Raymond, Collins wrap up a pair of titles at Kelley Half-Marathon; Croff returns 'home' to honor Higgins

New London — Chris Croff won four straight state championships as part of the Griswold High School boys' cross country team from 2002-05, 10 state titles overall including indoor and outdoor track. Croff, who later ran at Southern Connecticut State University, is now 37 years old, a Left Coast guy, living in Las Vegas. He recently started running again. And Saturday, Croff came home to run the John & Jessie Kelley Half-Marathon at Ocean Beach, the 64th running of the popular road race which honors the late John J. Kelley of Mystic, who won the 1957 Boston Marathon and was a two-time Olympian, and his late wife. Another former Kelley Race champion was Norm Higgins (1970), who would go on to win the New York Marathon in 1971. Higgins, originally of New London and later of Griswold, was Croff's first running coach. Higgins died on April 21 of this year at the age of 89. "I wanted to come back to this race because I heard Norm Higgins passed away and he used to coach me a long time ago," Croff said. "I wanted to come back, wear his jersey, make sure I had Adidas on. I just kind of wanted to do this race in his memory." Croff, wearing a blue jersey with the AGAA logo, short for Higgins' brainchild, the Age Group Athletic Association, finished the 13.1-mile race second in 1 hour, 13 minutes. He trailed winner Tyler Raymond of Hebron, who won in 1:10:43. Croff took about a decade off from running, he said, but this year won the Myrtle Beach Marathon on March 7 in 2:35:35.4. He was 23rd in the Surf City Half-Marathon on Feb. 1 in Huntington Beach, Calif., with a time of 1:14:24. Croff said he made the trip from Las Vegas with his girlfriend, who also ran the Kelley Half-Marathon on Saturday, with the two exploring the region. "It's very nostalgic just being here on the boardwalk again," Croff said. "It's really nice to be back. "... (Higgins) built a good culture around it, educating us about running and the history of running. It made you really excited about it and the fact that he trained me with no pay, he did it on his own time, that meant a lot to me. He was almost like a father figure to me." Raymond and Croff were followed by Kyle Kodnia of Wallingford, third in 1:19:15; Vincent Pistritto of Stonington, fourth in 1:19:34; and David Billing of Brooklyn, N.Y., fifth in 1:19.48. Hayley Collins of Hebron was the women's winner in 1:21:10, seventh overall. She was followed by Maryna Yanovich of Cranston, R.I., in 1:26:43 and Jessica Smith of Stafford Springs in 1:26:57. It was the fourth straight win for Collins, a former runner at Tolland High School and Marist University. The event marked a milestone for Raymond and Collins, who were engaged last December, with a wedding scheduled for next year. It's the first time they've won a race simultaneously, despite running many of the same events. Both held on to their finish line tapes, commemorating the event. "My fiancée loves (this race)," Raymond said while awaiting Collins's finish. "We're hoping that she wins it today. She's like, 'Maybe this will be the race we both win at the same time.' I'm hoping so." The pair met through a mutual running friend. Both are training for the Chicago Marathon (Oct. 11) and the California International Marathon in Sacramento (Dec. 6) this fall. It was Collins, 27, who introduced Raymond to the Kelley Half-Marathon. He was third last year behind Sam Whittaker and Alex Norstrom. "My dad (ran it) every year with his running group. They do a whole picnic at the beach after," Collins said. "I've always loved this race. I look forward to it." Meanwhile, Raymond, 32, ran alone for the entirety of the race, which winds past Long Island Sound and through the back roads of New London and Waterford, often taking the time to smile at those cheering him on. The busy race included drivers in cars honking their horns at him in support and applause originating from a pickleball game at Mitchell College, with the contestants putting their game briefly on pause. "It's so much fun seeing them acknowledge you," Raymond said. "Like, that little bit helps if you're alone or in front, or when it's humid or hot like this. Every person that cheers is something else that's going to help you get through this. "Focus, but also take in the atmosphere. The more you smile, the better time you're going to have and the less miserable you're going to be." The historical race, which features no entry fee, was sold out at 1,000 runners. v.fulkerson@theday.com