of the way by Villanove teammate alumnae Carmen Douma and Kristen Nicolini, three and four seconds back. The winners took home $500 in prize money apiece, with $300 for 2nd and $100 for 3rd. The athletes showed resilience and good humor in adverse conditions, as the Capitol Mile (brought back to life by the sponsorship of Rayovac) returned to Madison for the first time since 1998. Thanks to them, the race was a success! Jim Reardon Wisconsin Track Club [EMAIL PROTECTED]
