Ex-champs scarce for CdA races

Gayle Jacklin and Heather Harmon would like nothing more than to defend their respective titles at the Coeur d’Alene Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday.

While their minds are willing, their bodies aren’t. Jacklin, a three-time Coeur d’Alene champion who broke her marathon course record last year by nearly 9 minutes, is recovering from a hamstring tear she suffered in December at a Sacramento, Calif., marathon while posting the second-best time of her career.

“I’m just running more recreationally right now,” said Jacklin, who lives in Rathdrum. “I’m not in training, but I’m keeping my mileage base up so hopefully I can get into a marathon this fall.”

Harmon, who established the half marathon course record in 1 hour, 22 minutes, 23 seconds last year, is making considerable strides in her recovery from severe injuries that threatened her running career. Last November, she suffered a shattered tibia and broken fibula when she was hit by a car as she was running off the side of a road near her former home in Post Falls.

She said she is progressing “slowly but surely.

“I’m not running yet, but my walk is pretty much limp-free,” said Harmon, an assistant track and cross country coach at Lake City High. “I have been able to swim and bike and use an elliptical machine at the gym.”

Harmon had several surgeries following the accident and faces one more roughly a year from now to remove a rod and screws in her tibia. She hopes to resume running in a couple of weeks.

“I was really hoping to run the half marathon, not that I was expecting to be competitive,” said Harmon, a Coeur d’Alene resident. “Obviously that’s not going to happen. I’ve been doing enough swimming and biking, maybe I’ll try the Coeur d’Alene Triathlon” in August.

The absence of Jacklin, who won in 2:51:46 last year, leaves the women’s marathon field wide open. As of Wednesday night, no former champions had entered. Same goes for the men’s marathon. Last year’s champ, Lonnie Matsuno of Calgary, Alberta, runner-up Scott Daratha and 2003 winner Brian Hadley, who led most of last year’s race, hadn’t entered. Past champions, including course record-holder Uli Steidl, Mark Tarr and Mark Brady, also weren’t in the field.

“It’s kind of a crapshoot,” co-race director Lynn Hauer said. “It may be up for grabs.”

Spokane’s Kyle McNaught-Davis, who won the half marathon in 1:19:38 last year, has entered.

Hauer has received about 910 half marathon entries, a pace that should exceed last year’s 918. Marathon entries were at 270, slightly down from last year’s 314. Some half marathon participants are also involved in an Ironman Coeur d’Alene training camp, conducted by noted triathlete Mike Pigg, taking place Friday through Sunday. For more information on the marathon and the training camp, visit cdamarathon.org.