The last time I chatted with Dan Green, the record-breaking champion of the Cocodona 250, was just over a decade ago when he was a lanky, poofy-haired high school distance runner.
Back then I prowled the invitational scene as the track beat writer for PennLive and Dan, or Danny as he used to go by, was a frequent, and hilarious, interview. He was a solid runner in his own right, but my main focus at the time was his sprinter teammate, Peter Hughey, a stud athlete who did the impossible — make a winner out of the James Buchanan football team — on his way to a brief track career at Penn State. I could never get much of a quote out of Peter, but that’s where Dan came to the rescue.
Marveling at the physique of his teammate, Dan once remarked that he couldn’t compare to Peter and in fact, he could not even compare to the girls in gym class that dominated him in sports. Needless to say, I often walked away from those invitationals carrying a notebook full of one-liners and laughing to the point of tears.
Never could I have imagined that this quirky jokester would grow up to become one of the greatest all-time ultra runners before the age of 30.
I loosely followed Dan’s running after high school. He enjoyed a fine cross country career at Marshall University before eventually broadening his horizons to longer, and soon unfathomable, distances.
Dan’s stock skyrocketed in October when he took third at the renowned Javelina Jundred in Arizona. In March he made a quick stop in Pennsylvania to collect a confidence-building win at the Rabid Raccoon 100 Miler, before he set his sights on a return trip to Arizona earlier this month for a new goal: Competing in a race longer than 100 miles.
He found exactly what he was looking for in the form of the Cocodona 250, a 256.6-mile race known for tormenting its participants with rain, snow, and plenty of mud. Dan, who now resides in Huntington, W.Va., rose to the challenge. He conquered the race in 58 hours, 47 minutes, and 29 seconds, shattering the previous record of 59:50:55 by more than an hour.
Dan played follow the leader over the first 24 hours before taking over the top spot from last year’s winner, Harry Subertas, as well as South African challenger Ryan Sandes. Battling through freezing temps, Dan turned up the heat by putting distance between himself and the field. Even with less than 20 minutes of sleep over the course of the entire race, Dan’s legs were still fresh and “runnable” enough to power to the finish nearly two and a half hours faster than Sandes, the runner-up.
Almost as soon as Dan crossed the finish line, he ascended to legendary status. In the days and weeks since his victory Dan has been bombarded with media requests and podcast invites. He’s already the focal point of multiple YouTube documentaries on the Cocodona 250.
In short, Dan Green is kind of a big deal, now.
One of the coolest parts about being a sports journalist is how I get to rub shoulders with some of the biggest personalities in athletics. But the most rewarding part? It’s when I get to meet the stars before they make it big. That’s certainly the case with Dan, a 28-year-old who is undoubtedly in for even bigger and better things in the decades to come.
I’m just happy that I got to share a few minutes, and laughs, with ultra running’s brightest new star.
1 STEP BACK, 3 STEPS FORWARD
Girl Power was the theme of the day when 393 runners invaded Chambersburg for the Go Girls Go 5K.
The race, which celebrates a local girls empowerment and running club, was won by Bryton Hazleton in 19:48, with fellow Chambersburg runner Darcy Aurand finishing as top female in 23:15. Other top finishers from the race included Chambersburg’s Jackson Faith (2nd in 21:47), Mallory Neus (7th in 24:45), Mike Hepner (9th in 25:11), and Kensi Sites (27:03), Waynesboro’s Jude Martin (5th in 23:20), Greencastle’s Cade McDowell (6th in 24:28) and Laurie Vogel (27:52), and Saint Thomas’ Austin McCoy (10th in 25:11).
Perhaps some of those vibes from the Go Girls Go race drifted to Chambersburg’s Laurie Dymond, who had a brilliant day on the track at the Dawn to Dusk to Dawn 12 Hour in Sharon Hill. Dymond, 59, won the race outright by completing 65.11 miles in 11:58:57.
In Williamsport, Md., the Tiki Trot 5K/Beer Mile/Tiki-Tizer Mile pulled in more than 200 competitors, including several standouts from the Local.News1 coverage area. Locals swept the top spots in the 5K, with Smithsburg’s Jonah Smith claiming victory in 17:01 and Hagerstown’s Allie Isaacs finishing as top female in 20:52. Solid times were also posted by Hagerstown’s Harol Samir Baca Ponce (2nd in 18:14), Anthony Chaney (7th in 20:07), and Bradley Lundberg (23:22), as well as Waynesboro’s Jeffrey Hein (24:11).
The Beer Mile was highlighted by a finish in 11:56 from Chambersburg’s Dallon Espinosa, while the Tiki-Tizer Mile saw five Hagerstown runners land in the Top 10: Evan Thomas (2nd in 9:54), Liam Kline (3rd in 10:30), Tim Cramer (4th in 11:20), Graham Otvos (8th in 12:01), and Lauren Cramer (9th in 12:05).
Speaking of the aforementioned Lauren Cramer, she also had a successful run at the Cleveland Half Marathon, finishing the race in 1:38:40. Surprisingly, Cramer’s monster effort was only the second-fastest 13.1-mile time posted by an area runner in recent weeks. Matthew Smith, of Greencastle, clocked a 1:36:06 to finish sixth in the field of 70 runners at the Mountain Road Half Marathon in Everett. Fort Loudon’s Neal Reamer II was just behind Smith for eighth place in 1:41:56.
Staying on the long-distance theme for a moment, Hagerstown’s Katherine Kirkman posted a 2:01:40 at the St. Michaels Half Marathon, while Waynesboro’s Heather Burns recorded a 2:21:41 at the Cambridge Crab Run Half Marathon.
In West Virginia, Hagerstown’s Jamie Wisz shined at the Harpers Ferry Half Marathon. She finished in 1:52:02 to take third in the 30-39 AG and led a group of local finishers that included Hagerstown’s Erin Helm (2:09:30), Adam Sweeney (2:15:34), and Ellen Bentz (2:15:34). The Harpers Ferry 5K saw Chambersburg’s Cher Martin finish in 31:13 to win the 20-29 AG.
The Jeff Scuffins Memorial 5K, held in Hagerstown, was jam-packed with local finishers, including top female Cheryl Scholl. The Hagerstown runner surged to the finish line in 21:46 to highlight a group of locals that included Smithsburg’s Jonah Smith (2nd in 16:48) and Jesse Smith (7th in 21:32), Waynesboro’s Will Campbell (3rd in 18:13) and Devin Barger (4th in 18:22), and Hagerstown’s Bryan Seifarth (5th in 18:43).
Chambersburg’s Kim Bard secured a win at the Water Wheel 5K in Newville, clocking a 25:50 to finish as top female. She led a group of locals that included Fort Loudon’s Dennis Reamer II (6th in 21:45), Chambersburg’s Cliff Ocker (10th in 24:13), and Fayetteville’s Danielle Portier (2nd female in 26:04).
A number of others were active in races across the region and beyond, including Chambersburg’s Renee Logan (1:22:01 at St. Michaels 10K), Matt Imwald (1:12:36 at Savage Race Maryland), and Michey Bard (3:00:06 at Bear Olympic Triathlon), Fairfield’s Ronald Black (30:40 at Run Aware 5K) and Stevie Kauffman (36:14 at Run for Restoration 5K), Smithsburg’s David Bowers (39:50 at Central Maryland SwimFest 1,600 meters; 59:46 at 2,400 meters), and Hagerstown’s Bryce Gates (23:22 at Bettie Jane Cancer Foundation 5K), Katie Baron (39:16 at Phelps Luck 5K) and Mike Stutts (34:49 at Medal Madness 5K).
And finally, a shoutout to Chambersburg’s Lucy Rheam, who posted a 44:39 at the Clinic for Special Children 5K to take third in the 70-99 AG.
And now, a look ahead:
VA5K Memorial Run 5K: Saturday, 9:30 a.m., in Lebanon. This race, in its 38th running, benefits the Lebanon VA Medical Center. Register for the race on runsignup.com.
Platinum Memorial Day 5K: Monday, May 26, 9 a.m., in Harrisburg. Compete in the fourth running of this race, which benefits the Children of Fallen Patriots charity. Search for the race on runsignup.com.
Linglestown Memorial Day Mile: Monday, May 26, 12:15 p.m., in Linglestown. Veterans run for free in this event, which runs on the Memorial Day Parade route through historic Linglestown. Look for the race on raceentry.com.
Also: Bubbletown What The Duck Ultra 12H (Saturday, in Boiling Springs); HTVRC Run to Remember 3M (Saturday, in Enola); Luau 1M/5K/10K (Saturday, in Manheim); Medal Madness 1M/5K/10K/15K/13.1M (Saturday, in Hughesville); York YMCA Kids Tri (Saturday, in York); Charlie Horse Half Marathon (Sunday, in Mohnton); Memorial Day Free 5K (Monday, May 26, in Gettysburg); Memorial Day 5K (Monday, May 26, in Ephrata); York Gold Star Memorial Day 5K (Monday, May 26, in York); FALCON Running Festival (Saturday, May 31, in Lebanon); Lewisburg Sprint Triathlon (Saturday, May 31, in Lewisburg); Squirrel 5K/10K/13.1M (Saturday, May 31, in Harrisburg); Unified 5K (Saturday, May 31, in Mechanicsburg); Worlds End Ultramarathon (Saturday, May 31, in Forksville); GiGiFit Acceptance Challenge 5K (Sunday, June 1, in Lancaster); Run to Breathe Half Marathon (Sunday, June 1, in Portersville).
