Friday, November 23, 2001
Sence wins Turkey race for fifth time
By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
John Sence, as usual, ran away with the Thanksgiving Day Race Thursday. It was Sence's fifth victory in the eventIf Sence enters a local race, he usually wins it. But he says that's getting harder to do.
“The target on my back gets bigger every year,” he said.
Apparently it wasn't big enough Thursday.
Henry Dennis, who finished second, lost sight of Sence at about the 4-mile mark. Just past the 5-mile mark, Dennis took a wrong turn.
“I ran the first half mile of the course over again,” he said.
About 25 other runners followed Dennis and made the same mistake. It added 1 1/2 to 2 minutes to their times.
Dennis was able to laugh about it later. He knew it didn't cost him the race; he was 35 seconds behind Sence after four miles.
Sence won the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) race in 29:44. Dennis came in at 32:32.
The field for the 92nd Thanksgiving Day Race was easily its biggest ever. More than 9,000 people participated — smashing last year's
record of 6,464.
The new course, which began and ended on Second Street in front of Paul Brown Stadium, was a hit — despite the glitch.
“There were a lot more fans on the course,” Sence said. “It was tough, with the three bridges near the end. The Clay Wade Bailey, the last one, was the killer. But it's a good course.”
This could be the start of a rivalry between Sence and Dennis. No area runner has beaten Sence, 31, since he returned from Wake Forest, where he was a track and cross country All-American.
Dennis, 27, has the talent to challenge Sence. Dennis ran track and cross country at Colerain and the University of Wisconsin. He recently returned to Colerain to teach math and coach running.
Dennis lost to Sence by nine seconds in a 5K in Sycamore Township two weeks ago.
He had no illusions of beating Sence Thursday.
“Not in a 10K” Dennis said. “He's better in the longer races. I think I might be able to beat him in something shorter than a 5K If we develop a rivalry, it would be good for local running.”
Sence's strategy for Thursday's race was to take speed out of the equation.
“I went out hard,” Sence said. “I've got the strength, but I haven't been racing much so the speed isn't there.”
Sence skipped the fall competitive season. His last major race was August when he ran the U.S. Half-Marathon Championship.
His wife, Lori, had their second child in June, so John decided it was time to take a break from competition.
“I wasn't getting a lot of sleep,” he said. “It was a good time for a break.”
His plan is to run in the Flying Pig Marathon in May and qualify for the 2004 Marathon Trials. Sence, who has run the fastest marathon by a Cincinnatian (2:15), has never run the Pig.
“To have a chance to qualify for the (Olympic) trials in my hometown is something special,” he said.
Full results are posted at www.thanksgivingdayrace.com/results.htm.
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Sence wins Turkey race for fifth time
