Obviously, speed has a lot to do with running a successful race. Grit, determination and stamina are all good, but first and foremost -- speed.

As it happened, runners' speed at Saturday evening's annual Pumpkin Run 4K Trail Run wasn't the only source of top results. No, it was the speed with which the rain clouds moved eastward and away from the Chapel Hill race site. If not for some clearing, the churning of runners' feet would have churned the race course into the consistency of pumpkin pie filling.

"I obsessively checked the Weather Channel today," said Joan Nesbit Mabe, the director of the women's See Jane Run group that has coordinated the race since its inception. As Saturday's race would be the last presided over by Nesbit Mabe, she was highly motivated to see the 5 p.m. race off on good terms.

"I couldn't even mark the course until a quarter 'til three because of the actual torrential downpours."

Though the 1996 Olympian said she had no regrets about her decision to move on to other projects, she was cognizant the race has helped introduce young athletes and their families to running on local trails.

It was, Nesbit Mabe surmised, an occasion that dictated a farewell of Shakespearean proportions:

"We few, we happy few," she said, paraphrasing the St. Crispin's Day speech from Henry V, "We band of brothers, for he who runs this trail today with me shall be my brother."

Nesbit Mabe said it was simply time to pass the torch.

"Well, I think the Janes are ready for a break," she said. "Our children are growing up and moving on to other things. The Janes have done great work, and it's time for somebody else to take over--someone with younger children."

Nesbit Mabe's mark remains indelibly inscribed upon the forest trails north of Chapel Hill's Horace Williams Airport, however.

"I'm proud of the fact that the trail has now been officially labeled the Pumpkin Trail by Carolina North Forest Management," she said.

Hearts, minds & feet

If a portion of Nesbit Mabe's legacy is written upon the land, John Hinton's ineffaceable footprint will help mark the way, as the perennial frontrunner once again ran his way to a Pumpkin Run victory despite a trail that was soft in places.

"It wasn't bad over the first part, but then it bottomed out a little ... but it wasn't too bad overall," Hinton said. "I couldn't stand for it to have been raining really hard the last time Joan was doing it though."

Hinton, 47, (13:15) just edged Chapel Hill High runners Liam Stott (13:33.84) and Paul Noah (13:43.76)

"I'm getting older and slower," Hinton said, laughing, "and Liam really ran hard."

Kim Certain, 41, took the women's crown, with Nesbit Mabe's daughter (also a CHHS harrier) Sarah Jane Kerwin (16:15) finishing second overall among women, and East Chapel Hill High's Maggie Meshnick (16:52.89) in third place.

"Yeah, the course was just a little mushy," Certain said. "There were some puddles, but you could run around them. My time was okay: you know, as you get older, it gets tougher to run faster, but you can always run hard."

Kerwin only decided to turn what might have been merely a workout into an award-winning performance right at the starting line.

"I just figured out just before the race that I'd just get a better workout if I ran it as a race instead of just trying to run it as a tempo run," she said. "I kind of wanted to see where I was after a mile, and then I sort of decided to just go for it over the last mile and a half or so."

Among masters males, Guy Potter (15:24.57) finished first, with Andrew Reynolds (15:52.69) in second, and ex-Chapel Hill Tiger Jonathan Drake (16:39.91) third. Among the women masters, it was Anne Wander in first (18:50.09), with Dana Lebo (19:03.02) and Mary Ann Ristaino (19:17.22) following closely behind.

Light in the woods

Now in its eighth year, the Pumpkin Run was the first local race to bring light to the resource that is the local woodland trails, including those that fall within the purview of Carolina North Forest Management. That agency is one of the benefactors of Saturday's race, alongside the Chapel Hill High School cross-country program and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA's Strong Kids campaign, providing scholarships for its youth program.

While Carolina North Forest played host to the race, the local YMCA (www.chcymca.org) played host to what has become one of the most popular of local after-race parties, featuring a live deejay, contests, home-cooked food, games, and fun for all ages.

Though it was decided early in the day that post-race festivities would be moved into the YMCA gymnasium due to the threat of bad weather, the new digs did little to dampen spirits.

"Everybody seemed to have as much fun inside as they usually had outside," YMCA senior membership and marketing director Greg Lee said.

Lee credited Fleet Feet, the Open Eye Café, Chick Fil-A, and See Jane Run for making the event a success, along with Tyler's in Carrboro, Mapleview Farms, Panzanella Restaurant, the Carrboro Yogurt Company, Harris Teeter, and the Barbecue Joint.

Lee said the race remains a perfect fit for the YMCA and all involved.

"It's a cool event where families get to run together is so unique and important to us," he said, "and that's exactly what the YMCA is all about too."

The race drew its maximum of 300 runners soon after registration opened. A sizeable portion of the young runners came from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Pacers and their families, noted Pacers coach Meredith Bolon.

"We had almost 50 Pacers come out, accompanied by another 50 parents, caregivers, and friends," Bolon said, "and there were probably another 50 Pacer alumni and their caregivers."

Bolon said her group familiarizes young runners with the course and distance through a time trial on the same trail earlier in the autumn, followed by an ice cream social at Mapleview Farms.

"This year, there was a combined effort with Fleet Feet's Starting Line group," Bolon said, "and they had another dozen runners out today. Plus there were at least a dozen Durham Striders runners and families out, which we also love to see."

Ex-UNC runner Trish Nervo, who coaches the Starting Line program with fellow elite runner Jason Jabaut, said the cooperative venture helped lessen intimidation.

"I think that event really got them excited," Nervo said, "and the ones who ran that distance (at the time trial) were really able to focus on a goal."

Winners

Among those young runners were women's age group winners like eight-and-under winner Amelia Pederson (20:34.09), with Caitlin Grubbs (23:07.35) in second place, and Mia Hoover (23:09.3) in third.

Among the 9-10 girls, it was Paige Hathaway (18:20.63) taking gold, Molly Palmer (21:07.56) earning silver, and Claire Pederson (21:08.28) claiming the bronze.

Rosie Kerwin (18:49.47) was tops among 11-12 girls, with Leah Meshnick (19:29.38) and Marija Crook (20:09.67) rounding out the top three places.

Among the 13-14 girls, it was Isabella Mezzatesta (16:58.38) atop the podium, with Smith Middle School's Jessica Nolting (17:47.74) in second, and Chapel Hill High freshman Elle Weeks (19:14.55) in third.

Among the 15-19 girls, it was Lindsay Savelli's 17:33.52 which earned first place, with Ahna Weeks (18:45.79) in second and Gan Zoe (18:45.87) in third.

Female adult winners included Erin Partington (20:30.67) in the 20-29 bracket and Dariele Burchfield (18:40.07) taking the 30-39 division. Laurin Easthom (19:24.27) claimed the 40-49 prize, Suzanne Beaumont (21:11.03) was first among women 50-59, and Pittsboro's Bonnie Finkle (47:01.64) was first across the line among women 60-and-over.

In the boys' eight-and-under bracket, it was Tyler Dunston (18:49.28) earning first place, with Jason Dadolf (20:17.15) in second, and Rutledge Smith (20:41.10) earning third. James Carrington (17:01.99) won the 9-10 division, with Malik Majette (17:58.80) and Klaas van Kempen (18:14.95) rounding out the top three.

Andrew Miller (17:01.04) earned gold among 11-12 boys with Connor McDonald, (17:12.56) in second and Thomas Little (17:42.66) in third.

Collin Vilen ran away with the boys' 13-14 bracket with a blistering 15:12 and an eighth-place overall finish. Zachary Halisky (16:55.64) finished second, and Norman Archer (17:04.60) wound up in third.

Chapel Hill High's Wes Sutter (14:05.58) took the boys' 15-19 crown, with William Bunch (14:22.47) in second place, and Jacob Hoerger (15:19.29) in third.

Adult men's division winners included 20-29 winner Robert Henderson (20:29.53) of Durham, 30-39 victor George Linney (13:51.02), and 40-49 bracket winner Charlie Lancaster (16:56.40). Tom Hoerger's (17:20.97) was tops among men 50-59, and Paul Ordronneau posted a 23:24.59 to win the men's 60-and-over crown.

Next up

Hinton and Certain both are planning to follow up with a trip north of the border to enter the Richmond (Va.) 8K in mid-November.

Something closer to home will be next up for a large number of local runners of all ages: the Cardinal Track Club's Double-B Gallop and Gorge 8K run at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Thanksgiving, Nov. 26 in Carrboro. The 5-mile event, named in honor of Cardinal co-founder Bobby Biles, is the last of three races that comprise Cardinal's annual Tour de Carrboro.

As for the Pumpkin Run itself, Nesbit Mabe has already begun working with Fleet Feet Carrboro, which will carry the torch -- or, better, the jack-o-lantern -- in future years.

"We met with Joan early on when she was talking about our role this year," said Brian White, who co-owns Fleet Feet with his wife Tricia. "Then, at the end of the meeting, she was like, 'Oh, and by the way, how'd you like to take this over?' We're not really in the business of staging races, and Cardinal is so good at staging these races, and we've got a store to run, but still..."

"We try to support anything that's about encouraging kids to run," Tricia White explained. "And it's fun."

Nesbit Mabe said she had a personal interest in the race's continued good health.

"My three girls will still be running it," she said. "Two out of three (Sarah Jane and Rosie Kerwin) won prizes today, and my youngest, Lizzie, was one spot away from a third place."

"I was really happy to have John Hinton win my last one of these," she added.

There may be races that have been around longer or boast bigger participation, but for those "happy few" who carry the memories of a handful of October Saturdays with the ladies of See Jane Run, perhaps there is no race quite as eloquent.

Besides, as Shakespeare might have said, "The fewer the runners, the greater share of honour."

- chn -