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| 14 Year old Darielle Costa for the Win! |
You never know what will happen when the Zombies come out to play. On Oct 19th, 2013 runners enjoyed the 2nd annual Bocca Lupo Howl at the Moon 5k. What makes this race special is that it is infected with the spirit of Halloween. This chilling trail run was especially magnificent as the festivities started in the inky darkness of early morning illuminated by the light of the harvest moon.
Who dared to take on the fright? 241 runners set off the line just before sunrise fully aware that evil was creeping through the woods, awaiting delicious hordes of tasty athletes. The Zombies were exceptionally hungry and creative this year. Screams could be heard at several parts of the race course as bloody ghouls, often very young in age, jumped out of the bushes to surprise their victims.
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| Zombie attitude from Lauralyn & Fawn Brashear |
Englewood residents made a statement in support of this hometown race by taking some top spots in the competition including Overall Male Mark Stueve (19:42), Female Grandmaster Dorothy Korszen (27:11), Female 11-12 year old winner Isabella Park (28:55) and Male 20-24 winner Danny Duncan (20:55). Local businesses made an even bigger mark by providing a wealth of raffle prizes for participants.
The most astonishing story of the race has to be the Female Overall winner Darielle Costa of North Port. It is astonishing because Darielle is only 14 years old. A member of the North Port High School cross country team, the Bobcats, she came to Howl at the Moon as an unknown entity who quickly ascended into the limelight. At a race won last year by local professional Heather Butcher, Darielle stepped in to fill some big shoes and did so with style. Her time was 21:18.
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| Team of runners from the Farr Law Firm - Run Farr! |
When you Howl at the Moon, running is only half the story. This year's costumes were fantastic! Marvel and DC superheros filled the crowd right alongside Darth Vader, Rainbow Dash, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and an array of zombies. The contest itself was emcee'd by Kimmi Van der Veen with winners picked by the cheers of an enthusiastic crowd.
The finalists came down to Howl's very own Zombie poster boy plus a Werewolf Hunter played by Reagan Park and a woman pregnant with a Zombie baby! The crowd loved the Zombie Baby created and carried by Kathryn Carparelli. Not only did she win the contest but also took 4th in her class with a time of 26:04. The evil fetus did not slow her down one bit.
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| Kathryn Carparelli wins the Costume contest! |
It was a Saturday morning full of racing and fun enjoyed by an array of colorful characters who celebrated with pizza and prizes. Bocca Lupo even handed out commemorative glasses to the finishers. All of these quirky details are what makes Howl at the Moon one of the events you must put on your race calendar.
Get your race results and photos from the following links:
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