This time, there was no catching Hillary McKinstry.
The Camas woman won the eighth edition of the Girlfriends Run for the Cure half marathon on Sunday, a year after finishing second in the popular women-only race.
“I’m very good at second place,” she said.
A year ago, she raced to the early lead but was passed about halfway through and finished four minutes behind the winner. This year there was no second guessing as McKinstry ran to victory with a time of 1 hour, 30 minutes and 33 seconds. It was a personal record by 90 seconds for the 13.1-mile distance, and three minutes faster than runner-up Ana Kuhl of Oregon City.
McKinstry, who ran the Boston Marathon this year for the second time, usually goes for longer distances. She said she aims for two marathons a year and has done several ultra-marathon trail runs including one 50-miler.
“I like being out on the trails,” she said.
The 13.1-mile Girlfriends course is flat, and shorter than McKinstry usually runs. But she has run seven of the eight Girlfriends races.
“Girlfriends is so fantastic,” McKinstry, 36, said. She enjoys the all-women race in part because it is local, and smaller than many similar races in Portland. When she first entered this event in its second year, “the draw was that it was women supporting a cause, which I appreciate,” McKinstry said.
That cause is raising money for breast cancer research. Money from entry fees and donations go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in Oregon and to the Kearney Breast Center at PeaceHealth Southwest Washington. A total of 860 women ran and walked the half marathon.
On Sunday, McKinstry said she enjoyed the ideal weather and the support of spectators and fellow runners. With the a quarter marathon added this year, McKinstry said she enjoyed having more company along the course even though she was leading the marathon. The support of her family, including her four children ages 4 to 11, also helped, McKinstry said.
The quarter marathon, officially 6.65 miles, was added this year to attract runners and walkers who were not interested in going 13 miles. Among those were friends of Olympia resident Susan Woltman. Woltman said she originally planned to run the half-marathon, but downsized when friends said they were not prepared to run that far.
Woltman, 46, was the winner of the first Girlfriends quarter marathon. Her time was 46 minutes, 45 seconds. She was 39 seconds faster than runner-up Jennifer Fagan. Cynthia VanderHouwen of Brush Prairie finished third in the quarter marathon in 48:32.
Tennis nationals in Vancouver
The United States Tennis Association national tournament for women 70 and older takes place Wednesday through Sunday at Club Green Meadows in Vancouver.
A total of 41 players, most of them from the West Coast, were registered for the tournament as of Monday.
Martha Frederick of Vancouver is one of three women entered in the singles tournament for women 90 and older. She is also slated to team with Jane Howard of San Diego in the 90s double tournament that features four teams.
Rosemary Buker of Vancouver is registered for 80-89 division singles and doubles tournaments. Molly Hall of Brush Prairie is entered in the singles tournament for ages 70-79.
For updates schedules and results during the tournament, visit the tournament page at www.tennislink.usta.com and search for tournament number 600000714.
Union leads rugby 7s
Union high school is in first place in a new rugby 7s league.
Union improved to 9-0 with three wins on Saturday, including a 26-12 win over Prairie. Prairie was also unbeaten entering play Saturday but dropped all three of its games.
The season runs for three more Saturday at Lents Park in southeast Portland, with playoff matches on Nov. 1
In rugby 7s, teams have seven players instead of 15 and play two seven-minute halves. The sport will be played for the first time in the Olympics in 2016.
12-U baseball tryout slated
Elite Baseball, a 12-and-younger tournament team in Vancouver, is holding tryouts for the 2015 spring-summer season on Oct. 25-26 at Heritage High School. To register, or to learn more, visit www.elite-baseball-academy.com.
COMMUNITY SPORTS NEWS is published each Tuesday. Submit items by email to paul.danzer@columbian.com or call 360-735-4521.
