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local duathlon

ROBERT MINER For The Times Leader

Chris Garges and Laura Kline ran and biked their way to wire-to-wire victories in the sixth annual Wilkes-Barre Duathlon on Sunday.

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First-place male finisher Christopher Garges of Bethlehem crosses the finish line in 1:14:12, exactly one minute ahead of second-place finisher Sean Robbins of Shavertown in the Wilkes-Barre Duathlon on Sunday morning.

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Eventual first-place female finisher Laura Kline of Syracuse, N.Y., turns into the Hanover Industrial Park during the second leg of the Wilkes-Barre Duathlon on Sunday morning.

BILL TARUTIS photos/FOR THE TIMES LEADER

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Garges, 34, of Bethlehem, a former pro motocross athlete, crossed the finish line on Public Square in 1 hour, 14 minutes and 12 seconds, winning a $100 prize. He outraced Sean Robbins, 39, of Shavertown, by one minute. Robbins won $75. Jeff Pellis, 32, of New York City, finished third in 1:20:33, winning $50.

“He beat me last year in my first race here,” said Garges of Robbins. “He finished second and I finished third. But I got him today.”

Robbins, who helps organize the duathlon, has now finished second in all six of the duathlons.

“Sean was strong throughout the entire race,” Garges said. “He kept me honest. I wanted to back off a little during the second run (final leg). But Sean was running so well, I just couldn’t relax. It wasn’t ’til about the second mile of the second run that I could see that Sean probably wasn’t going to catch me.”

The race features three-mile run followed by a 16.9-mile bike and then another three-mile run.

Garges said that he had to be careful, especially biking over the wet railroad tracks. But he said that the wet pavement actually cooled things off a bit.

Robbins wasn’t aware that the man he was attempting to catch was someone who he had outraced last year. “I could tell during the first run that he (Garges) was running well,” said Robbins. “And he was going to hold onto this. I thought that maybe I could make up some time on him on the bike. And I think I did. But, on the second run, he was running real strong. There was no catching him.”

Kline’s win in 1:23:35 – good for $100 – was her second in as many attempts. The 32-year-old from Syracuse, N.Y., won here in 2005. She outraced Monica Obsitos, 22, of Wilkes-Barre, by 3:42. Obsitos won $75. Tracey McGurk, 38, of Dallas, won $50 for finishing third in 1:32:08.

Obsitos didn’t even realize that there was another female racing ahead of her until one mile into the second run.

“I could see her up ahead on a sharp turn,” Obsitos said. “That was when I first realized I wasn’t the leader.”

It was on that sharp turn when Kline realized that she had about a one-minute lead and was probably going to win.

“But I kept pushing anyway,” said Kline. “I wasn’t going to give up my lead. It was pretty slick here today. So I took it easy on the bike on the sharp turns and downhills.”

Guilty as Charged (runner-John Zawadski, 37, of Plymouth and biker-Jesse Gydosh, 44, of Wyoming) won relay team top honors in 1:16:45.

6th annual Wilkes-Barre Duathlon (3-mile run, 16.9-mile bike, 3-mile run) results

Top 3 male finishers

Chris Garges, 34, Bethlehem, 1:14:12, $100

Sean Robbins, 39, Shavertown, 1:15:12, $75

Jeff Pellis, 32, New York City, 1:20:33, $50

Top 3 relay team finishers

Guilty as Charged (runs-John Zawadski, 37, Plymouth, bike-Jesse Gydosh, 44, Wyoming), 1:16:45

Team Intensity (runs-Kim Barbacci, 43, Freeland, bike-George Lacey, 58, Freeland), 1:30:40

Boyle & Sobota (runs-John Sobota, 53, Forty Fort, bike-Phil Boyle, 53, Forty Fort), 1:31:33

Male age group winners: 14 & under: None. 15-19: None. 20-24: 1. Jim E. Dean, Wilkes-Barre, 1:25:04; 2. Kurt Malkames, Allentown, 1:34:12; 3. Charles Karratskie, Wyoming, 1:47:23. 25-29: 1. John Martino, Dallas, 1:24:07; 2. Travis Weirich, Trexlertown, 1:26:41; 3. Nick Wadas, Dallas, 1:29:32. 30-34: 1. Chaz Ross, Uniondale, 1:21:45; 2. Zachary Chupa, Wilmington, Del., 1:21:56; 3. Orlin Howell III, Philadelphia, 1:22:05. 35-39: 1. Brett Albright, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1:21:55; 2. Robert Gould, Drums, 1:24:11; 3. Rich Aungst, Mill Hall, 1:24:39. 40-44: 1. Jeff Riegel, Macungie, 1:24:32; 2. John McGurk, Dallas, 1:32:09; 3. Mike Romanovitch, Olyphant, 1:32:13. 45-49: 1. Jim Schutawie, Collegeville, 1:34:05; 2. Joe Ackourey, Dallas, 1:38:09; 3. Chris Krall, Kingston, 1:39:42. 50-54: 1. Mark Farrell, Exeter, 1:23:48; 2. Bill Fish, Dallas, 1:28:09; 3. Con McCole, Wilkes-Barre, 1:28:30. 55-59: 1. Tom Walski, Nanticoke, 1:45:45; 2. Charles Crawford, Breinigsville, 2:04:59; 3. Eugene Learn, Laceyville, 2:09:24. 60-64: None. 65-69: None.

Top 3 female finishers

Laura Kline, 32, Syracuse, N.Y., 1:23:35, $100

Monica Obsitos, 22, Wilkes-Barre, 1:27:17, $75

Tracey McGurk, 38, Dallas, 1:32:08, $50

Female age group winners: 14 & under: None. 15-19: None. 20-24: 1. Julie Ann Rich, Bethlehem, 1:51:39; 2. Meg Devine, Harveys Lake, 1:56:49; 3. Jill Stark, Williamstown, 2:09:28. 25-29: 1. Corinne Farrell, W. Pittston, 1:37:24; 2. Charlene Aquilina, Shavertown, 1:40:35; 3. Stephanie Tulaney, Clarks Summit, 2:03:24. 30-34: 1. Liza Prokop, Wilkes-Barre, 1:41:55; 2. Michelle Nerozzi, Wilmington, Del., 1:43:50; 3. Sacha Dodson, Rockville, Md., 1:44:57. 35-39: 1. Kerry Potter, Dallas, 1:33:25; 2. Ellen Krantz-Buskovitz, Mayfield, 1:36:06; 3. Randi Chapin, Drums, 1:43:23. 40-44: 1. Lea Ann Kish, New York City, 1:49:08; 2. Cathy Stanski, Dallas, 1:49:39; 3. Cheri Balmer, Dallas, 1:51:11. 45-49: 1. Jocelyn Shilling, Saylorsburg, 1:37:01; 2. Tracey Perry, Clifton Park, N.Y., 1:46:38; 3. Irene Ghezzi, Dallas, 1:50:28. 50-54: 1. Silvia Elias, Swoyersville, 1:56:49. 55-59: None. 60-64: None. 65-69: None.

Field: 136 and 27 teams. Official starter: Mike Savokinas, Luzerne County Sheriff. Results: Compuscore ( www.compuscore.com). Race director: Nicky Pachucki (YMCA). The Wilkes-Barre Duathlon is part of the USAT Triathlon Mid Atlantic Region Duathlon Series. The event was organized by the Wilkes-Barre YMCA and the Jewish Community Center of Wyoming Valley.

Schedule

July 4: Wilkes-Barre YMCA’s 26th annual 3-Mile Run/Walk ‘Bernie’s Memorial’ at the YMCA, S. Franklin and Northamton streets. The walk starts at 8:30 a.m. The run starts at 9:10 a.m. There will also be a kid’s half-mile fun run at 8:30 a.m. Info: YMCA, 823-2191.

July 26: Wyoming Valley Striders 2nd annual Summer 10Km Run (final leg of the running club’s Triple Crown) at Kirby Park at 9 a.m. Info: Vince Wojnar, 474-5363.