Monday night's City Council meeting was 'fessing-up time for Councilman Steve Schewel.

"I had challenged, in a foolish moment, the employees of the city of Durham to race against me," said Schewel. Eight of them finished the six-mile course ahead of him.

First finisher was Seven Eldredge of the Fire Department, with a time of 42 minutes, Schewel said.

"I thought I should give him a trophy," Schewel said. "But I thought the trophy would have had to say 'I beat Steve Schewel. Who cares?' "

Others who finished ahead of Schewel are Eric Halstead,
Tyler Peek, Jonathan Baker, Chris McDonald, David Cates, Hanna Jacobson and Chris Iannuzzi.

Schewel said Keith Herrmann and Daniel Terry would have beaten him, too, but they ran an extra half-mile by mistake.

About 30 runners came out to accept Schewel's challenge.

"I later said to the City Manager I should have gotten an age handicap," said Schewel, 61. "But he said it was too late and I should have thought of that at the time.

"I did beat some people, I just want that to be known."