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Cunningham, Rejimbal Prevail

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By JEFFREY JONES

Tribune correspondent

Published: March 1, 2009

TAMPA - The winner of the 2009 Publix Super Markets Gasparilla half marathon, Richie Cunningham, sounds like a character out of a television show. But don't be fooled. The only attribute this tough-as-nails Australian triathlete shares with the fictional character is his bright red hair.

With a time of 1 hour, 14 minutes, 18 seconds, the 35-year-old Cunningham overcame brutal wind conditions to capture this year's title in his first attempt at the Tampa course.

"I normally do one or two of these type races at the start of the triathlon season," said Cunningham, a former St. Anthony's Triathlon runner-up who plans to compete in the St. Petersburg event in April. "I'll do maybe 20 triathlons this year, about every second or third weekend of the month. I just enjoy the challenge."

The runner-up Sunday was Mike Greiwe, 30, who now resides in Cincinnati. Greiwe is a Plant High graduate and former captain of the Notre Dame cross country team.

Greiwe then went to medical school at the University of South Florida, where he graduated in 2004, and began his current residency in orthopedic surgery in Cincinnati.

"I put in about 50-60 hours a week, as much as my training will allow me to, and as much as my work will allow me to," Greiwe said. "I actually have a team that I run with in Cincinnati to keep me going."

The women's half marathon winner was Tampa's Terri Rejimbal, who at age 40 was also the top masters finisher. Rejimbal, who recently moved to Tampa from Mount Dora, finished in 1:23:11.

Rejimbal, who had virtually no high school or college experience in distance running, believes she has become a better runner with age.

"You become a lot smarter," she said. "If your body is telling you to back off, you wait. When I was younger, I would just do it."

Rejimbal already placed first in the Disney Marathon masters division (3:04:46) and second in a Fort Myers 5k (17:54) this year.

Tribune reporter Bill Ward contributed to this report

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