Croom Trail 50 Mile Fools Run, 
March 31, 2001 
Brooksville, Florida

	The sixth running of the Croom Trail Runners 50 Mile Fools Run, began 
at the Tucker Hill trailhead of the Croom Hiking Trail in the Withlacoochee 
Forest.  The course began with a five mile loop, followed by three fifteen mile 
loops.  The The Croom Hiking Trail is a single tract trail full of challenges and 
contains a wide variety of terrain; including grass fields, oak hammocks, long 
leaf pine forests, as well as old sink holes and other ravines.  Many runners, on 
the Croom Trail for the first time were surprised by the number of hills on the 
course.. 

	Jeff Meyer took the early lead in the race and was uncontested until 
about the 46 mile aid station, when Meyer was joined by Bruce Bayless. 
Bayless had been as much as 10 minutes back.  Meyer eventually finished 15 
seconds ahead of Bayless, in a time of 6:57:52, making it the closest Fools Run 
finish yet.   
 
	Linda Mason, who owns 6 of the top 12 all time finishing times in the 
Croom 50K Trail Run, lead the race from wire to wire in her first 50 miler 
finished in a time of 8:07:03. Mason was followed by Sue Ellen Trapp; who 
finished in a time of 8:31:54. 

	Although always warm, the weather was a little more forgiving this year 
then in the past, allowing some good running times.  Art Sarakas, Ron Balow, 
Richard Valentine, and Brucie Waltemeyer all finished this race with a 
substantially better time than they posted in last year's race.  Upon completion 
of the course the runners were treated to a chicken barbecue.  
	
	The Co-Race Directors, John Holmes and Jim Spencer, once again did an 
outstanding job organizing their twenty-third and final race in the 
Withlacoochee Forest.  The Croom Trail Runners will continue the races with 
new race directors, enabling John and Jim  to run the races they have worked 
so hard to maintain.   So, come and join us on the Croom Trail, next 
September for the Croom Trail 50K Run, under its new race director. Maybe 
you will get to join John and Jim on a loop of the course.    
   
								Kathleen Wheeler,
								Race Correspondent


Place	First Name	Last Name	Finish Loop
1	Jeff	Meyer	6:57:52
2	Bruce	Bayless	6:58:07
3	Jon	Docs	7:37:33
4	Danny	Ripka	7:46:07
5	Art	Sarakas	8:06:04
6	Linda	Mason	8:07:30
7	John	Barrera	8:08:39
8	Mike	Gleman	8:13:48
9	Gyula	Kiss	8:23:12
10	Jeff	Blaker	8:27:04
11	Sue Ellen	Trapp	8:31:54
12	John	Butterick	8:57:20
13	Douglas	Brede	9:01:38
14	Jim	Bodoh	9:06:58
15	Marla	Buechner	9:08:14
16	George	Biondic	9:09:26
17	Pete	Pfannerstill	9:14:37
18	Ron	Balow	9:28:40
19	Jennifer	Nanny	10:03:44
20	Bill	Koppenheffer	10:09:07
21	Greg	Kaputa	10:11:43
22	Buck	Walsh	10:18:07
23	Mike	Barber	10:29:47
24	Lewis	Bennett	10:38:26
25	Steve	West	10:40:01
26	Gary	Long	10:48:17
27	Victora	Long	11:03:28
28	Pam	Dickens	11:03:28
29	Marilyn	Schupbach	11:23:50
30	Richard	Valantine	11:23:55
31	Bill	Dickens	11:33:20
32	Elaine	Anthony	11:53:04
33	Brucie	Waltemyer	11:53:29
34	Danny	Christian	DNF
35	Jim	Malone	DNF
36	Nelson	Stephenson	DNF
37	Timothy 	Cusack	DNF
38	Andrew	Colee	DNF
39	Joe	Smith	DNF

From Warren Wheeler, 4/11/01