Mundell Wins Brooksie Way Half Marathon
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich.—This past Sunday, September 29, Rochester College women's cross country assistant head coach Janet Mundell won the Brooksie Way Half Marathon.
Coach Mundell was running in the 6th annual race for the first time. The Brooksie Way races were created by County Executive L. Brook Patterson to promote Oakland County and encourage people to become more physically active. The Brooksie Way races are composed of a 5K, 10K, and half marathon race which included more than 6,000 participants between the three events. The half marathon race started at Oakland University and led runners through the Clinton River Trail to downtown Rochester, north on the Paint Creek Trail to Tienken and Dutton Road, and then down Adams Road and back to Oakland University where the race day festivities were held.
Mundell ran the 13.1 mile course in 1:21:55 and trekked a 6:15 minute pace. When Mundell crossed the finish line her time was good enough for the fastest female time of the course, finishing just under three minutes ahead of the second place finisher.
Mundell is in her first season of coaching at RC. She joins the Rochester College family after a storied career at Luther College, a liberal arts institution in Decorah, Iowa. Competing in cross country and in the NCAA Division III, Mundell was a four-time All Conference performer from 2005-2008, making the first team in 2006 and 2007. Mundell was named the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable Performer in 2006 and 2007. She was also recognized on the national level as an All American in cross country in 2007, 2008, and 2009. In track and field in 2007 she finished runner up for the national championship in the 3000 meter steeplechase.
Coach Mundell is excited that she had a chance to run in one of Oakland County's premier running events and is thankful for the running community that she is surrounded by. "I had a blast running the Brooksie half. It was the best fan supported road race I've ever run. The endless cheer groups and volunteers along the course pulled me along the trails and up the challenging Tienken Road hills. The women's cross country team has had great opportunities to utilize these same trails and roads in their training, and it has really benefitted the team. Before moving to Michigan two years ago I had no idea this area was such a runner's haven of parks and trails. We are very blessed to have trails at our doorstep in a metropolitan area. Not all collegiate runners have this luxury."