OLD MILL RUN WINNERS AND TURNOUTS OVER THE YEARS
1978 (First Old Mill)
Men: Bradley Brown, 20, Stockton, 32:29, OMR record.
Women: Patty Dahlstrom, 30, Mariposa, 42:36, OMR record.
Turnout: 263, OMR record.
1979
Men: Steve Owen, 27, Sonora, 35:14
Women: Patty Dahlstrom, Mariposa, 40:04, OMR record.
Turnout: 280, OMR record.
First and only time old course was run in reverse (out Parrotts Ferry and Springfield, back on Yankee Hill); CHP didn’t like it.
1980
Men: Dr. Chuck Waldman, 30, Columbia, 36:15.
Women: Pamela Blair, 30, Twain Harte, 41:13.
Turnout: 410, OMR record. Hot: There were 39 non-finishers.
1981
Men: Bradley Brown, 23, Stockton, 32:56.
Women: Sharlet Gilbert, 30, Richmond, 37:20, OMR record.
Turnout: 346
Chilly, overcast.
1982
Men: Bradley Brown, 24, Stockton, 32:39 (10 seconds off own record).
Women: Pamela Blair, 32, Twain Harte, 42:54.
Turnout: 410, ties OMR record.
1983
Men: Jack Lawson, Modesto, 32:58.
Women: Ivy Sarratt, Auburn, 44:09 (65th overall).
Turnout: 600, OMR record.
Heat “torrid”: One runner kept in hospital overnight; another collapsed on course.
1984
Men: Don Moses, 26, LaCrescenta, 32:12, OMR record, 25 secs ahead of Bradley Brown in fastest, closest Old Mill to date.
Women: Sharlet Gilbert, 33, Richmond, 36:30, OMR record.
Turnout: 629, OMR record, still stands
1985
Men: Benton Hart, Modesto, 32:50.
Women: Sharlet Gilbert, 34, Modesto, 36:50.
Turnout: 600. Weather: cold.
1986
Men: Bob Loux, Modesto, 33:18.
Women: Laurie Crisp, 25, Modesto, 35:15, OMR record (still stands), 5th overall
(beats Sharlet Gilbert, 35, by 37 seconds). Sharlet: “She was strong and she was fast.”
Turnout: 619.
Record holder Don Moses drops out mid-course with a sore Achilles: “I was making an assault on the back of the pack.”
1987
Men: Fred Villegas, 29, Merced, 33:10.
Women: Sharlet Gilbert, 36, Richmond, 37:17
Turnout: 604. Weather: “Frigid.”
1988
Men: Bob Loux, 31, Modesto, 33:23.
Women: Patti Scott-Baier, Sonora, 37:54. (Only two women, Crisp and Gilbert, have run the Old Mill faster).
Turnout: 480, lowest since 1982.
1989
Men: Ken Danz, 33:40 (“The Old Mill Run’s all-time runner-up finally, tearfully, grabbed the brass ring Saturday.”)
Women: Doreen Brown, Modesto, 39:18.
Turnout: 580.
1990
Men: Kenny Brown, 20, Carmichael, 33:28.
Women: Patti Scott-Baier, Sonora, 39:40.
Brown also wins two-mile, 10:14.
Turnout: 530.
1991
Men: Bob Loux, 34, Modesto, 33:19
Women: Patti Scott-Baier, Sonora, 40:52
Darren Holman, eighth-grader, 36:10.
Turnout: 352
First rain ever for OMR, also windy and cold.
Ken Danz: “Don’t make ‘em like they used to. The old guys have taken over, and there aren’t any young lions rising up to become king of the jungle.”
1992
Men: Bob Loux, 35, Modesto, 34:33 (OMR win No. 4)
Women: Sharlet Gilbert, 41, Richmond, 38:52 (OMR win No. 5).
Turnout: 362.
Loux, however, was not first to cross the finish line. Instead, 1987 OMR winner Fred Villegas, 34, of Merced, came in with 33:18.
BUT, Villegas did not register for the ’92 OMR, and it wasn’t because he was cheap: The race was still free in 1992. “He’s out!” shouted Race Director Leon Casas as Villegas crossed the line. “He’s unofficial. He knew the rules; he shouldn’t have even crossed the finish line.” Villegas later said he arrived late and “didn’t have time to sign in.” “We would have held up the race to let you,” countered Casas.
THEN, then official winner Loux fell under controversy for cutting across the Sawmill Flat Road center line to “cut the tangents, ” and thus reduce marginally his distance covered. Rules, set with traffic safety in mind, did not allow this. Other runners, according to post-race story in the Union Democrat, said Loux “crossed the yellow line more times than a drunk driver on a Saturday night.”
RULES state that line-crossers “risk disqualification.” But after the Loux hullabaloo, Casas said that line will be changed to “will be disqualified.” Loux, however, kept his medal.
Other 1992 trivia: “Only” 20 runners broke 40. Seemingly ageless octogenarian Bernard Dathe, 86, who had finished every Old Mill to date, crossed the line in 1:20:08.
1993
Men: Jim Hartig, 38, Clovis (oldest winner to date), 32:55
Women: Regina Martinez, 11, Stockton (youngest winner to date), 43:18.
Turnout: 319.
1994
Men: Matt Johanson, Sonora, 33:18
Women: Kathy Ryan, Sonora, 46:02.
Turnout: 299.
Winner Johanson, a Union Democrat reporter, commented after the finish that “I would be a much better runner if my boss would give me more time off to train in the afternoon.”
Eighty-eight-year-old Bernard Dathe runs his 17th consecutive Old Mill. “I want to make it to an even 20,” he said after finishing. “Heck, I could do it again right now.”
1995
Men: Kenny Brown, Santa Rosa, 32:26 (just 15 seconds off Don Moses’ record and just 29 second ahead of runner-up Matt Johanson).
Women: Joan Ottaway, 51, Sonora, 39:02 (Ottaway was holder of several age-group records).
Five-time OMR champ Sharlet Gilbert of Richmond, was runner-up with a time of 40:05
Turnout: 260.
Last Old Mill Run sponsored by The Union Democrat; last OMR with no entry fee.
1996
Men: Mike Spencer, Castro Valley, 31:32. (OMR record, still stands).
Women: Joan Ottaway, 52, Sonora, 38:50.
Turnout: 280.
Spencer broke Don Moses’ 12-year-old record by 40 seconds. “I felt I was in good enough shape to challenge for the record,” said the Foothill High School track coach after finishing. “I felt 32 minutes was something I could do, even on a hilly course.”
The 1996 race, for the first time, charged an entry fee — $12, which included a T-shirt. Longtime local runner Randy Maple was race director and Richardson’s Family Fitness was prime sponsor.
Donated theater tickets, dinners out, pet care, bottles of wine and Chuck Waldman painting were presented to overall and divisional winners.
1997
Men: Doug Arvit, 37, Murphys, 33:47.
Women: Karen Steele, Merced, 40:06.
Turnout: 242.
Women’s runner-up Jennifer DeRego, a Sonora High senior, finished just eight seconds behind Steele.
Kids mile and kids half-mile races added to the program.
1998
Men, Alan Dehlinger, Reno, 32:56.
Women, Mary Coordt, Elk Grove, 38:42
Turnout: 249
Bernard Dathe, 92, powers through his 21st Old Mill in 2:40. Entry fee now $18 with shirt.
1999
Men, Doug Arvit, 39, Murphys, 34:31.
Women, Joan Ottaway, 55, Sonora, 40:34.
Turnout: 205
Arvit finished a record 5:12 ahead of runner-up Jim Wachter of Rancho Cordova.
Ottaway became the oldest ever OMR winner.
Weather, hot, humid.
2000
Men, Brian Singleton, Newark, 36:24.
Women, Julie Taggart, Pine Grove, 40:43.
Turnout: 267.
Sonoran Joan Ottaway, 56, was women’s runner-up in 43:33.
Mini-Mill, down Columbia’s Main Street and kids’ mile rounded out program.
Sonora Mountain Lions Club takes over as lead sponsor, with proceeds benefitting VNA/Hospice, Sober Grad Night and Columbia College.
$400 prizes offered for breaking men’s or women’s record.
2001
Men, David Jigour, 16, Coulterville, 38:56.
Women, Katie Briscoe, 14, Sacramento, 42:59.
Turnout: 186.
Sonorans Ken Danz (40:04) and Joan Ottaway (43:45) are runners-up.
Mike Kubasek and Eddie Zoma, founder of the famed Eddie Zoma Running Club, each finishes his 24th consecutive Old Mill.
2002
No Old Mill, lack of sponsors, organizers
2003
No Old Mill, lack of sponsors, organizers.
2004
Men: Tim Wyman, 44, Columbia, 37:31.
Women: Natasha Brown, 13, 44:27.
Turnout: 69.
Kathie Peacock and Sonora Kiwanis Club take over as sponsors of revived Old Mill Run. Proceeds benefit free Community Christmas Eve Dinner at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds.
2005
Men: Billy Brewer, 17, Sonora, 37:24.
Women: Christine Dibble, no time available.
Turnout: Unavailable.
2006
Men: Kenny Brown, 36, Santa Rose, 35:13.
(longest gap between first and most recent OMR victories: Brown won in 1990).
Women, Lia Nibur, 31, Coarsegold, 42:18.
Turnout: Unavailable.
Last race run on original course.
2007 (short course)
Men: Bill Raitter, Twain Harte, 29:38.
Women: Sarah Raitter (Bill’s wife), Twain Harte, 33:34.
Blazing times “led to belief that Old Mill course wasn’t a full 10K.”
Bill Raitter: “I’d say it was about 8.5 K.” Course went to college and back via back roads.
An organizer: Changed because “we thought construction at Columbia School could create problems.”
First and last married couple to win M and W divisions.
Turnout: Unavailable.
2008
Men: Mike Hoyar, 52, Forest Ranch (Butte County), 38:42, (Course record).
Women: Sheri Kidwell (Mike’s girlfriend), 35, Forest Ranch, 42:46 (second overall, Course record).
Turnout: 170.
First Old Mill on new course, which runs south on Parrotts Ferry, onto North Airport, up Chile Gulch, to airport (skirting grass runway), back onto N. Airport and back to Columbia.
2009
Men: Michael Sweeley, 29, Sonora, 42:11.
Women: Susan Henderson, 47, Lodi, 52:27.
Turnout: 100.
2010
Men: Dean Alley, Sonora, 37:21, Course record).
Women: Melissa Hough (former Sonoran), Hawaii, 46:37.
Turnout: 140.
2011
Men: Zack Weldon, 39:35.
Women: Kecia Bliss, 49:32.
Turnout: 111.
Hot: “80s in shade.”
2012
Men, Brian Forbes, 37, Sonora, 37:42.
Women, Brianna Willis, 32, 49:19.
Turnout: 100.
Hot. Forbes: “It was a grind out there.”
2013
Men, Jackson McIllroy, 14, Jackson, 41:15.
Lia Jigour, 30, Coulterville, 46:25.
Two mile: Cassi Land, Sonora, 13:43. First female ever to win two-mile outright.
Turnout: 116.
2014
Women, Riva Muehlbauer, 32, Columbia, time unknown
Men, unknown.
Turnout unknown.
No coverage; winners needed.
2015
Men: Dylan Muehlbauer, 12, Columbia, 47:43.
Women (and, for the first time, overall winner): Dylan’s mom, Riva Muehlbauer, 33, Columbia, 41:37, Course record.
2 mi: Sarah Azevedo, a Curtis Creek School 4th grader, wins in a blazing 12:36.
Turnout: 77
2016
Men: Darren Holman, Sonora, 36:16, Course record.
Women, Cassi Land, Sonora, 45:40.
Turnout: 81
2017
Men: Adin Dibble, 13, Sonora, 38:16 (youngest winner ever)
Women: Jill Jodie, 55:47.
Turnout: 70
2018
Men: Adin Dibble, 14, Sonora, 37:06.
Women: Sarah Butcher, 40, Dunedin, NZ, 51:55. (First foreign winner of OMR).
Turnout: 170.
A community group headed by retired school administrator Dave Urquhart takes over organization of the Old Mill, with an immediate uptick in turnouts resulting. Sponsorships and T-shirt sales proceeds go to Sonora’s annual free Community Christmas Eve Dinner and to the Wings Funds, founded by Dave and Teree Urquhart, which assists families caring for ill or injured children by providing lodging near hospitals and other support.
2019
Men: Broen Holman, 13, Sonora, 35:16, Course record (beats his dad’s 2016 mark).
Women, Melissa Foiada, 39, Twain Harte, 48:07.
First year cash prizes given to winners.
Turnout: 170.
2020
No Old Mill (Covid pandemic).
2021
No Old Mill (Covid).
Course differences:
OLD COURSE (1978-2008): 6.2 miles, 358 vertical feet of climbing.
NEW COURSE: 6.2 miles, 456 vertical feet of climbing.
OLD MILL RECORDS:
Men: Mike Spencer (1996), 31:32.
Women: Laurie Crisp (now Clare) (1986), 35:15.
NEW COURSE RECORDS (run since 2008):
Men: Broen Holman (2019), 35:16.
Women: Riva Muehlbauer (2015), 41:37.