SoDel Cares 5k attracts 320 runners

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The start of the SoDel Cares 5K. DAVE FREDERICK PHOTOS

To quote Run DMC, the Saturday morning roadway run to the finish arch at the SoDel Cares 5K was "tricky, tricky, tricky."

There were fire police directing everyone across the parking lot for SoDel Concepts restaurants Thompson Island Brewing Company and Bluecoast. A backdrop of Planet Fitness overlooked a mobile vodka bar. The vibe was beach vacation, but the 320 race finishes are mostly the 302 crew.

SoDel Cares is the charitable wing of SoDel Concepts, and doing good stuff inside the muppet matrix is a big part of its business model.    

Matt Sparacino, 48, of Harrington was the overall winner in 18:13.

“I wish I took running more seriously when I was younger,” he said graciously. “But then again, maybe I would have burned out early.”

Ariel Simbana, 28, of Millsboro chased Sparacino to the chute but ran out of road, finishing in a time of 18:16. Seth Moore, 14, a rising ninth-grader from Sussex Academy, was third in 19:03. 

Zoe Mathern, 29, of Philadelphia was the overall women's winner in 19:08. Haley Wright, 27, of Boonsboro, Md., was second female in 20:20. The third woman to finish was Stephanie Lewis, 36, of Milton in 21:54. 

Masters winners were Joe Marra, 43, of Philadelphia in 19:07 and Lauren James, 44, of Lewes in 21:58.

Notes - Zeke Clark, 6, ran the race for the second year in a row with his sister Chloe DeForrest in 43:25. Bobby Hutton, 62, won the 60-69 age group in 20:28. Donald Cowie, 70, of Hollsopple, Pa., won the 70-79 group in 25:46. James Doody, 80, former basketball and baseball coach at Newark High, won the 80-89 in 44:05. Winslow Grace Howard, 11, won the 1-13 age group. She was the only runner under 30 minutes in 29:36. Other local finishers included Bridgett Cole, 18, in 23:12; Annie Judge, 26, in 24:10; Megan Smith, 21, in 25:47; and Riley Klopp, 23, in 26:08 

The next Races2Run event is the University of Delaware Chicken Chase 5K at the Starboard in Dewey Beach, which is set for 7:30 a.m., Saturday, June 13. The Dewey Beach Patrol 5K follows at 7:30 a.m., Sunday, June 14.

Cape volleyball coach Tyler Coupe finishes the race.

Sarah Dickinson completes the course in 30:33.