Leak and Martino Lead the Diamond Winners

By mitchpa on December 3, 2019 • ( 2 )

by Clay Shaw

Berwick, PA, November 26, 2019—No Berwick male runner has won the Run for the Diamonds since 1908, the first year it was held. Dylan Gearinger wanted to change history, had a great start, and led the first three miles to the top of Summerhill. Suddenly Gearinger grabbed his right leg and was out of the race. It was a sudden and very sad end to the Berwick native’s race. Gearinger had just run a 23:51 in the Rothman 8K in Philadelphia the previous Saturday. Colin Leak, a 2:14 marathoner from Chadds Ford, PA, took over the lead and was later challenged for several miles by Alex Price of Bethlehem. With a mile to go Leak surged on Market street, and set up his 46:13 winning time. Alex Price finished 15 seconds later in 46:48. Trevor Conde (AKA Trevor Van Ackeren) of Easton was third in 47:09. Paul Thistle of Capitol Heights, MD, the 2013 champ, was fourth in 48:03.

Chris McCabe who recently moved to Cohoes, NY was fifth in 48:17. Chris Mullin of Eagleville, PA was sixth in 48:22, as both men scored in the diamonds. Benjamin Fox of Santa Barbara, California earned the 7^th spot and the final diamond with a 49:16. The final three diamonds go to the top men in the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s. Joey Zins of Export, PA ran 51:44 to place 18^th and win the 40’s diamond. Sean Robbins of Dallas, PA earned the 50’s diamond in 56:49. Greg Cauller of York, PA won the 60’s diamond in 59:47. It was Cauller’s 15^th lifetime diamond; some call him “The Diamond Guy.” The men’s course record of 43:21, set by Pete Pfitzinger in 1980, was safe for another year.

Marina Martino of Dallas, PA won the Run For the Diamonds for the second time with a 54:43. In 2015 she won as Marina Orrson. Rosie Moscoli of Wayne, PA, a regular in the top seven women, was second in 55:43. Emily Shertzer of Jonestown, PA, who turned 40 on November 19, was third in 56:09. Shertzer earned double diamonds as first 40’s athlete and third overall. Clare Schoon of Scranton was third in 56:29. Katherine Sick of Millville, PA was fifth in 56:43. Karaleigh Foster of Knoxville, TN was sixth in 57:30. Foster won four times, 2012-14, and again in 2017. Her 2014 win set the course record of 50:33. Whitney Heydenreich of Danville took the final diamond in 58:17. Laura Yoder of Fleetwood, PA won the 50’s diamond in 1:08:48. Kate Fisher of Watsontown, PA was the 60’s winner in 1:10:34.

The Berwick Marathon Association and race director Margaret Livsey put on this historic Thanksgiving Day race in grand fashion every year, no matter what weather. This 110^th running had 1136 finishers.

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