\'Clydesdales\' get their moment
>
> By John Welch
> San Antonio Express-News
>
> Web Posted : 11/11/2002 12:00 AM
>
> Clydesdales are proud of their large stature.
> If you ask most people how much they weigh, you\'re likely to
> raise a few hackles.
>
> But a Clydesdale marathoner states his weight proudly, like a
> badge of courage.
>
> Sunday\'s San Antonio Marathon hosted the USA Clydesdale and Filly
> Racing Association\'s 2002 National Championship.
>
> Clydesdale men weigh in excess of 190 pounds, and Filly women tip
> the scales at more than 140 pounds.
>
> \"During the delay, I wa
> More than 60 Clydesdales and 12 Fillies competed in the event.
>
> The top Clydesdale finisher on Sunday was Eric Kobrine of Irvine,
> Calif. Kobrine, a 32-year-old competitor in the 190-210 pound division,
> covered the 26.2-mile route in 2 hours, 49 minutes, 42 seconds.
>
> Scott Birk, 39, of Austin, was second overall and first in the
> 211-225 pound class at 3:23:06.
>
> While Clydesdale competitors easily stand out in a sport clearly
> dominated by svelte runners, most of them want to be noticed for both
> their athleticism and their tenacity.
>
> \"Clydesdale events like this one make it possible for guys like
> me to compete against other people instead of just running for a
> specific time,\" said Kobrine, an office manager. \"So it added a whole
> new dimension to the race for me. I\'ve done several other marathons
> before, but never a Clydesdale race.\"
>
> Kobrine learned of the event from his girlfriend, Kathy Smith of
> San Antonio.
>
> Smith, a 1984 Churchill graduate, set the University
> Interscholastic League record in the 5A girls 3,200-meter run at 10
> minutes, 30.0 seconds in 1983. The record stood until 1997 when it was
> broken by Amani Terrell of Flower Mound Marcus in a time of 10:29.72.
>
> Smith, who graduated from Stanford in 1988, also competed in
> three U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
>
> But despite Smith\'s stellar influence, it was an immediate family
> member, who spurred Kobrine into running marathons.
>
> \"My dad has run 23 straight Boston Marathons,\" said Kobrine, a
> former high school runner, who only started running again six years ago.
> \"Before I started running again I was a beach volleyball player, and I
> also surfed a lot.\"
>
> Kobrine jumped to a quick lead over the other Clydesdales.
>
> \"My strategy was to start fast and make sure none of the other
> Clydesdales passed me,\" Kobrine said. \"We all had our weight marked on
> our calf, so if any of them had passed me, I would have known.
>
> \"This event was like a race within a race for me,\" Kobrine said.
> \"I felt like what elite runners would feel like, because I was running
> against other people instead of just going for a time.\"
>
> Trinity graduates and Tigers track teammates Alicia Mein, 23, of
> San Antonio, and Sarah Lough, 23, of Austin, crossed the line together
> to share the Filly national title in 3:59:59.
>
> \"We didn\'t know anyone else, who was in our division,\" Mein said.
> \"But Gene Johnson (San Antonio, Clydesdale event promoter) rode up to us
> on his bike and told us that we were in the lead. This was also our
> first marathon today.\"
>
>